What Faith Is Not

Rom 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, THE WORD OF FAITH, which we preach;...
10 For WITH THE HEART MAN BELIEVETH unto righteousness; and WITH THE MOUTH confession is made unto salvation.

Faith has become many things to different people due to a lack of proper understanding of the subject.

To some, faith is a mental agreement.
To others, it is positive thinking or optimism.
Suprisingly, to others, it is hope.
And yet to others, it is wishful thinking.

Faith is non of these things.

Faith is of the heart. It is not a thing of the head.

Although hope is of the heart too, it is yet not faith.

Faith is not mentally accenting or agreeing to something or anything; it is a thing of the heart, not of the head.

Faith is not optimism, and optimism is not faith. One can be optimistic about something and yet operate without faith in regards to getting that "something".

Optimism could be dashed, whereas faith can never be dashed or aborted; it is ever living.

In faith, there is exitment as well as in optimism; whereas optimism hopes to possess, faith believes it has already possessed.

We often time confuse hope for faith. Faith is faith; hope is hope. They are often confused because both are closely related and are a thing of the heart ; as well as love.

Here is what makes faith and hope closely related, yet not the same. Faiths believes, yet hope believes too.

Yes, there is "belief" in hope.

Rom 4:18 Who against hope BELIEVED IN HOPE, that he MIGHT BECOME the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Hope believes for the future. Faith believes now.

Abraham in this passage was in hope, not faith. For he believed God will do what He had promised him only in the future.

The phrases, "believed in hope" and "that he might become" shows that Abraham was hoping, believing to possess in the future. He was not in faith.

At this point he would never have received his son Isaac.

Whenever we are believing for something, but expecting it to happen in a future date, then we are operating in hope, not faith; and ee will fail to have them.

For example, the believer in Christ hopes to be clothed with a new body when he or she exit the earth. See? This is good. It is hope. It is a future thing promised to every believer at the coming of Christ.

Faith believes, but faith believes for the present, not the future.

The Two kinds of Faith

John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, BECAUSE THOU HAST SEEN ME, THOU HAST BELIEVED: blessed are they THAT HAVE NOT SEEN, and yet HAVE BELIEVED.

There is faith that believes only what it had seen or perceived to be feasible by the senses. And there is the faith that believes without seeing.

The one is human faith, that depends on visible information; physically tangible stuff. The other is God's faith- bible faith, that depends on invisible information ; spiritually tangible stuff.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, BELIEVE THAT YE RECEIVE THEM, and YE SHALL HAVE THEM.

Jesus in this verse is telling us that the Father expects us as His children when we pray to Him, to believe right there that we have received from Him whatever it is we have asked for. He expects us to receive it in faith before we see any physical manifestations of it.

Really there can be no physical manifestation without receiving by faith first in thanksgiving.

It is actually like this because He has already provided us with this things already even before we ask of Him but will only materialize when mixed with our faith; the faith of a human.

You see God is all powerful, and in all His splendor and power He gave man this earth, and if anything is to be achieved in this earth, it most flow through a living man. So God has the power but He in His mercies gave man the sole authority to use that power on earth.

This is why Jesus when He was on earth said His disciples should pray like this, "thy[the Father's] will be done in earth, as it is in heaven", mtt 6:9-13.

You see the Father's will will never be accomplished on earth without a man enforcing it in prayer; in faith. He gave us this privileges. This is why faith is very crucial for the believer here on earth.

But this faith requires one to believe what is foolish to natural men and women. It requires one to believe what is not real to the senses; contrary to human faith.

Faith that appeals to logic is not the faith the Bible teaches. Bible faith is impossible, it is not possible to natural man. It is supernatural and requires God's help. This is why Bible faith is not of man or by man, it is a gift of God to man.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved THROUGH FAITH; and that not of yourselves: IT[Faith, Grace] IS the gift of God:

It is evident that it takes the ability of God in man to walk by faith(Bible faith) and not by sight(human faith).

The Dispositions Faith Takes

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen.

Your posture, body language, attitude, the steps you take, the sacrifices you make, even the quality of your praise shows just as much faith you are walking in.

Even the bunch you decide to hang around with reveals to a large extent your faith towards God and His Word.

I will dare say that our disposition regards to the Word reveals the depth of our faith.

Faith is a substance, and substance here talks about something concrete and tangible; an assurance if you will; an evidence. If it isn't firm on your inside it is not faith, it is just a mental assent or agreement in your head- it is head faith.

You see there is head faith, and also  heart faith(which is the Bible faith). I will talk extensively on this on another post.

It is only when we become fully persuaded about what we see, hear and believe from the Word that we will become faith-full and begin to assume a disposition that will position us to receiving from God what He had already accomplished for us in Christ Jesus.

If you take time to study the book of Hebrews chapter 11, the famous Bible chapter on faith(faith hall of fame), you will see the disposition this men and women as mentioned there assumed; obtaining for themselves a good report(Heb 11:2)

So lets see some of the dispositions faith assumes from these verses.

1. Faith speaks of things which do not appear(things that are not seen and brings them into the realm of the physical): Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed BY THE WORD OF GOD, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Faith is seen in the kind of confessions we make. It is seen when we constantly speak God's mind(His Word) over everything, situation, and in every place. You are never in faith until you start confessing what you believe; until you start speaking the Word.

2. Faith offers sacrifices to God(sacrifice of praise, of substance, of time, of love, and so on): Heb 11:4 By faith ABEL OFFERED UNTO GOD a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Faith is present when we give and continue to give as we have purposed in our heart. You see, we are not in faith each time we struggle in giving of any kind.

God's Word says honor Me with your substance and with the fruit of your increase. It also says, give to the poor and I will pay you back for it. He said in His Word that when we sow, it will come back to us in 30, 60 and an 100 fold.

Now, show me anyone that finds it hard to release anything and I will show you someone that is not walking by faith in God's Word. This is true because, if one really believe the Lord and believes in the integrity of His Word, he will give, considering all His promises towards our giving.

3. Faith walks with God in fellowship(this pleases the Father well ): Heb 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that HE PLEASED GOD.  Gen 5:24 And ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD: and he was not; for God took him.

Whenever we shy away from a place of fellowship and intimacy with God, we show our faithlessness. God will never waste your time. Whatever time you invest in His presence both in cooperate fellowship with the brethren(fellow Christians)and in quite time between you and Him; it is a time well invested no matter what.

4. Faith Makes Moves( in reverend regard towards God's instructions): Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, MOVED with fear[reverent regard], prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

The steps we take in responds to God's Word and Instruction unveils the level of our trust in Him.

Have you been instructed in your heart by God to do anything? Well what are you waiting for, take steps. If you are not, you aren't in faith.

5. Faith Obeys and acts on the Word of God : Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, OBEYED; AND HE WENT OUT, not knowing whither he went.

The Law of Sowing and Reaping

Mark 4:26 And he said, SO IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD, as if a man should CAST SEED into the ground;
27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because THE HARVEST IS COME.

The Law of Sowing and Reaping said, give and it will be given back to you in multiplied proportion.

If then Grace had provided us with everything that pertains to life, were is the place of sowing and reaping, don't we already have everything in Christ?

Firstly, Grace cannot be taken out of the law of sowing and reaping any more than the law of sowing and reaping taken or wished away from Grace.

Grace available to mankind today is founded on this very law.

Christ sowed Himself in the grave and reaped for Himself the whole world when he rose from it; however only those who will come to Him in faith will receive it.

The Father to sowed His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ the Savior, that He might take up as a harvest countless begotten sons with Christ Jesus.

I will refrain from using this word "law", even though it is law, before we begin to associate it with the law of Moses. Sowing and reaping is a principle in God;a protocol around His very nature if you will. It predates the law of Moses.

This principle has been before time itself began.

Gen 1:3 And GOD SAID, Let there be light: and there was light.

According to Jesus Christ on His parable of the Sower, words are seeds in the kingdom of God, and if what He said is true(which it is because He is Truth,) then the phrase "and God said, let there be light" were seeds sown by God in the beginning, and the harvest  was "and there was light."

