04/05/09

Cultivating faith

1 Corinthians 16:13 - Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

Today the Lord taught me something about faith which I like to share with you.

There are five stages from little hope to faith. I say five because there are five words in the Greek language which are sometimes translated as hope / faith.

Elpo - to anticipate, with pleasure
Elpis - to hope in, trust
Elpizo - trust
Oligopistos - little faith
Pistis - faith

In the Bible there is no scripture with 'Elpo'. It is the root for word hope (Elpizo). This hope is more connected to one's sense of excitement and is the shortest sustained feeling in this category. It is when one's own experience or the experience of others (testimony) comes across this spark it leads this 'small ray of hope' to become the 'real hope'.
One of the differences between Elpis and Elpizo is that Elpis in the New Testament is used as a verb and Elpizo as a noun.

Let me take an example to explain Elpis and Elpizo better - to love someone and have a love relationship with someone. There is a big difference between the two. The first is a process and the second become a bond.

So what we see here in an overview is a spark of excitement or desire (Elpo) comes across a testimony brings in the verb hope (Elpis). When this verb hope encounters the person (here God) who could be relied on, it becomes a trust relationship (Elpizo). When this trust relationship encounters the Word, it grows into 'little faith' (Oligopistos). And when the truth of the Word or the revelation of the Word gets into the person it blooms into the real faith (Pistis).

Now we can find ourselves on this bar and also understand what we lack to grow. Is it a testimony, an encounter with God or his Word or is it the revelation of his Word. For the revelation of the Word we need to either live it or let the Spirit of Truth reveal it to us.


[ Prayer Starter ]

Father God, You only understand the language of faith. Help me Lord to understand where I lack in faith and give me the strength and grace to grow my faith in You via your Word. I ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)