Faith is believing in things that cannot be seen or proven. It is having confidence in God and trusting in his promises, even when we cannot see tangible evidence. Faith is being sure of what we hope for from God and certain of what is promised, but have not yet received. True biblical faith does not depend on our actions or works, but rather rests in believing what God has already said and provided through Jesus. Faith allows us to understand spiritual realities that cannot be comprehended naturally.

1. Why do you believe
what you believe?

2. What we believe will be our
philosophy of live
Everybody has a type of
philosophy of life

3. Everyone believes something.
When it comes to spirituality,
those beliefs become focused on
life's big questions.
What you believe is important. It
influences your whole life.

4. “People almost invariably
arrive at their beliefs not on
the basis of proof but on the
basis of what they find
attractive.”
--Blaise Pascal
(17th century French philosopher)

5. Why do you believe what you
believe?
SOCIO- PSYCHO- RELIGI- PHILO- BIBLICAL
LOGICAL LOGICAL OUS SOPHICAL
TRUTH
REASONS REASONS REASONS REASONS
Parents Comfort Scripture Consistency Accurate
Exegesis
Friends Peace of mind Pastor/Priest Coherence
Biblical,
Society Meaning Guru Completeness Theological
Systematic
Culture Purpose Rabbi
Coherence
Geography Hope Imam
Community Identity Church
Peer Pressure Feelings or Tradition
Intuition
Mysticism
Adapted from: James Sire, “Why Should Anyone Believe Anything At All” in Telling the Truth, D.A. Carson, ed.

6. One goal of Systematic Theology
is to:
(1) expose inadequate
justifications for belief and
(2) provide a solid basis for
validating or invalidating truth
claims.

7. Why do you believe the
Bible?
Because your parents told you
to?
Because your friend said so?
Because some pastor said so?
Because the Bible is true?

8. What is the proper
basis for your belief in
the Bible ?
What is the proper
basis for ANY belief ?

9. Evidence !!!

10. II Tim.2:15

11. The way the enemy works is through
ignorance, God's Word says my people
perish for the lack of knowledge.
You have to know that you have the facts
- it amazes me how many people operate
their lives based on misinformation, &
they are so dogmatic about it - all they
have is a piece of the information
however they are missing a few key
pieces of information.
Make sure you have the facts before you
base your life on something!

12. Jury duty and Christian Faith
Deciding whether the claim that
“the Bible is true” is very much
like deciding if someone is
guilty of a crime
A jury must hear all evidence
and decide if the evidence are
trustworthy or not

13. Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen.
1Peter 3:15 be ready always to give an
answer to everyone who asks you a
reason of the hope in you, with
meekness and fear

14. God did not ask us to
have BLIND faith
Heb. 11:6

15. “no truth is truly yours until
you ear it, find it, believe it
and aply it for yourself in the
Word of God.”
 I must have a personal faith and
belief in God’s Word.

16. By knowing what is real and
true, we can discern and
distinguish truth from error
. The Berean’s in Acts 17:11 were
commended by the Apostle Paul,
not because they accepted what
he taught, hook, line, and sinker,
but because “they searched the
scripture daily to see if what he
taught was true.”

17. We need to know God’s Word
that way. If we do, we will not be
influenced by false teachers from
within and without. We will be able
to help not only ourselves stay
true to the “faith once for all
delivered to the saints,” but will
be able to teach others.

18. We must follow the teaching Paul
gave in 2 Tim. 2:2. It is there that he
told Timothy to teach the Word to
faithful men, who would likewise teach
faithful ones.
By following this excellent procedure,
we can be faithful to the Word and
know that we are helping future
generations understand the
importance of studying and passing
on God’s Word to others!

19. Reasons to Not Believe

20. Looking for Praises of Man
John 5:44
 “How can you believe if you accept praise from one
another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that
comes from the only God?” (NIV)
 “No wonder you can't believe! For you gladly honor
each other, but you don't care about the honor that
comes from the one who alone is God.” (NLT)
 “How can you believe, when you receive glory from
one another and you do not seek the glory that is
from the one and only God?” (NASB)

21. Which receive honour one of another - Who are
studious of praise, and live for pride, ambition, and
vainglory. This desire, Jesus says, was the great
reason why they would not believe on him.
 They were unwilling to renounce their
worldly honors, and become the followers of
one so humble and unostentatious as he
was.
 They expected a Messiah of pomp and
splendor, and would not submit to one so
despised and of so lowly a rank. Had the
Messiah come, as they expected, with pomp
and power, it would have been an honor, in
their view, to follow him; as it was, they
despised and rejected him.

22. The great reason why multitudes do
not believe is their attachment to
human honors, or their pride, and
vanity, and ambition.
These are so strong, that while they
continue they cannot and will not
believe. They might, however,
renounce these things, and then, the
obstacles being removed, they would
believe.