So you now see that this principle of sowing and reaping is a protocol around God, and it is on this principle that the whole world is sustained. He sowed His Word and He reaped the universe.

Gen 8:22 WHILE the earth remaineth, SEEDTIME and HARVEST, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night SHALL NOT CEASE.

Secondly, you aren't sowing anything that God in His Mercy and Grace had not sown in Christ already.

What you are doing each time you sow a seed, maybe in cash or kind to someone, you are actually giving a body to the seed God had already sown in Christ for that person.

You see, that person probably prayed earlier that day for provision, which is a seed of prayer, and then God in turn used your own seed of cash or kind as the harvest to that person.

Now, that provision had already been provided by Christ on the cross, but it only came to that person as a harvest when you decided to act in faith in giving to that person; so in effect, your giving gave body(as harvest) to what Christ had already provided(as seed).

The Law of Faith

Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by THE LAW OF FAITH.

Faith takes a disposition to what it believes. Bible faith is simply aligning, with corresponding action to what one has believed from the Word.

Faith is according to the Word, is, the fulfillment(or enforcing) of what had already been said or spoken concerning a matter by acting on it.

So if the promise of God as seen from scripture says you shall live and not die, faith then comes in a situation that would have warranted death and preserve the life, fulfilling that scripture.

So it is also with receiving the person of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and what His finished works has provided after His sufferings, death, burial and resurrection. Every in the Word can only be received by faith.

This is a Word of promise from scripture for example,

Gen 22:18 And IN THY SEED shall ALL the nations of the earth be BLESSED; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

and this is how the law of faith concerning that promise after it fulfillment in Christ would respond:

Rom 10:9 That IF THOU SHALT CONFESS with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and SHALT BELIEVE in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED.


In a nut shell this is what the "Law of Faith" is: it is seeing or hearing about the goodness of God in His promises towards us and the blessings and power supplied by the works of Christ(Grace), believing or trusting in Him in that light and then, taking a disposition to that effect to appropriate it to your circumstances.

In fact for the new testament believer, there is only a few promises left(to be received or revealed on the Lord's day), every other thing has been given to us in Christ already. This a whole other teaching, so look out for it. For now see Eph 1:3,11; 2Pet 1:3-4.

From all these you will see that believing is just a part; but taking a disposition in alignment to what we claim to believe makes it perfect; Rom 10:9 reveals this. It said, "... if thou shalt confess with thy mouth..., and shall believe". The passage is saying you don't believe alone(talking about "position"), but to confess also(talking about disposition).

Believing without corresponding action is lifeless faith as seen in James 2:20, "... faith[believing] without works[corresponding action] is dead". Believing in the other hand, with corresponding action, that is taking a disposition with it, is living faith. Perfect faith, as also seen in James 2:22, "seest thou how faith[believing] wrought with his works, and by works[corresponding action] was faith made perfect?".

THE LAW OF WORKS

Rom 3:27 Where is BOASTING then? It is excluded. By what law? OF WORKS? Nay: but by the law of faith.

For one to fully understand and tap into the fullness of what Grace is, and provides, we must or should at least understand what "The law of works" is.

The first and foremost thing one should know about "The law of works" is that it is a contract or covenant entered into based on a reward system in which the rewards could be accessed only when the full term of work is met.

Here is the contracts of the law of works according to scripture:

Deut 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do ALL HIS COMMANDMENTS which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

Deut 27:26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not ALL the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in ALL THINGS which are written in the book of the law to do them.

See, it is all or nothing in this system. If you can't meet up with all, you are cursed(no reward), it doesn't matter how nearly you came close. If your neighbor met 10% and you 99.999%, you both are still on the same boat as much as this system is concerned. It is difficult to imagine right? Well look at it here in the Word,

Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in ONE point, he is guilty of ALL.

So if you are a 1 or a 99 in this system you are intrinsically the same, Fallen Short!

I have always wondered why some people are so full of themselves that they actually believe there can qualify or attain to the demands of the law on their own, without Christ, knowing fully well that the Word says in James 4:17 that, " Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."

In Christ - prt 10

Col 2:9 For IN HIM dwelleth ALL the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM, which is the HEAD OF ALL principality[ruler] and power[authority]:

Some say that being born again is the first step after which you will need to follow some other stringent rules in other to guarantee your place in heaven or to find favor with God. They say you will have to do a set of other things to stay in the good books of God.

Have you ever heard this, "you will have to Pay price to work in this or that anointing"? Let  me just tell you this, Christ has paid all the price for you there is to pay. Any other price you think your are paying or should pay is fruitless. Please don't stop reading, continue on.

Any thing or process you are going through now by the help of the Holy Ghost for spiritual growth-what you may be tempted to call paying price, is nothing but applying yourself to grow in the knowledge of the depth and benefits of the price Christ had already paid. Please understand this, You are not the one paying anything. Imagine your father spending 10 years of his life savings for a car he wants to get you for your sixteenth birthday and you, after getting this car go around telling your friends of the price you payed learning to actually drive the car. Isn't that what you were suppose to do after such a gift? It is no price - your dad did the price paying.

So also is your journey to spiritual maturity in Christ, it is a duty not a price. You see, you actually owe it to yourself to study and pray so as to getting a revelation about such great a love displayed by God your Father in sending His Son to die on the cross for you, then sending the Holy Spirit in your heart to teach about the very same love.

The Word of God from the above verses is presenting to us that the believer is Completed, perfected and filled in Christ(that is, in his or her Spirit) Who is the Head of all principality and power.

Heb 10:14 For by one offering he[CHRIST JESUS] HATH PERFECTED FOR EVER them[THE BELIEVER] that are SANCTIFIED.

Notice the term "hath" as stated in the above verse, notice that it is in the past tense. This signifies that the perfection is a done deal for anyone that will receive Christ, that is become sactified in Him.

The perfection is both forever! So there should be no addendum whatsoever.

In Christ - prt 9

Col 2:11 IN WHOM also ye are CIRCUMCISED with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off THE BODY OF THE SINS of the flesh by THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST:

How much power have the Believer in Christ over sin?

Oh if the Believer in Christ would understand the tremendous power he or she have over sin. Sin should no longer be an issue or a thing to struggle with for the Believer; if it still is, it is as a result of lack of knowledge or understanding.

Christ on the cross took upon Himself the sins of the world and by so doing He died.

He died spiritually first(separation from The Father), then He died physically second(separation of His Spirit from His physical body). Something to note however is that His spiritual and physical death is symbolic to the Believer.

The physical death of Christ was termed by the above text as "The Circumcision of Christ". The word Circumcision was translated from the Greek word "Peritome" which has roots from the word "Peritemno", meaning "To cut around".

This implies that in His physical death His flesh was circumcised(cut off or cut around) from His Spirit, and this flesh was termed from the same text above as "The Body of Sins". This by IDENTIFICATION means that, Humanity's sinful nature which Christ took upon Himself was cut off from Him on the cross, meaning that the One who accepts Christ have put off of his or her body the body of sin(sinful nature) and is now a totally new creature in Christ.

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our OLD MAN is crucified WITH HIM, that THE BODY OF SIN might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

The old man in this passage was the dead spirit of the man or woman in Christ and the spirit of the man without Christ which for the Believer was dead in time past in sin and trespasses before he or she became born again(Col 2:13; Eph 2:1).

The former sin loving nature in the man or woman was circumcised together with the body of Christ; and as Christ picked up His Body again, this time a glorified one, so also is the man or woman in Christ(i.e, they that would receive Him as Lord and Savior) now a new creation. It is as if his or her former self never existed; consequently it never did in the Mind of the Father God.

Rom 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; DEATH HATH NO MORE DOMINION OVER HIM.

10 For in that he died, HE DIED UNTO SIN ONCE: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

11 Likewise reckon ye[consider] also yourselves to be DEAD INDEED UNTO SIN, but ALIVE UNTO GOD through JESUS CHRIST our Lord.

In Christ - prt 8

Rom 8:2 For the LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the LAW OF SIN AND DEATH.

There is an higher law in operation in the life of the Believer in Christ. It is the "law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus".

The Old Covenant Law is referred to as the "law of sin and death" in the above passage of the bible. Does this mean that the law given to Moses by angels (Heb 2:2; Gal 3:19; Acts 7:53) in the old covenant was evil? Absolutely not!

Galatians 3:21,

21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness SHOULD HAVE been by the law.

The law was in itself righteous and good if it could be kept by man one hundred percent. But this was impossible for all men until Christ came who was righteous in the Spirit but also proved righteous by the law because He did not sin even once though tempted (Heb 4:15).The law was righteous but it could not make men righteous, in this it was weak through the flesh, and consequently could not give man dominion and victory over sin (Rom 8:3); it could not impart Life.

Galatians 3:19,

19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was ADDED because of TRANSGRESSIONS, TILL the SEED[Jesus] should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained BY ANGELS in the hand of a MEDIATOR[Moses].

It was never in the plan of God to give man a set of rules that He knew they lack the capacity to keep.

The law was added; like a detour, to beam it's righteous light on sin that was in man(his nature) so that mankind could see the inevitable need for a Savior and Deliverer. You see man was self deluded thinking there were righteous, comparing themselves with one another, not knowing that God's standard or righteousness was way higher. So the law came to bring man from this deception.

It was added to be a school master to the people till Jesus the promised seed of Abraham should come. Galatians 3:24-27,

In Christ - prt 7

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION to THEM which are IN CHRIST JESUS, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.(NET)

The clause "who walk not after the flesh," in the king James version, was not in the earliest text but was later added by Scribes. Later on the text "but after the Spirit" was also added.

The scribes were evidently motivated to add such qualifications (interpolated from v.4) to insulate Paul’s gospel from charges that it was characterized too much by grace.

4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

4 so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.(NET)

There is no more condemnation for the believer in Christ! The word translated "Condemnation" in Romans 8:1, is the Greek word "Katakrima" which means, "an adverse sentence (the verdict)". It speaks with reference to the Divine judgment against sin.

There is no judgment for the Believer against sin. Jesus Christ took it all upon Himself.

Sin cannot be punished twice; it will be injustice - God is Just. Christ already satisfied the claims of justice against man once and for all by His great sacrifice, on the cross.

God purnished sin on Christ His Son, once. We are made free, justified, by the life of Christ(Rom 4:25).

In Christ - prt 6

Col 1:14 IN WHOM we have redemption through his blood, even the FORGIVENESS OF SINS:

How much has the Believer been forgiven?

The ministers set in the church has preached sin and sin consciousness; rather drilling into the Believer condemnation, guilt and inferiority in a bid to teach them the place of moral separation from the evil deeds of the world.

The church must now know and be able to differentiate between righteousness as a POSITION, and righteousness as a DISPOSITION.

The Believer in Christ is made righteous with the very righteousness of God Himself; this is positional righteousness. The Believer in Christ is righteous with God's righteousness, whether he or she acts like it or not, it does not change it.

2Cor 5:21 For he[God] hath made him[Jesus] to be sin for US, who knew no sin; that WE might be MADE the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD in him.

Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just[righteous], and the JUSTIFIER[RIGHTEOUSNESS] OF HIM WHICH BELIEVETH IN JESUS.

The Believer stands righteous in Christ; he or she has been made so. The Believer in Christ is created righteous WITH THE VERY RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.

The new man and woman in Christ is created in the image of God, which is in righteousness and true holiness (Eph 4:24). He has been created this way in Christ.

Now, "dispositional" righteousness or fruit of righteousness as in biblical term is simply what plays out after the Believer have gotten his mind renewed to the truth that he is as righteous in this spirit as God.

Eph 4:24 And that ye PUT ON the new man, which after God is CREATED in righteousness and true holiness.

