Yes, FAITH is what the vast majority of humanity is lacking, yet, it is only by FAITH that any will inherit the promised kingdom. -Brother Apostate
jwfacts- No, Faith is what the vast majority of humanity have; and it is Faith (adherence to beliefs unproven) that is the cause of the vast majority of human problems. As soon as a person is willing to follow something unproven, then they are prone to having their belief of what is right or wrong manipulated by people that claim to represent God.
Faith is not as you define it. Faith is "knowing" something is or will occur with such conviction as if it has already been. Faith, like logic and reason, requires exrercise. Those who do not exercise faith see it wither and atrophy.
It is important to distinguish what we put faith in- put faith in God, not men, and the dilemna is gone. Do not put your faith in men, and you can not be manipulated by them.
Faith in God is not the cause of human problems, the fallen state of humanity is to blame. God has given us His laws so that we will know right and wrong, something we are capable of, but not, in our fallen state, guaranteed the knowledge of.
Nicoloau - good thought provoking point. If something is inherently good we do not need God to define it as such, which is why Athiests are in practice as moral as religious followers.
As I stated above, not so. What is inherently good and bad is determined by God, not men. Those who put their faith in Him and follow His instructions know what is right and what is wrong, these are unchangable.
Those who choose for themselves what is right and wrong call much of what is right "wrong", and much of what is wrong "right". A rose by any other name smells as sweet, and a pile of dung by any other name smells just as bad.
Distinguishing between them is only possible 100% of the time by obeying God.
BA- Puts faith in God and obeys Him, rather than men.
PS:
9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
12 "Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." [ b ] 17 But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
-1 Corinthians 6:9-20