23. The honor which comes from men
is their praise, flattery,
commendation; the honor that
comes from God is his approbation
for doing his will. God alone can
confer the honors of heaven - the
reward of having done our duty
here. That we should seek, and if
we seek that, we shall come to
Christ, who is the way and the life.

25. Unbelief
John 12:37
In, even after Jesus had done all
these miraculous signs in their
presence, some of them still would
not believe in Him.
It does not mean that everyone
who sees the miraculous signs will
become Christian.

26. Unbelief
‘Apistea’
Strong’s definition:
 1. Lacking confidence in the performer,
unfaithfulness, faithless
 2. Want of faith, unbelief
 3. Weakness of faith
Description:
Doubting God’s willingness or ability to alter
the circumstances one is in.

27. Mat. 13:58 “And he did not many
mighty works there because of their
unbelief” (apistea).
Rom. 4:20 “He staggered not at the
promise of God through unbelief
(apistea); but was strong in faith
giving glory to God.”

28. The Effects of Unbelief
Unbelief causes your faith to
become unproductive
Jesus said to the disciples – Mat.17:
19,20 – “because of your unbelief”
Unbelief causes faith to be
ineffectual

29. Unbelief shifts attention away
from the truth to the insignificant
and trivial as a means of escape
or self-justification.
The person controlled by unbelief
scoffs at the answers to his
questions and he brings up even
more objections.

30. The evidence before those in
Nazareth was clear and
overwhelming. Jesus is the
Messiah.
But the evidence was
unimportant to them for they
were controlled by their sinful
hearts of unbelief.

31. 3 things that feed unbelief:
Familiarity,
Offense, and
Lack of honor.
The people asked, "Is this not the
carpenter, the Son of Mary...?"
They knew Jesus as a man and
therefore were unable to receive from
Him according to the Spirit.

32. In Paul’s letter to the
Thessalonians, he said:
 "For this reason we also thank God without
ceasing, because when you received the word
of God which you heard from us, you welcomed
it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth,
the word of God, which also effectively works in
you who believe." (1 Thes. 2:13)
 He commended them for looking past the natural
and receiving God's Word from their lips as if God
Himself had stood in their midst and spoke it. And
notice he said this kind of receptivity causes the
Word to "effectively work in you who believe."

33. Unbelief Does Not Hinder
God Rom.3:3
For what if some did not believe?
Shall their unbelief make the faith of
God without an effect?
Unbelief doesn't destroy God;
Noé and the
it doesn't destroy His plan; it generation
in which he
doesn't destroy His works; it lived
only destroys the unbeliever.
Unbelief only destroys the
unbeliever

34. You're controlled by two
elements:
Either you believe, or
you do not believe

35. For the believer that receives
it...
It isn't ridiculous to him because by
that is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things he can't
see, taste, feel, smell, or hear. But he
knows it's there.
It's not ridiculous to him because it's
just as good as done. See? He don't
have to worry anything about it. He
knows God told it, and God said it;
that's enough for him

36. Jesus already provided
Forgiveness
Healing
Deliverance
Prosperity

37. We have to quit trying
to get God to do
something
and start
believing what
He already has done

38. "I AM THAT I AM"

39. Doubt
Mark 9
The man says “if you can do
anything, take pity on us and
help us”. Jesus replies, “‘If you
can?’”

40. When there is uncertainty
and anxiety, there is an
element of doubt

41. Jesus was clearly disappointed
with this man’s doubt. Yet he does
not banish the man from his
presence until he could muster up
faith, or at least hide his doubts.
Rather, Jesus tells him
that everything is possible for one
who believes.

42. Here, Jesus reveals the true nature of
the situation.
This man, half doubting, half desperately
hoping that Jesus can help him out,
approaches Jesus and begs him to do
what he can. Jesus tells the man that the
question is not if He can heal the man’s
son.
There is no “if” about that.
The question is whether the man knows
Jesus can heal his son.
The issue was not with Jesus. It was
with the man

43. When we doubt God’s goodness,
it is not because God is not good.
It is because we lack understanding.
When we doubt that God is real, it is not
because of a lack of evidence.
It is because there is something blocking us
from seeing all the evidence.

44. At a fundamental level, I think many of
us hide our doubts from God because
we are worried that our doubt reveals
some deficiency in God. Not so. It
reveals a deficiency in us.
That is why we need to admit it to God
like every other deficiency so that he
can help us with it. Understanding this
is pivotal

45. Jesus reveals that the problem is
in the man.
The man’s response, in Mark 9,
should be ours as well. He cries out
“I do believe; help me overcome my
unbelief!”
He confesses both his faith and his
doubt. Does God like it when we
doubt him? Probably not. But God is
a God of truth, and He loves
honesty!

