Bible Word Definitions: Faith (Pistis)

Pistis: Marriage and Covenant 

Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV

[8] For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— [9] not by works, so that no one can boast. [10] For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The word faith in the Bible is often translated from the Greek word, pistis, which can mean more than simply believing. Besides belief, pistis can mean, faithfulness, trustworthiness, or persuasiveness. If one must have faith in order to be a son of God as Paul said, then one must be faithful, and trustworthy to Him, just as He is to us. A covenant is a relationship where both parties are faithful and trust one another .

Marriage is the most intimate relationship between human beings, and symbolizes the covenant that God made with His people. In a marriage, a man and a woman each vow before God to love and remain faithful to one another until death. This is a marriage covenant. Within a marriage covenant, both parties agree to the terms, and vow before God that they will love and remain faithful to one another, be trustworthy, remain loyal and committed to each other, and persevere, throughout the marriage, "'til death do us part". These elements are required in marriage, as well as in any relationship. Without them, a relationship is unhealthy at best. 

A marriage covenant is not one sided, but both parties must work to maintain it. If one quits and stops loving, or being faithful, or being trustworthy, or being loyal, or persevering, then they have broken their vow before God, as well as their end of the covenant. They can either repent and choose to keep their vow before God and remain in the marriage covenant, or they can leave the marriage. If they leave the marriage due to sexual immorality, they have Biblical grounds for divorce, which is defined as "a separation of the thing which was once joined together." Jesus and Paul defined the Biblical grounds for divorce:

[5]‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? [6] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

[7] “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

[8] Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. [9] I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery" (Matthew 19:5-9 NIV).

[32] "But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery" (Matthew 5:32 NIV).

[12] "To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. [13] And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.

[15] But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace" (1 Corinthians 7:12-13, 15 NIV).

Unfaithfulness due to sexual immorality is the only acceptable reason Jesus gave for divorce. Paul added, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that an unbelieving spouse is permitted to divorce a believing spouse if they choose to do so. This is abandonment. God permits divorce in this case because if an unbelieving spouse chooses to leave the marriage simply because their spouse is a believer, they have shown themselves to be unfaithful by not keeping the vow they made before God, and therefore they have broken their end of the covenant. A husband and wife are not divorced in God's sight, unless it is due to at least one of these two acts of unfaithfulness, or one of them dies.

Jesus and Paul defined God’s standards for marriage and divorce, which He not only implemented for us, but He also abides by them. God intended marriage between a man and a woman to be symbolic of the relationship between Jesus and His people. Jesus is the Bridegroom and His people are His bride. Let's look at some of the similarities between the marriage covenant between a man and a woman, and the covenant between the Bridegroom and His bride.

According to Jesus, a person should only become a Christian after he has counted the cost of following Jesus. This is so he will know the love, commitment, loyalty, faithfulness, and perseverance that is required of him throughout his life. We do the same thing before marriage. It would be foolish not to, because marriage is a life long commitment. 

After he has weighed the pros and cons, and has decided that Jesus is worth it and that he will remain faithful to Him until death, he agrees to the terms and enters into an everlasting covenant with God. He gets baptized as a symbol of entering into the covenant. The man is now in a covenant relationship with God, and is included in His bride. 

If he is unfaithful to God by committing idolatry or by abandoning God, then he has broken his end of the covenant, and by God's own standards, God is not bound to remain in the relationship, and has (Biblical) grounds to separate from (divorce) him. Jesus said so when He answered the Jews's question about divorce. He said that God has joined the two together as one flesh, and therefore man has no right to separate the two (nor does he have the ability to) except for reasons of death and sexual immorality. If either spouse divorces for any other reason and then remarries, they are committing adultery. 

The reason that God allows for divorce caused by sexual immorality is because it is unfaithfulness to the spouse, just as adultery is. God equates sexual immorality and adultery with idolatry. God said to Israel, "You shall have no other God's before me..., for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God" (Exodus 20:3-5). Idolatry is worshipping something other than God, which God commanded His people not to do. Just as adultery is unfaithfulness in a marriage, idolatry is unfaithfulness to God, and God does not permit His people to partake in either. 

It was because of the northern kingdom of Israel's idolatry and unfaithfulness that God divorced her (Jeremiah 3:8). Furthermore, throughout the Old Testament, God described His people Israel as " harlot, adulterer", etc., due to their idolatry and unfaithfulness to Him. The Bible provides examples of God separating from Israel due to their unfaithfulness to Him:

When He divorced the northern kingdom of Israel and gave her over to Assyria because of her harlotry:

[8] She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore - ‭Jeremiah 3:8 ESV‬

 

When He left the Jewish temple because He was giving the southern kingdom of Judah over to Babylon because her harlotry was worse than that of the northern kingdom's:

[18] Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. - ‭Ezekiel 10:18 NKJV‬

 

When Jesus said that He wanted nothing more than to gather the children of Israel together, yet they were unwilling, and therefore He left their house desolate, meaning His presence left the temple. Shortly afterwards, it was destroyed by Roman armies:

[34] “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! [35] See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ” - ‭Luke 13:34-35 NKJV‬

When Jesus said that the kingdom of God would be taken from Israel and given to another nation because she was not faithful to bear the fruits of it. This other nation is comprised of all ethné who have faith/faithfulness:

[43] “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.‭ - Matthew 21:43 NKJV‬

God allows for men and women to divorce if there is unfaithfulness in their marriage, and He follows the same rule, as He has demonstrated with Israel. Israel was unfaithful to Him and were not administering righteousness and justice as He expected from the people He had elected to represent Himself, and His Kingdom. Therefore God, being righteous and just, severed His relationship with them and made a new covenant with people who are righteous and just through faith:

[6] "But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises. [7] For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.

[8] But God found fault with the people and said: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. [9] It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. [10] This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. [11] No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. [12] For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

[13] By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear" (Hebrews 8:6-13 NIV).

One of God's primary attributes that the Bible consistently speaks about and that we praise Him for is His faithfulness to His people. If the old covenant had not been made obsolete, as the writer of Hebrews said it has, then God would be in two covenants, which would be similar to us being in two marriage covenants. And just as a man being in two marriage covenants would be an act of unfaithfulness, God would also be unfaithful if He was in two covenants with two different peoples. But fortunately God is faithful, and has a covenant with only one people - those who are faithful to Him. 

Pistis: Justice, Mercy, and Faithfulness 

In Matthew 23, Jesus sharply rebuked the Jewish leaders for seven things which were an abomination to God, one of which was practicing their religious laws and traditions, but not "the more important matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness":

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former" (Matthew 23:23 NIV).

Justice, mercy, and faithfulness are the important matters of the law in God's sight, but the Jews had neglected practicing them. This was not a light rebuke. Jesus proclaimed woes of judgment upon that generation of Jews. He was holding them personally responsible for their hypocrisy and the sins of their forefathers who had murdered the prophets. Jesus called them a brood of vipers, which means children of the devil, and said that they were condemned to hell. Furthermore, He said that all of the righteous blood that had been shed on earth was going to come upon them because they were going to persecute and kill all of the prophets, sages, and teachers that He sent to them. Not many years after this, God left the temple, and both it and Jerusalem, where God once resided, were destroyed in an act of judgment against them. 

God wants His people to be aware of the mistakes that Israel made, so that we do not make the same ones. I think this is one of the primary reasons that God has given us their recorded history, which includes so many of their failures. Those who participate in the same hypocritical abominations that Jesus described Israel as doing, but do not practice the more important matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness, will find that their fate is similar to that of Israel's in the end, which concerns me a lot. God wants His people to practice the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy, and faithfulness - which He created us in Christ Jesus for, and prepared us in advance to do for His purposes.

Jesus, the righteous Branch, came from David's line to do what is just and right in the land. He left, and returned to heaven, leaving His people as His ambassadors to continue His work of justice and righteousness in the land; the Kingdom of God overcoming the world. Thankfully, He did not leave us on our own as orphans to do this work, but He sent us a Helper until He returns. When He returns, He will throw Satan into the lake of fire, and remove all wickedness from the earth, establishing justice and righteousness throughout the land forever.

Bible Word Definitions: Salvation - A Follow Up to "Judged According to Works"

"Where are you going to spend eternity - in heaven or in hell?"

or

"Where are you going to go when you die?"

Though worded differently, both questions are asking the same thing and are considered by many to be the most important question we can ask someone, as well as the most important question that every person should consider for themselves. 

