Daily Bread 7/3/2023

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    Daily Bread – July 3, 2023 (The Second Day – Genesis 1:6-8) Genesis 15:6 – And he believed Yahoah, and it was accredited to him for righteousness. The Foundation For Understanding Biblical Faith There are two verses of Scripture in the Old Testament that lay the foundation for understanding faith in the New Testament – Genesis 15:6 and Habakkuk 2:4. Abraham was referred to as the father of faith, or the example of faith, in the New Testament (Romans 4:11-16). Therefore, it is essential we understand his obedience and commitment to God if we are going to understand his faith. Paul used Habakkuk 2:4 as the foundation for his teaching on being made righteous by faith (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). The commonality in both the Old and New Testament is the relationship between faith and righteousness. Although no greater summary of faith can be given than Paul has been provided in Hebrews Chapter 11, there is still much to be considered by the unique and yet similar commitments of these men to obey God no matter how challenging their situation. The Hebrew word used for faith in both these passages (as well as many others) was derived from the word ‘AMEN’. This word was also carried over into the New Testament. The meaning of amen is “certainty.” The phrase ‘amen, amen’ used by Jesus twenty-five times in the Gospel of John alone refers to “absolute certainty.” Faith is supplied to us by the Spirit, and through the operation of God, results in signs and wonders and great exploits (Matthew 17:20, 21:21; 1 Corinthians 13:2; Acts 6:8; Galatians 3:5). The explosive and creative nature of faith is revealed through those who are yielded to God and committed to obey His Word no matter how impossible it may seem. Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen