Template:Faithful
Faithful
Are you faithful?
What does it mean to be faithful?
The word pistos πιστός means faithful. It is defined "of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties".
Faith is not just consistently thinking something is true. True Faith produces works. If you do not have true faith, you will not have works worthy of repentance. The good works that a man does that are not done out of love of truth mean nothing. It is the same as the man who does not physically commit adultery but lusts in his heart and has committed adultery in his heart. You are not saved by your works, and specifically by works of the law, but by true faith in the character of Christ, his purpose and motivation, His Holy Spirit.
There is a Satanic twist to the word of truth that tells people they do not have to do anything to be saved, but that is sophistry. It is not your works that save you but your faith. This is true but, if there are no works or no works worthy in the expression of your faith, then you have no real faith and what you are calling faith is a strong delusion.
The Greek adjective pistos[1] or the feminine noun pistis[2] comes from the verb peitho [πείθω][3] which means "to persuade", "be persuaded" or even "to trust, have confidence". As an adjective, it is defining someone who, because he is convinced or convicted of Christ, shows evidence of the faithful in the transaction of business of Christ, faithful to keep the commandments of Christ.
- ↑ 4103 ~πιστός~ pistos \@pis-tos’\@ from 3982; adj AV-faithful 53, believe 6, believing 2, true 2, faithfully 1, believer 1, sure 1; not tr 1; 67
- 1) trusty, faithful
- 1a) of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties
- 1b) one who kept his plighted faith, worthy of trust
- 1c) that can be relied on
- 2) easily persuaded
- 2a) believing, confiding, trusting
- 2b) in the NT one who trusts in God’s promises
- 2b1) one who is convinced that Jesus has been raised from the dead
- 2b2) one who has become convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and author of salvation
- 1) trusty, faithful
- ↑ 4102 ~πίστις~ pistis \@pis’-tis\@ from 3982; TDNT-6:174,849; {See TDNT 634} n f AV-faith 239, assurance 1, believe + 1537 1, belief 1, them that believe 1, fidelity 1; 244
- 1) conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it
- 1a) relating to God
- 1a1) the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ
- 1b) relating to Christ
- 1b1) a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God
- 1c) the religious beliefs of Christians
- 1d) belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ, springing from faith in the same
- 1a) relating to God
- 2) fidelity, faithfulness
- 2a) the character of one who can be relied on
- 1) conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it
- ↑ 3982 ~πείθω~ peitho \@pi’-tho\@ a primary verb;v AV-persuade 22, trust 8, obey 7, have confidence 6, believe 3, be confident 2, misc 7; 55
- 1) persuade
- 1a) to persuade, i.e. to induce one by words to believe
- 1b) to make friends of, to win one’s favour, gain one’s good will, or to seek to win one, strive to please one
- 1c) to tranquillise
- 1d) to persuade unto i.e. move or induce one to persuasion to do something
- 2) be persuaded
- 2a) to be persuaded, to suffer one’s self to be persuaded; to be induced to believe: to have faith: in a thing
- 2a1) to believe
- 2a2) to be persuaded of a thing concerning a person
- 2b) to listen to, obey, yield to, comply with
- 2a) to be persuaded, to suffer one’s self to be persuaded; to be induced to believe: to have faith: in a thing
- 3) to trust, have confidence, be confident
- 1) persuade