These questions place an emphasis on where we are going to reside when we die. Whether we are going to go to heaven or hell when we die is important, but equally important is whether or not we are going to live our present lives following Christ or not.

Salvation or being "saved" is usually understood to mean that we will go to heaven when we die, but it actually means that we will be given eternal life as a gift from God in order to do good works for God in our present lives (see Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-10). I think that is why Jesus and the apostles did not preach heaven and hell that frequently. When they weren't engaged in conflicts from the Jewish opposition, they primarily taught about how we are to live our present lives, which comprises most of the contents of the Bible. Very little of the Bible contains anything about the afterlife. 

Salvation means being saved from God's wrath and judgment, from sin, and from hell. To be saved from these things means that we are living our lives in such a way that God will not pour out His wrath upon us, or throw us into hell at the judgment. We will be saved from the sins which cause us to behave and live in ways that do not please or glorify God. If we are saved from our sins then we will no longer partake in them. When we are saved, we will live our lives in ways that please and honor God. These things are accomplished by the Holy Spirit who reside in Christians when they are born again at which time God gives them new life. I wrote about being born again in my article, The Commands of the King - Part 6 if you want to learn more. 

A more fitting question to ask would be, "Am I using the life God gave me for His purposes and glory?" If we are not, then we are missing out on the life that God created us for. Jesus said that He came so that we may have life, and have it more abundantly (see John 10:10). This is the essence of salvation. If we are only focused on whether or not we're going to go to heaven or hell when we die, then we are missing the purpose of salvation. 

Psalm 119:92-93 describes the purpose of salvation well:

"Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have given me life. I am Yours, save me; For I have sought Your precepts. The wicked wait for me to destroy me, But I will consider Your testimonies." - Psalms 119:92‭-‬95

He is saying that if he had never come to love God and His law, then he would have died in his sins. But because he did come to love them, he will never forget God's precepts,  because it is by them that God gave him life. He now belonged to God and he sought to follow His commands and therefore he trusted that God would save him from his enemies.

His primary concern was not that he was now going to go to heaven when he died because he had found God, but that God had changed his life and had given him a new life which he would now use to please and glorify God.

The first part of Galatians 2:20 is often quoted - "I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" - but the rest of the verse along with the first part, is a good example of what I'm talking about. It says,

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." - Galatians 2:20 

The writer said that the life he is now or presently living, he is living by faith in Jesus. His entire life revolves around his faith in Jesus, and therefore his life reflects the life of someone who has faith in Jesus. 

Faith in Jesus is demonstrated by the things we do for Jesus. If we have faith in Jesus Christ who is Lord and King (Christ means King), then we will do the things that he did and we will do the things that he said (see John 14:12; Luke 6:46). Someone who has a Lord and King submits to their authority and does what they tell them to do. They obey him. Many will say, "Lord, Lord" and He will say, " I never knew you (Luke 6:46). Doing what the Lord and King wants you to do is saving faith because faith without works is dead (see James 2:14-26).

Many people believe that there is a God and they even believe that Jesus lived, but the writer of James 2:14-26 said that even demons believe those things. They know who God and Jesus are and that they exist, and they tremble because of it! But demons are not saved because they know that God and Jesus exist or because they know who they are, and neither are we. Faith requires belief that Jesus is the Son of God, the Christ, the Lord, and it requires action! Because Jesus is all of these, he has all authority in heaven and earth, and therefore all peoples, powers, and principalities are subject to Him. There is no one or nothing that has more power or reigns over Him. Knowing and understanding these things so that they cause you to love Christ and live for him is what faith is. 

James used a story about someone in need as an example of faith. He said if you see someone in need and do not help him, then your faith is dead, and dead faith implies that you do not have saving faith. Works and deeds do not save, but works and deeds are bred out of a love for God. If you love God and you love Jesus, the you will do what He says and your life will naturally produce good works and good deeds (see John 14:15).

In James 2:21-25, the author wrote that Abraham our father (see Genesis 22:1-19) and Rahab the harlot (see Joshua 2:1-24) were justified by their works because their faith was working together with their works. He wrote that a man is justified by works and not by faith only. 