46. Any confession
of faith in the midst
of doubt
is extremely
glorifying to God

47. It is easy to have faith when everything
makes sense.
It is difficult and painful to trust God and
live for Him when things don’t seem to
add up
 When you doubt, be honest. Lay bare your
thoughts before God. The deficiency is in
you, not in God. Show that you believe that
by presenting your doubts to God and
asking him to help you understand

48. Let our response in the midst of doubt be:
“God, this does not make sense! I
do not understand, but I want to. I
know what the Bible says about
you, but certain things I experience
and have learned don’t match up
with it. Help me. You are a God of
truth. You are not afraid of
questions. You promise that those
who seek you will find you. God, I
am seeking. I do believe; help me
overcome my unbelief!”

49. How to Believe

50. Have Faith
Heb.11:1,2
Key Greek word NIV NRSV KJV
pistis Now faith is Now faith is Now faith is
hupostasis being sure the the
of what assurance substance
we hope of things of things
for hoped for, hoped for,
elenchos and certain the the
of what conviction evidence
we do not of things of things
see. not seen. not seen.

51. What is faith?
 An assumption that God's promises are to
be believed because God is
considered faithful (pistos), "worthy of belief
or trust, trustworthy, faithful, dependable,
inspiring trust or faith.“
 Ultimately our faith rises and falls on what
we think of God.
 Do we believe He is trustworthy?
 Do we believe He rewards seekers, or is
indifferent to their quest?
Upon these things hinge our faith

52. h is An inner assurance, a conviction
Fait
about the things that can't be seen
with the human eye.
 The natural man says, "Show me and
then I'll believe!" But it works the other
way around. The spiritual man says, "I
believe, and now I can see!"

53. The natural man doesn't have the
spiritual tools to comprehend:
"Those who are unspiritual do
not receive the gifts of God's
Spirit, for they are foolishness
to them, and they are unable to
understand them because they
are spiritually discerned."
1 Cor. 2:14

54. h is
Fait
Faith, then, is a gift that God
gives us to lay hold of the
unseen but very real spiritual
realities of the Kingdom of
God.

55. h isWhen
you beleive that what God
Fait
said is true and receive what He’s
already provided
Faith isn’t something you do and
then, God responds to you.
If hold to this concept in any form
or fashion, you think that:
 God is looking at your Bible study,
prayer, holiness and goodness
When you do enough, God will release
his power

56. If you think that way, you
aren’t operating in true
biblical faith
Faith is not anything you do to
get God to do something.

57. Faith Brings Understanding
of God
Heb.11:3
"By faith we understand that
the universe was formed at
God's command, so that what is
seen was not made out of what
was visible." (11:3)

58. Here's a basic element of
faith:
 the belief that in the beginning only God existed. "In the beginning
God created the heavens and the earth," and that before the universe
existed, there was no matter.
"Universe" (NIV) or "worlds" (KJV, NRSV) is aiōn.
It can refer to "the past" or and "age." Here it refers to "the world as a
spatial concept" (BDAG 32-33).
 That everything came about by God's creation, something from
nothing (ex nihilo). By faith we understand (noeō), that is we "grasp
or comprehend something on the basis of careful thought, 'perceive,
apprehend, understand, gain an insight into.'"
"Formed" (NIV), "prepared" (NRSV), "framed" (KJV) is katartizō, "to
prepare for a purpose, prepare, make, create, outfit" (BDAG 526).

59. Faith Pleases God
Heb.11:6
"And without faith it is impossible
to please God, because anyone
who comes to him must believe
that he exists and that he rewards
those who earnestly seek him."

60. Pleases God How ?
 Believe that He exists.
This in itself is not faith, but a precursor to
faith. James says, "You believe that there
is one God. Good! Even the demons
believe that -- and shudder" (James 2:19).
Nevertheless, it is a first step.
 Believe that he rewards those who
seek after him.
That is, He will reward or
recompense people who seek him out.

61. Faith Consideres God
Faithful Heb.11:11
“By faith Abraham ... was enabled
to become a father because he
considered Him faithful Who had
made the promise.”

62. You can make up your own
god, a god that fits all your
preconceptions.
Or you can study what God
reveals about Himself, and
from that data seek to
understand more about
Him.

63. Faith Responds Positive
Faith respondes positive to
what God has already
accomplished by and in Jesus
Faith is how you appropriate
and receive what God has
already provided

64. Faith responds positive to what
was already done by and in
JESUS.
He saved us
He healed us
He blessed us

65. Faith only appropriates
what God has already
provided by Jesus
If God hasn’t already provided it,
your faith can’t make God do
anything!
The reason you can’t go out and
sucessfully rob a bank using Mark
11:24 is because God didn’t provid for
thievery in His atonement.
jesus didn’t provide the means to
steal, commit murder or adultery...

66. We have to quit trying
to get God to do
something
and start
believing what
He already has done

67. Jesus already provided
Forgiveness
Healing
Deliverance
prosperity

68. “By whose stripes we were
(past tense) healed”
I Ped.2:24
How can you doubt that He will
do what He’s already done?
This understanding takes
all the struggle out of our
lives