> FAITH/TRUTH/FORGIVENESS

A. WHAT IS FAITH? Heb 11:1  Ro 10:17   Lk 6:44
B. FAITH IS AN ATTITUDE WHICH SAYS:
   - I Trust God and His Word: Ps 37:3  Ps 119:42   Pr 3:5   John 3:36
   - If I Do My Best, God Will Do The Rest  1 Sa 17:42-50
   - I Rely On Christ, And Christ Alone, For Salvation   Ac 16:27-31   John 3:16,18
C. FAITH IS: COMPLETE RELIANCE ON GOD   1 Sa 1:9-11   1Cor 3:16-23   Jas 1: 2-3    
       Full Obedience To God   Ps 119:1-8
      Casting Oneself On The Mercy Of God   2 Ki 20:1-6
      Protection   Eph 6:16   Gen 15:1
D. EXHIBITING FAITH Hebrews 11:
                     v. 4 Abel (Worship) Gen 4:3-5  Heb 12:24
                     v. 5 Enoch (Walk) Gen 5:22-24
                     v. 7 Noah (Witness) Gen 6:13-22
                     v. 8 Abra(ha)m (Obedience) Gen 12:1-4
                     v. 20 Isaac (Overcoming The Will Of The Flesh )  Gen 27:26-30,36-40  
                     v. 21 Jacob (Yielding To God's Will) Gen 48:17-20
                     v. 22 Joseph (Confidence In God's Promise) Gen 50:24-25
                     v. 27 Moses (Not Walking By Sight)  Ex 10:28,29
                     v. 31 Rahab (Salvation) Jos 6:22-25 to Jas 2:24-26
E. LIMITATIONS   1Co 13:2
F. PERMANENCE   1Co 13:13
             Faith Is A Continuing Attitude
G. WARNINGS  Pr 28:26   Jer 17:5-10
                                ETERNAL LIFE BY WORKS
Lev 18:5 "Live" = Heb. Chayay  1.To live again  2.To be revived (resurrected)
    Also found: Isa 26:19, 38:16, 55:3;  Ezek 18:19; 33:19; 37:3,5,6,14; Hos 6:2; Amos 5:4
Gal 5:1-6 - All will be judged. The saints by Christ. The sinners by God. We choose whether we are judged under grace or under the law.
- The Great White Throne Judgment of Rev 20:11-15 is the judgment of sinners by God under the law. None will make it.
                    - Enoch was saved because he "walked with God" just as we must "abide in  Christ."
GOD IS A SHIELD Gen 15:1  Ps 84:11
FAITH IS A SHIELD  Eph 6:16
it includes: SALVATION  Ps 18:35
                 TRUTH Ps 91:4
                 FAVOUR  Ps 5:12
     which includes: LIFE  Ps 30:5
                                MERCY  Isa 60:10
                                PRESERVATION  Ps 86:2
                                SECURITY  Ps 41:11
                               REMEMBRANCE & SALVATION  Ps 106:4
       GOD IS A SHIELD  Ps 115:9-11
                                           SELF-CONFIDENCE vs. FAITH
Self-confidence is "I can do all things". Faith is "I can do all things through Christ" (Phil 4:13)
Self-confidence is depleted by trial and loss. Faith is strengthened by trial and loss. (Jas 1:2,3)
Self-confidence is flesh-based. Faith is Spirit-based. (1Co 3:16-23)
                            Mt 12:37  Your words are counted among your works (deeds)