Abraham was considered righteous by God and a friend of God because of his faith in God (James 2:23). He is called "our father". The significance of this is that "only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham"  (see Galatians 3:7) and that only those who have faith in Jesus Christ are sons (children) of God (see Galatians 3:26-29), and if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs (inheritors) of the promises God made to Abraham and to his Seed who is Christ (see Colossians 1:12-13; Galatians 3:16).

The promise that God made to Abraham was that he and his descendants would inherit the land (Genesis 3:7). Those who have faith are the descendants (the children) of Abraham. They are the ones who have and still are inheriting the land.

What is the land that the children of Abraham are inheriting?

The promise that God made to Abraham's Seed, who is Christ, was that He would not only inherit a plot of land, but that He would inherit the entire earth (see Psalm 2:7-9; 82:8; Revelation 11:15; 2 Samuel 7:12-16; John 18:36-37). Those who have faith in Christ are heirs (inheritors) of this promise (see Galatians 3:28; Matthew 5:5) as well as the promise of the Spirit through faith (see Galatians 3:14), the promise of knowing God (John 17:3), and the promise of the kingdom of God (Matthew 25:34). Those who have faith have already been conveyed into the kingdom of God where Chist reigns with all authority (Colossians 1:12-13), which means that the kingdom of God is present today. So the land that the descendants of Abraham who are the children of God will inherit is the earth. 

These are AMAZING promises that God has made to those who have faith and salvation through Jesus Christ! I encourage anyone who does not know Jesus the King to seek him as if you are looking for a lost treasure, not so that you'll go to heaven when you die, but so that you will know God and therefore have the abundant, fulfilling life that he promises to give to God's children. He is far more valuable than any treasure, money or wealth, and if you seek him you will be sure to find him. If you have any questions about God or Jesus, please don't hesitate to contact me, I would love to talk with you. 

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References 

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:4‭-‬10 

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23 

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. - John 10:10 

Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have given me life. I am Yours, save me; For I have sought Your precepts. The wicked wait for me to destroy me, But I will consider Your testimonies." - Psalms 119:92‭-‬95

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. - Galatians 2:20 

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." - John 14:12 

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?" - Luke 6:46 

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.

You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. - James 2:14‭-‬26 

“If you love Me, keep My commandments." - John 14:15 

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.

But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.

Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba. - Genesis 22:1‭-‬19 

Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.”

So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there. And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.”

So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country.” Then the woman took the two men and hid them.

So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.” (But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.)

Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”

So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the Lord has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”

Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall. And she said to them, “Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way.”

So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear.”

Then she said, “According to your words, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window. They departed and went to the mountain, and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned.

The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them. So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. And they said to Joshua, “Truly the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.” - Joshua 2:1‭-‬24 

Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. - Galatians 3:7 

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. - Galatians 3:26‭-‬29 

giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, - Colossians 1:12‭-‬13 

Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. - Galatians 3:16 

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. - Genesis 12:7 

that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. - Galatians 3:14 

“I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ” - Psalms 2:7‭-‬9 

Arise, O God, judge the earth; For You shall inherit all nations.

Psalms 82:8 

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” - Revelation 11:15 

“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ” - II Samuel 7:12‭-‬16 

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” - John 18:36‭-‬37 

Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. - Matthew 5:5 

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. - John 17:3 

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: - Matthew 25:34 

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. - I Peter 2:24 

Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. - I Peter 4:1‭-‬2 

Dispensationalism - excerpt from Bible Word Definitions: "Church"

 Dispensationalism 

I typically don't meddle with what Biblical doctrines people believe because there are oftentimes more than one interpretation of the doctrine's Scripture references, and legitimate arguments that individuals have for believing the way that they do. But I find dispensationalism so problematic in regards to the church and American Christianity that I feel the need to discuss it here. 

Another consequence of Christians defining church as a place rather than the people of God, is that doctrines such as dispensationalism has led many American Christians to believe that God has two people, not one, and that He favors one over the other.

As we have seen above, God has only one people, but if the church is defined as a gathering place rather than God's called out assembly, one can argue that God in fact has two people, favoring the one over the other. The fact that both Israel and the church are God's called out assembly is clear, in my mind anyways. God has only one people, and considers all who believe in Jesus as equal because God favors neither Jew nor Gentile because there is no Jew or Gentile in Christ Jesus. 