Putting the above scripture (Eph 4:24) in it'S proper context, by this, I mean considering the pretext and post-text of the above text in order to gets it's proper context,

Ephesians 4:22-25:

22 That ye PUT OFF concerning the former conversation[lifestyle] the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be RENEWED in the spirit of your MIND;
24 And that ye PUT ON the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25 Wherefore PUTTING away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.

In Christ - prt 5

Eph 1:7 IN WHOM we have REDEMPTION through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

It is only in Christ the man or woman can find redemption. It is through the sacrifice of Himself the world have found redemption.

The redemption is to and for all of mankind; but only to those who have taken and would receive it will the new life be imparted to.

The word translated, "redemption" in the above epistle was in the original greek text as, "apolutrosis" and it conveys the meaning, "ransom in full".

The Believer in Christ has been ransomed in full from, sin (Eph 1:7; Col 1:14; Titus 2:14), the curse of the law (Gal 3:13, 4:5), his or her former way of life (lifestyle; 1Pet 1:18).

Col 1:13 Who[God] hath DELIVERED us from the power[authority] of darkness, and hath TRANSLATED us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

The Believer has also been redeemed from the authority and dictatorship of Satanic kingdom, and of it's darkness. So the devil and his cohorts has lost it's influence over the Believer.

On no grounds or circumstance should sin, death, the devil, or any other force lord it over the Believer in Christ.

All the resources that are available in this kingdom of our Lord(kingdom of His the Son of His[God's] love, Col 1:3) is available to The man and woman in Christ, every single one, in it's fullness.

Every thing that Christ wrought in His redemptive work is for the believer. The Glory that He entered afterwords is also for the believer in Him, "... I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."(John 14:2-3)

Christ wasn't talking about a place he had prepared to receive us in the Lord's day (rapture, second coming), He was referring here to the place the Believer will take in Him after is resurrection from the dead. The Believer is in that place right now, we are in Him!

The Believer in Christ has been called by the Gospel (the preaching of Jesus Christ), to the obtaining of the Glory our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thes 2:14).

We share in His Glory.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I AM COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE, and that they might have it more abundantly.

However it most be noted that, the forgiveness of sins was not the main purpose for redemption. It's main purpose is to bring man from death that he was in (death here is not the   cessation of life, but rather separation from God) to life (Eternal life).

In Christ - prt 4

2Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; BEHOLD, all things are become new.

To be IN CHRIST is to be born of the Spirit of Christ by (or  which is) the Word of God.

1 Corinthians 12:13:

13 For by ONE SPIRIT are we all baptized into ONE BODY, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

By one Spirit (which is the Spirit of Christ) were we all baptized into one Body(which is Christ).

1 Peter 1:23:

23 Being born again, not of corruptible SEED, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

The Greek word, "Spora", was the word translated as "seed" in 1 pet 1:23, and it means literally in the Greek, "a sowing", which speak by implication, PARENTING!

It means that God sowed or planted His seed into the one that receives Christ.

It also means that the Believer is created and Parented by the Seed of the Word of God which is incorruptible, and which lives and abides forever. And this seed, which is the Word (which is Christ Jesus)  continues to live in the Believer! It is now his or her new nature.

1 John 3:9:

9 Whosoever IS BORN of God doth not commit sin; for his SEED remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because HE IS BORN of God.

The Seed of God remains in the Believer. The Believer is the son of God.

The Greek word, "Sperma", was the word translated as "seed" in the above scripture (1 Jn 3:9), and it means, "something sown, i.e. seed (including the male "sperm")", which by implication is, Offspring!

The Believer is created or procreated by the Seed of God(the Sperm of God). The Believer is intrinsically made up of the DNA of God; everything that is in God is in the spirit of the Believer. EVERYTHING!

The words, "is born" and "he is born" in the above scripture(1 Jn 3:9), was in the original Greek text as, "gennao", which means:

1. To Procreate (properly, of the father)
2. To Conceive (by extension, of the mother)
3. To Regenerate (figuratively)

In Christ - prt 3

Rom 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

The blessing belonging to the believer is of eternal value, nothing carnal, or of the senses, or earthly. Righteousness is one of this blessing. It seems to me as the most vital of all the blessing that we have in Christ.

