Intended for discipleship and Christian living, this comprehensive study will help you understand the meaning of faith within the context of both Old and New Testaments. Through this Bible study, we hope to highlight the literary beauty of God's word and the elegance of God's logic and plan.

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Then he believed in Yahweh; and He counted it to him as righteousness. (Gen 15:6)

Because they did not believe in God and did not trust in His salvation. (Ps 78:22)

A Hebrew lexicon is a dictionary that shows the Hebrew word that is the basis of the corresponding English translation.
Give it a try! What is the Hebrew meaning behind "believe?"

1. Go to: Blueletterbible.org and enter the above verses.

2. Locate "believe" and select "Tools" and read the lexicon entries.

Click After Discussion A Caution

Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel." (Matt 8:10)

But Jesus turning and seeing her said, "Daughter, take courage; your faith has saved you." At once the woman was saved from her hemorrhage. (Matt 9:22)

A Greek lexicon is a dictionary that shows the Greek word that is the basis for the corresponding English translation.
Give it a try! What is the Greek meaning behind "faith?"

1. Go to: Blueletterbible.org and enter the above verses.

2. Locate "faith" and select "Tools" and read the lexicon entries.

Click After Discussion

After roughly 215 years of silence, God reveals Himself to Moses who asks His name:

13) Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am about to come to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' And they will say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" 14) And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" 15) And God furthermore said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name from generation to generation. (Ex 3:13-15, LSB)

Click After Discussion Note: 215 Years

God tells Moses how the people of Israel can be of God's "treasured possession among all the peoples."

3) Now Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying,"Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: 4) 'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I lifted you up on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. 5) So now then, if you will indeed listen to My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6) and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel." (Ex 19:3-6, LSB)

Q: How did the invisible God of Abraham demonstrate His living existence to the Israelites?

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God tells Moses how the people of Israel can be of God's "treasured possession among all the peoples."

3) Now Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: 4) 'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I lifted you up on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. 5) So now then, if you will indeed listen to My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6) and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel." (Ex 19:3-6, LSB)

Q: What type of statement is this?

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Three months after leaving Egypt, God sought a covenant commitment before He was about to reveal the Mosaic Covenant (Ex 19). The Law of Moses had three purposes:

1. Teach what sin is (Rom 7:7).

2. By teaching how to atone for sin, the Israelite learns about God's judicial approach to sin and how God obtains justice.

The distinction of the Old Testament Believer: he is an active participant in the process of atonement!

3. Determines who enters the Promised Land (Ex 23:20 - 24:8; 32:1-35).

Through the Mosaic Covenant, God intended to teach a person how to be holy as God was holy! If you will listen to My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession! The emphasis is on obedience to God's word (Rom 4:1-4) rather than simply doing the Law without being mindful of and obedient to God's supreme authority; the object of faith and basis of salvation is on God not the Law.

Before entering the Promised Land, Moses instructs the people how to tell the next generation about the reality of the invisible God (Deut 4:10-13).

"When your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What do the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments mean which the Lord our God commanded you?' then you shall say to your son, 'We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord brought us from Egypt with a mighty hand. Moreover, the Lord showed great and distressing signs and wonders before our eyes against Egypt, Pharaoh and all his household; He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He had sworn to our fathers.' So the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today. It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the Lord our God, just as He commanded us." (Deut 6:20-25, LSB)

The Mosaic Covenant is a divine covenant with God - God's promises and the nation's covenant commitment is divine and as real as the spectacular events of the Exodus. The implication – this Law of Moses is not a human tradition.

While the Mosaic Covenant was essential to fulfilling God's promise of land and nation to Abraham by determining who were of "God's own possession" and gain entrance to the Promised Land, the nation of Israel continued to have a problem with apostasy (Josh 24:14-23), and failed to keep their covenant commitments.

By 600 B.C., the Mosaic Covenant was irretrievably broken, and the nation was completely expelled from the Land.

God was no longer bound to His promises made in the Mosaic Covenant.

However, the Mosaic Covenant's function of teaching what sin was and how to atone for it was still valid.

Jewish tradition had added to the Law of Moses over time to keep people from breaking or avoiding the Law. Eventually this would number over 1,500 additional laws for people to obey (Matt 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23).

1) Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2) "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."
3) And He answered and said to them, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4) For God said, 'Honor your father and mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.' 5) But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever you might benefit from me is given to God," 6) he need not honor his father.' And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7) You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:
8) 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.
9) But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commands of men.'" (Matt 15:1-9, LSB)

The demand for obedience to their Law supplanted obedience to God's word!!

18) Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. 19) Also I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. 20) Then they came to the nations to which they came. And they profaned My holy name because it was said of them, 'These are the people of Yahweh; yet they have come out of His land.' 21) But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. They Will Know That I Am Yahweh. 22) "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says Lord Yahweh, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations, to which you have come. 23) I will prove the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh," declares Lord Yahweh, "when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. (Ezek 36:18-23, LSB)

Q: Who did Ezekiel prophesy to and when?

Q: Why did God make the New Covenant?

Ezekiel Click After Discussion

24) And I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your own land. 25) Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and from all your idols. 26) Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27) I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to do My judgments. 28) And you will inhabit the land that I gave to your fathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. (Ezek 36:24-28, LSB)

Q: How would you investigate "heart of stone?"

Q: What is the significance of God putting His Spirit within the Believer?

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31) "Behold, days are coming," declares Yahweh, "when I will cut a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32) not like the covenant which I cut with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, but I was a husband to them," declares Yahweh. 33) "But this is the covenant which I will cut with the house of Israel after those days," declares Yahweh: "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34) And they will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know Yahweh,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares Yahweh, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jer 31:31-34, LSB)

Q: Who does God make a covenant with? Is this covenant conditional?

Q: Not teach again? Who will all know Yahweh?

Q: Is this forgiveness different from forgiveness under the Mosaic Covenant?

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26) Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 ) to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. 28) And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." 29) But she was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was. 30) And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31) And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. (Luke 1:26-31, LSB)

Q: What does the name Jesus mean in Hebrew?

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No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. (John 1:18, LSB)

7) If you have come to know Me, you will know My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." 8) Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." 9) Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all so long and have you not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? (John 14:7-9, LSB)

Q: What is the significance of seeing Jesus is seeing God? Of knowing Jesus is knowing God?

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19) Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing from Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in the same manner. (John 5:19, LSB)

49) For I did not speak from Myself, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50) And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me." (John 12:49-50, LSB)

Q: How does the historical Jesus Christ represent His invisible Father?

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27) Then He said to Thomas, "Bring your finger here, and see My hands; and bring your hand here and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." 28) Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29) Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are those who did not see, and yet believed." 30) Therefore many other signs Jesus also did in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31) but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:27-31, LSB)

Q: What were the disciples like before and after the resurrection of Jesus Christ?

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"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. (Matt 5:17, LSB)

49) For I did not speak from Myself, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50) And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me." (John 12:49-50, LSB)

Q: How did Jesus Christ fulfilled the function of the Law of Moses / Mosaic Covenant?

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3) For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4) so that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Rom 8:3-4, LSB)

Q: How did Jesus Christ fulfilled the function of the Law of Moses / Mosaic Covenant?

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"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. (Matt 7:21, LSB)

21) For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22) For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23) so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 24) "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (John 5:21-24, LSB)

Q: How did Jesus Christ fulfilled the function of the Law of Moses / Mosaic Covenant?

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Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." (Luke 24:44, LSB)

Not only did Jesus fulfill the purpose of the Mosaic Covenant, He also fulfilled the Prophets and the Psalms!

What are some examples of how Jesus Christ fulfilled the Prophets and the Psalms?

5) He saved us, not by works which we did in righteousness, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6) whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7) so that having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Tit 3:5-7, LSB)

Q: How did Jesus Christ fulfilled the Prophets and the Psalms?

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Renewing By Holy Spirit Click After Discussion
Heirs

Through Jesus Christ, God intended to teach a person how to be holy as God was holy! If you will listen to My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be to Me My treasured possession and a holy nation! (Ex 19:5-6)

21) For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22) For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23) so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 24) "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (John 5:21-24, LSB)

Like the Exodus in the Old Testament, Jesus Christ's death by crucifixion and resurrection becomes the spectacular historical event that validates the real and living existence of the invisible God in the New Testament.

1) Now I make known to you, brothers, the gospel which I proclaimed as good news to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2) by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I proclaimed to you as good news, unless you believed for nothing. 3) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4) and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5) and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6) After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep. (1 Cor 15:1-5, LSB)

Paul's gospel always mentions, at minimum, Jesus Christ’s historical resurrection to validate the real and living existence of the invisible God, and it serves as a model for the good news today!

8) But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart"—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9) that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10) for with the heart a person believes, leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, leading to salvation. 11) For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes upon Him will not be put to shame." (Rom 10:8-11, LSB)

In doing what He said He would do, the invisible God demonstrates that He is a living Being; the historical acts that fulfilled His promises show Him to be true and reliable.

Biblical faith finds its basis in the historical events of God's acts and not on subjective abstraction. In recognizing the love of the omnipotent God, one places a trust in His words and an obedience to comply. It is the act of believing in something so strongly that a confidence is generated from that trust. Thus, acknowledging the historical truth of the past, a Believer has a confidence of the future that God promises.