The doctrine that God has two people has caused a lot of controversy and division among Christians over the past 200 years, when it was introduced and became the primary, popular teaching in the American church. Prior to that time, there were a few within the church who held beliefs that were similar to dispensationalism, but most of the church believed that God had one people, not two. The actual system or doctrine of dispensationalism did not exist until the 1800's.

Of course we need to look to the authority of the Scriptures for our doctrines and not the church fathers, however I think it is significant that the early church did not have this view of Israel, and that it did not come into existence until the 1800's.

Interestingly, dispensationalism came into existence at the same time as Mormonism which was founded by Joseph Smith in the United States. Both were stated by the founders to be "new revelations". I am always leary of "new revelations" when it comes to the Scriptures. It is a red flag. Just look at Mormonism. It is a false teaching that has led many away from the Truth of Jesus Christ. 

I don't know if the fact that both were founded in the 1800's by members of the western church on different continents means anything or not, but I find it interesting, especially given how divisive dispensationalism is among Christians. 

Dispensationalism was established in England and is a western church doctrine. It is not the prevalent belief held by Christians outside of the United States or England, unless it was introduced to them by western Christians. 

Because dispensationalism is the primary view of American Christians today, Christians who do not hold the view are viewed as being heretics and antisemitic by other Christians. If this is the case, then most of the church prior to the 1800's were heretics and antisemitic, because they did not have dispensational views.

The definition of an antisemite is someone who hates Jews. I do not know any Christians who do not hold the dispensational view, that hate Jews. I suppose there are some out there, but the typical Christian loves them and prays for their salvation just as they do any other lost person. 

This shows how divisive and problematic this doctrine is. For a Christian to accuse their brother in Christ of not holding to the truth of the Scriptures and worse, hating Jews, because they do not hold to this doctrine is a terrible tragedy for the church. 

Furthermore, many American Christians are not even aware that there are Christians who live in Palestine, and if they are aware of them, they may view them as their enemy rather than their brother, because dispensational American churches, government and news media has portrayed Palestinians as being America's enemies due to the nation of Israel being an ally to the United States, and the illusion that the nation of Israel is God's chosen people. 

Because of dispensationalism, American Christians have aligned themselves with a people who reject Jesus, and regard those who accept Jesus as Lord as their enemies. This is extremely problematic. 

I think this is rooted in superstition because they believe that God will curse them and their nation if they speak against the Jews based on the covenant that God made with Abraham. Therefore, the Jews can literally get away with murder, and not be held accountable. If the superstition were true, then Jesus Himself would have been cursed by God for the many things He said against them. But Jesus only said and did what the Father told Him to say and do. 

Many Christians are unknowingly accomplices to the atrocities of the Jews against Palestinians, because they support Israel without really know what's going on there. All they know is what their dispensational pastor, their government and the new media is telling them. 

Most people already understand that government and news cannot be trusted. However, when it comes to an issue that they support, they trust that what the news is saying is true. 

As for a dispensational pastor, he will teach what he was taught to teach as Biblical truth, or what he has come to believe as Biblical truth, but he will still rely on news media and government for his information regarding Israel and world events.

But not many American Christians are aware that the nation of Israel is being accused of apartheid against Palestinians by human rights organizations such as, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Christians, Jews, and Muslims who have been working together for peace in the region have brought the issue to the attention of global human rights organizations. Christians who live in the region do not support the doctrine of dispensationalism, and they are first hand witnesses of the atrocities that are taking place there. 

It is an issue that is intentionally not being reported in the mainstream news because Israeli and U.S. leaders do not want the American people to know about it because of the costly loss of support for Israel that could occur. It could be devastating for Israel. 

When the United States gives Israel millions of dollars a day, and Israel is in cahoots with our government and feeds the American news media what it wants Americans to know, I can only speculate that not much tuth is reported.

Even if dispensationalism were true, Israel still would not have the right to do what they are doing to Palestinians, and Christians should be concerned. What is sad and disheartening is that most of the people who read this won't believe me and that this is really happening, and will still label me as being a heretic and antisemitic. Worse, they will continue to support Israel and refuse support to Palestinian Christians. So please don't take my word for it, the internet contains a lot of information on the issue. 

The point is, this is all hugely problematic within American Christianity and to the church.