THE TONGUE

CHARACTERISTICS

1. The tongue is a sense organ. It senses sweet, salt, sour and bitter. It reports heat, cold, pain and texture. The tip of the tongue is the most sensitive part of the entire human body.
2. The tongue and teeth initiate feeding.
3. The tongue does not sense flavor, (ie. vanilla, chocolate). That is done by the nose from gases released by the action of saliva.
4. Saliva begins the breakdown of food and is required by the taste buds to function. Taste buds need water to function. So do we.
5. Salt is sensed on the sides and tip. Nothing in the center. Sweet on the tip. Sour on the sides. Bitter is sensed at the back (just prior to swallowing)    ( Bitterness = judgment)
A. COMPARE/CONTRAST  Gal 5:17
  FLESH - SPIRIT
1. Sensitive, Delicate - Pr 25:15  Jas 3:6,8
2. Feeding Ourselves - Deut 8:3
3. Less Than We Think - Pr 11:11; 18:21  Jas 3:1-5
4. Beginning of Digestion -  Ro 10:5-10
5. Bitterness -  Rev 10:8-10
B. GENERAL
Simplicity - Mt 5:33-37
Quality - Eph 4:29,31  Col 4:6  1 Ti 4:12
Truth - Deu 19:16-21  Pr 6:16,17   Eph 4:25  Rev 21:8
C. CONTROL (Bridle) Ps 39:1  Pr 15:1-4, 28; 17:28; 26:4,5; 29:11
                                  Ecc 10:11-14  Jas 1:26
D. GOSSIP/SLANDER   Don't SPEAK It, LISTEN To It, or REPEAT It.
Lev 19:16  Pr 10:18; 11:13; 16:28; 17:4; 18:8; 26:20
Ro 1:28-32  2 Co 12:20
E. NAME IT, CLAIM IT JOHN 1:16
Ro 8:11 ÷ Eph 3:14-21 ÷ Gen 1:1,3,6,9,11,14,20,24,26 ÷ Mt 17:20 ÷ Tit 1:2
Nu 14:26,36-37  Ac 5:1-11
          Phil 4:13 - power (Dunamis) to strengthen
      Remember the tongue is fire (Jas 3:6). Fire can consume or purify.
      The ultimate power is power over death. God offers that to us as a free gift.

THE MOUTH

Mouth - Heb."peh" from root word "pa'ah" = "to puff, blow away"
         Note relationship to "ruach" - wind, breath, spirit
         Remember that God SPOKE the world into existence.
Jas 3:10,11   The MOUTH is the SOURCE of:
            BITTER                                                        SWEET
Idolatry  Ro 1:21-25                                        Prayer    Ac 16:23-26
Lying     1Ki 22:13,22,23                                 God's Law   Jos 1:6-8
Unfaithfulness    Ps 5:8,9                                Praise   Ps 34:1
Cursing  Ps 10:4-7                                           Wisdom  Lk 21:10-18
Pride   Pr 14:3                                                Testimony  Eph 6:14-20
Evil  1Pe 3:8-17   Ps 50:16-23                          Confession  Ro 10:8-10
Vanity   Ps 144:8-11                                        Righteousness  Ps 71:14-16
Foolishness  Pr 15:2   Ecc 10:12,13                 Life  Deu 8:1-3  Pr 10:11; 13:3
How Important Is It?   Mt 15:7-11,15-20
                                   Ecc 5:1-7 
                                   Col 3:1-17
                                   Jude 11-20
                                   Mt 12:31-37
                                   2Chr 7:12-16

MURMURING/COMPLAINING  

                                                 The Bible is COMPLETELY negative on this subject!
                                                                             Conflicts with Gal 5:22,23
Murmuring reflects rejection of, or a lack of appreciation for God's blessings.
- 7 murmurings after leaving Egypt
     1. Ex 15:22-24 and Ex 16:1-12
     2. Ex 17:2,3
     3. Nu 10:33 - 11:6,10-34
     4. Nu 13:25 - 14:4
     5. Nu 16:41-50
     6. Nu 21:5-7
     7. Jos 9:14-21
 - Complaining is rooted in looking inward. Eyes off God.
     Ps 77:1-3
 - We are Commanded not to murmur
     Jn 6:38-61       Phil 2:14
 - We are Warned against murmuring.
     1Co 10:1-10
 - Murmuring grieves the Holy Spirit
     Eph 4:29-32
 - Murmuring is CHARACTERISTIC of the ungodly.
     Jude 14-16
STUDY Jas 3:8-18
                                                     WORDS
 - Words are DEEDS
     - 2Co 5:10 "in his body" - "in" = "dia" = proceeding from ("through")
          Our words, spoken or written, proceed from the body.
- Mt 12:34-37
     v.34 - God looks at the heart (1Sa 16:7), which is the source of our words.
              Note the figure of speech in Ps 62:8. The heart "utters" - Pr 23:33; Ecc 5:2; Isa 59:13
     v.37 - "words"="logos"=the SPOKEN or WRITTEN word as the EXPRESSION of thought. ("rhema" is the OUTWARD form - actual parts of speech).
Logos is often translated "account" - Ro 14:12; Phil 4:17; Heb 13:17; 1Pe 4:5
 - The Heart - Mt 15:15-20    Lk 6:45    Jas 1:26   Ro 10:9,10
 - "If we say..." 1Jn 1:6,8,10   1Jn 2:4-6,9