The beauty of the New Covenant emphasizes the magnitude of God's commitment to His promises of blessing through Abraham.

In contrast to the Mosaic Covenant, the New Covenant unifies faith with holiness so that one is holy without any human effort. Just by faith alone in Jesus Christ, one is justified before God and receives the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and becomes forever holy / set apart for God.

Of course not!! Historical events in a person's life may testify to the reality of God that cause that person to believe and engender a trust in God's words! Joshua points out that God did more than just the Exodus to reveal His real existence:

11) And you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Girgashite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. Thus I gave them into your hand. 12) Then I sent the hornet before you, and it drove out the two kings of the Amorites from before you, but not by your sword or your bow. 13) And I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.' 14) "So now, fear Yahweh and serve Him in integrity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh. (Josh 24:11-14, LSB)

8) By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9) By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise, 10) for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Heb 11:8-10, LSB)

Q: What makes Abraham's faith so remarkable?

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19) You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20) But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? 21) Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? (Jas 2:19-21, LSB)

Q: If demons believe, do they have faith?

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James' comment about demons is part of a larger discussion about faith and works:

8) If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. 9) But if you show partiality, you are committing sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. 10) For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. (Jas 2:8-10, LSB)

Q: What do you know about the "royal law?" Where have you seen this law?

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15) If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16) and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17) Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead by itself. 18) But someone will say, "You have faith; and I have works. Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." (Jas 2:15-18, LSB)

Q: How is faith and work related?

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Jewish religious authorities did not place an emphasis on obeying God. God's judicial process of atoning for sin through sacrifices was seen erroneously as the basis of justification.

Samuel confronts king Saul for disobeying God for failing to destroy all that Amelak had (1 Sam 15:1-17). Disobedience is rebellion and insubordination!

22) And Samuel said, "Has Yahweh as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of Yahweh? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. 23) For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, He has also rejected you from being king." (1 Sam 15:22-23, LSB)

Jesus would commend a scribe who alluded to this same thought (Mark 12:32-34).

Against Jewish religious authorities, who added more laws to the Law of Moses and demanded obedience to it, Jesus placed an emphasis on obeying God as the basis of faith:

1) Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2) "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." 3) And He answered and said to them, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4) For God said, 'Honor your father and mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.' 5) But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever you might benefit from me is given to God," 6) he need not honor his father.' And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7) You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:
'This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
But in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commands of men.'" (Matt 15:1-9, LSB)

28) For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29) Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30) since indeed God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that faith, is one. 31) we then abolish the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. (Rom 3:28-31, LSB)

Regardless of whether "works" refers to either the Law of Moses or about the additions of Jewish tradition that modified the Law of Moses, Paul emphasizes that salvation is by faith alone.

However, the Law was established to reveal that sin could not come into God's presence; the concept of holiness cannot be understood apart from the Mosaic Covenant. In just a few verses earlier, Paul speaks of the holiness of Jesus Christ:

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, (Rom 3:21, LSB)

17) But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! 18) For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19) For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. 20) I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Gal 2:17-20, LSB)

OT faith for many was understood as fulfilling a covenant commitment by behavior without a genuine love for God and desire to obey Him. One reason for the conditional aspect of the covenant was to remind the Israelite of their daily dependence on God and the loving grace He afforded them.

Without the Law, no one would understand how Jesus Christ atoned and paid the judicial price of sin. NT faith in God, through His Son, no longer required one's actual work of atonement stipulated in the Covenant with Moses. It is in Jesus Christ's work that a Believer places his faith alone that saves.

4) But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, 5) even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7) so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; (Eph 2:4-8, LSB)

Q: What is "it" referring to?

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And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your seed after you. (Gen 17:7, LSB)

14) Behold, to Yahweh your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. 15) Yet on your fathers did Yahweh set His affection to love them, and He chose their seed after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day. 16) So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer. (Deut 10:14-16, LSB)

Q: Who and what does God choose?

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3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4) just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love, 5) by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, (Eph 1:3-5, LSB)

1) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as exiles, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 2) according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to the obedience of Jesus Christ and the sprinkling of His blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (1 Pet 1:1-2, LSB)

Q: How is God's foreknowledge involved?

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A tangible example of God's foreknowledge and whom God chooses to be God to, is Esau. God foreknew Esau's choices and held him to account (Matt 12:33-37).

16) that also there be no sexually immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17) For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. (Heb 12:16-17, LSB)

Though "not yet born and had not done anything good or bad" (Rom 9:11), God foreknew that Esau would not have faith in Him and reject His covenant as the firstborn who despised his birthright. This gave God cause to hate him (Rom 9:13). Jacob, with his faith, valued the covenant and desired the birthright, which God loved. With the birthright, Jacob had the right to the blessing from his father. Esau's inheritance would eventually fail to flourish and pass on (Mal 1:1-5).