Righteousness, and every other blessing that belong to the believer IN CHRIST can not be worked for, it is a GIFT, it is a BLESSING!

It is called the gift of righteousness in Romans 5:17, and as such should be received IN FAITH by the believer, not by works (or self effort).

A blessing or gift is something given by the prerogative of the giver to the receiver. The receiver does nothing to earn it; all that is needed of him is to receive.

If your boss comes to your office at the end of the month with your pay cheque and hands it over to you, he hasn't blessed you, he is paying you for your services - it was well earned by you, it is never a gift. But if he comes to your office the day following and hands you another cheque saying, "take this, use it for your up coming birthday celebration", that is a blessing; it is a gift, because you did nothing to earn it; you didn't work for it, he just handed it over to your of his own free will.

So also are the spiritual blessings we have received from our Father God in Christ Jesus.

Righteousness is the ability to stand before God without any sense of inferiority, guilt, condemnation or unworthiness. It is a POSITION in Christ not a DISPOSITION of our own doing.

It is a gift not a reward. It is a blessing, lest anyone would boast:

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Righteousness is not something you do, it is what you are in Christ! We don't try to act righteous, we are righteous!

It is in KNOWING that you are as righteous as God Himself, that you will be able to walk in the LIGHT of His righteous which is now your righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 :

In Christ - prt 2

2Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God IN HIM.

The blessing of the believer is RIGHTEOUSNESS.

We have always thought that the blessing of Abraham that is now ours in Christ Jesus is material or physical wealth. No it's not. We've always looked back at the abundance of the material wealth that Abraham possessed; the flocks of sheep, herds of cattle and camels and so forth, and reasoned that this must be what the blessing of Abraham is all about.

But, the blessing with which God had blessed Abraham because he believed was, RIGHTEOUSNESS. Galatians 3:13-14:

13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 That THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM MIGHT COME ON THE GENTILES THROUGH JESUS CHRIST; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

If material wealth is the blessing, then the wealthy man still in the world today does not need Christ!

"... that the blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles[the nations outside Israel] through Jesus Christ". If the word "blessing" in this scripture means material wealth or riches, does it means that no gentile man or woman ever was rich in material things before the coming and death of Christ?

Does this mean that the unregenerate wealthy man in the world today have Christ, because it says, "...that the BLESSING of Abraham might come on the gentiles through Jesus Christ"?

It should become evident that this blessing is not material wealth. It is spiritual wealth. Ephesians 1:3;

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS in heavenly places in Christ"

By this, it becomes clear that the blessing of Abraham is spiritual blessing not material. Some example of spiritual blessing as seen from the bible are these, WISDOM, RIGHTEOUSNESS, SANCTIFICATION, REDEMPTION, and so forth; these are the blessings promised to the seed of Abraham that is now the Believer's in Christ(Gal 3:16).

In Christ - prt 1

Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places IN CHRIST

When the phrase "in Christ" or "in Him" or "in Whom" is used in the epistles, it is simply implying that the aforementioned statement or string of texts is true of Christ, and was done or wrought in Him, for Him, by Him, and not just for Him alone, but for all who believe.

The above passage is simply communicating that God the Father blessed Christ with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms after His work of reconciling the world to Himself (by His death, burial, resurrection, ascension and His seating). This blessing belongs to the Believer too, because, we are joint heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17).

So as joint heirs with Christ; every single blessing  pronounced and conferred on Jesus Christ by His obedience (as seen in Heb 5:7-10, Rom 5:17, Phil 2:8) belongs equally to the Believer.

The Believer in Christ is blessed by His blessing because he or she is in Him.

2Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; BEHOLD, all things are become new.

If Christ is blessed, then the Believer in Him is EQUALLY blessed.

If foundation or generational curses can not touch Him, it certainly can not touch His Believer too. What can not be seen in Him can not be seen in you because you are in Him. All things are become new!!

The blessing of Abraham scripture talked about was actually referring to and was for Christ? Abraham became a partaker of the blessing because he believed God.