TRUTH

"If it doesn't connect, you must reject!"

The Word of God isn't just true: It is THE TRUTH. It is not subject to man's critique and like anything else, any assessment of it outside of its nature is necessarily invalid. It is precisely accurate (Heb 4:12) and not subject to opinions and interpretations which result from incomplete scholarship. There will always be things we don't know, but to claim error or contradiction in God's Word is to call Him a liar.
TRUTH is the most important element of what we say, NOT...
 - Peace   Jas 3:17   Mt 10:34,35 connect to Jn 18:37
 - Physical Need   1Sa 21:1-10 connect to 22:9-22
 - Courtesy    2Jn 9-11
 - Modesty    Lk 11:30-32
 - Popularity   Pr 27:5,6   Lk 17:3,4   Ro 15:14   2Th 3:14,15
 - Subordination   Dan 3:13-18
 - Being Nice   Lk 12:13,14
 - The alternative to TRUTH is SILENCE - Lev 10:1-3  Ecc 3:7  Isa 53:7
     Amos 5:12,13   Mt 27:13,14   1Pe 2:15,16  Pr 26:4,5
CorrectBible Note: Because of Jn 8:44, beware situations which make the TRUTH seem "impractical", "rude", etc. Because of Jas 3:8, we must hold fast to 1Pe 3:10-15, conforming to Gal 5:16-26
                                            FORGIVENESS
Completelydifferent and separate from forgetting. What is forgotten need not be forgiven. Forgiving an offense does not require that one forget and possibly become vulnerable to being victimized.
1 Jn 1:9   Proverbs 19:11; 20:22
TO FORGIVE:
 - To give up resentment of or claim to requital
           Ex. To forgive an insult
 - To grant relief from payment
           Ex. To forgive a debt
 - To cease to feel harshly toward
           Ex. To forgive an offender
 - To pardon
           Ex. To pardon an enemy
 - To grant forgiveness
 - To excuse
 
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
- We are to be God-like, Christ-like Lk 23:34
    Mt 5:39-48 to Eph 4:32 to Col 3:12,13 to 1Pe 2:21-23 to 1Jn 4:11-13
 
WHAT ARE WE TOLD? 
  Ps 37:1-11
 - Lk 6:26-38   Love your enemies
                       Bless your enemies
                       Pray for your enemies
 - Ro 12:14-21  Feed your enemies
 - Pr 15:1  Tit 3:2   Respond kindly to your enemies
 - Jas 2:8-13  Lk 17:3,4  1Sa 24:1-15    Show mercy to your enemies
 
WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON'T FORGIVE?
 
 - God will turn away    Pr 24:17,18
 - Sacrifice becomes unaccepted    Mt 5:22-24
 - Prayer may go unanswered    Mk 11:25,26
 - A door opens for Satan    2Co 2:7-11  Eph 4:26,27
 - God will respond to us in kind    Mt 18:21-35 
                                                  PROVERBIAL GUIDELINES
 Proverbs 10:12, 18; 11:12; 14:29; 16:1-3,6,7,20,32; 17:1,14,17; 20:3; 24:19,29; 25:8-10; 26:4
                                                            FOR MEDITATION
 Ps 51:10     Jas 3:8-18     Ro 8:28-32     Heb 12:14,15

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