God does not choose whom He will save.

8) But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9) The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some consider slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Pet 3:8-9, LSB)

When God elects, He chooses whom He will be God of, which is limited to those who have the faith of Abraham. God's choice comes after one chooses to come to faith in accordance to His promise to Abraham.

44) No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. 45) It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. (John 6:44-45, LSB)

64) But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65) And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father." (John 12:64-65, LSB)

Q: Who does God draw to His Son?

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Example: Jesus recounts Isaiah's prophecy of those who do not have faith will be prevented by God to see or understand who the Messiah is.

For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, 40) "He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and return and I heal them." 41) These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke about Him. 42) Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43) for they loved the glory of men rather than the glory of God. 44) And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45) And he who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. (John 12:39-45, LSB)

Example: Simeon, "righteous and devout" and "waiting for the comfort of Israel," was an OT Believer who was shown the Messiah by God's Spirit.

25) And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the comfort of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26) And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27) And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28) then he took Him into his arms and blessed God, and said, 29) "Now Master, You are releasing Your slave in peace, According to Your word. 30) For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31) Which You prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32) A Light for revelation to the Gentiles, And for the glory of Your people Israel." (Luke 2:25-32, LSB)

Example: John the Baptist, an OT Believer, was shown by God who the Son of God was.

30) This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who has been ahead of me, for He existed before me.' 31) I did not know Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing with water." 32) And John bore witness saying, "I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He abided on Him. 33) And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'The One upon whom you see the Spirit descending and abiding on Him, this is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34) And I myself have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." (John 1:30-34, LSB)

Example: Cornelius was a Gentile OT Believer in God, because a) he was "a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, gave many alms to the Jewish people, and prayed to God continually," b) was recognized for his faith by an angel, and c) was the person that the Holy Spirit directs Peter to receive (Acts 10:2-4, 19-23).

40) God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He appear, 41) not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42) And He commanded us to preach to the people, and solemnly to bear witness that this is the One who has been designated by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43) Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins." 44) While Peter was still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the word. 45) And all the circumcised believers who came with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. (Acts 10:40-45, LSB)

Example: Lydia is portrayed as a genuine OT Believer in God, because she worshiped God. According to Jewish law, a quorum of ten men was required to establish a synagogue. Failing this, a place of prayer on the Sabbath would be outside and near a body of water. Because Philippi lacked a synagogue, Paul "supposing" searched for a place of prayer along the river (Acts 16:13). The fact that they found only a group of women assembled testified to their devotion to God, and Lydia's knowledge and obedience to God's word enabled her to understand the truth of Paul's words (Acts 16:14).

13) And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and sitting down, we began speaking to the women who had assembled. 14) And a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening, whose heart the Lord opened to pay attention to the things spoken by Paul. (Acts 16:13-14, LSB)

28) Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." 29) So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, "An angel has spoken to Him." 30) Jesus answered and said, "This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sake. 31) Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32) And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." 33) But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was about to die. (John 12:28-33, LSB)

Q: Didn't Jesus say earlier that His Father was drawing?

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34) A new commandment I give to you, that you love (agapaō) one another, even as I have loved (agapaō) you, that you also love (agapaō) one another. 35) By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love (agapē) for one another." (John 13:34-35, LSB)

4) Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5) I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:4-5, LSB)

Q: How does Jesus draw people to Himself?

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16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous will live by faith." (Rom 1:16-17, LSB)

Q: What does Paul mean "from faith to faith?"

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New Testament

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Heb 11:1, LSB)

5) Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. 6) Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7) for we walk by faith, not by sight— 8) we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. (2 Cor 5:5-8, LSB)

Q: Assurance of things hoped for? Things not seen?

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39) And He woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Silence! Be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40) And He said to them, "Why are you so cowardly? Do you still have no faith?" 41) And they became very afraid and were saying to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" (Mark 4:39-41)

The disciples are discovering the supernatural reality of the Son of God. When do they exhibit a decisive trust in Jesus Christ?

How strongly do you truly believe in the reality of the invisible God?

Does the strength of your belief cause you to confidently trust God so that you obey His words?

Give an account: What prevents you from trusting God more - are you like the disciples before Jesus' resurrection? Will your faith grow like the disciples after they witnessed Jesus' resurrection?

8) But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not good enough for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9) For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this man, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." 10) Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. (Matt 8:8-10)

What is so remarkable about this Gentile's faith?

How do you see yourself in the presence of Jesus Christ?

Do you truly recognize the judicial authority of Jesus Christ? (Matt 10:28)