One Kind of Faith - Ephesians 4:5

One Lord, one faith, one baptism.

Many have taken this to mean that there is one "church". However, that is what Paul said in v. 4: "There is one body". If we take the word faith in it's usual sense - to mean "faith", and not "religion" as it is often assumed, the meaning is that there is only one kind of faith.

Since faith must be based on truth to be real, and since there is only one core of truth, it follows that there is only one faith. Also, and most importantly, Jesus Christ is the one source of truth, and since that truth comes to us through the light of Christ, it also follows that in order to exercise faith in Jesus Christ we must first "search diligently in the light of Christ".

It would be impossible to exercise faith without first understanding the thing which He would have us do. This is why we must "search diligently" to know His will. Once we understand a portion of His will as manifest to us, then we are in a position to exercise faith by applying that principle, or conforming to that truth.

So there is only one truth, from one source; thus only one faith. And only faith which is based on truth is real. And truth comes from only one source, Jesus Christ. Thus it is He that we must have faith in.

The Love of God Comes via Faith - Ephesians 3:16-19

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

The light of Christ brings us pure knowledge. (Remember - the glory of God is intelligence, in other words, light and truth.) The medium by which the knowledge is passed to us is the Spirit (Holy Ghost), and it is done by faith. Through which reception the love of God (charity, which is the pure love of Christ) can be ours.

It seems that exercising faith in Christ, in other words, following the urgings of the spirit, which urgings originate in the light of Christ, will lead us to the love of God. The most joyous to the soul!

This part about Christ dwelling in our hearts merits further investigation.
In John 14:23 we read:

Jesus said unto him, if a man love me, he will keep my words: and my father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him.

Doctrine and Covenants 130:3:

[In] John 14:23 - The appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man’s heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false.

So we are instructed that the Father and the Son do not physically dwell inside of us. But there are still some statements that are confusing in this regard. Like this one:

Alma 34:36:

...He dwelleth not in unholy temples, but in the hearts of the righteous doth He dwell...

However, this scripture enforces the point of the impossibility of Him to dwell inside of us:

2 Nephi 2:8:

...there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy,and grace of the Holy Messiah...

This scripture also further clarifies the statement in John 14:23, because Christ is telling the disciples that it is the Comforter who will be sent to them:

John 14:26:

The comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance...

Finally, in the great intercessory prayer, Christ's words help us understand what it means to be one with Him; Luke 17:20-26:

Neither pray I for these alone (meaning the disciples), but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Notice that He asks that the disciples and all who should believe on Him would be "one as thou, Father art in me, and I in thee". So He's asking that the disciples be made one with the Father in the same way that Christ is one with the Father. And lest we should think that should mean to be physically morphed into one, we must read on, because He clarifies, how it is done...

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory,which thou hast given me...

 He says that He has given them of the glory that He received from the Father that they be made perfect and that they may be with Him where He is.

So it would appear that to be "one" with both the Father and the Son, is to be glorified and made perfected so that we may be with Him in the same way He is with the father. But wait a second - This was before the crucifixion, Peter would still deny Him, and all of them would be discouraged at His death. Does it sound like these men were perfected at that time?

Well, the answer is the Spirit - It performs many functions besides being a comforter and bringing things to our remembrance as we read in John 14:26. It also cleanses and purifies us, and is the medium through which we receive all truth through the light of Christ. To have the spirit with you is to be clean, to be glorified, and to be perfected. Now I have yet to meet the person who is so in tune as to have the Spirit with them 24/7, but the point is that it is possible. And this is the exact gift that Christ was praying for in the intercessory prayer - that His disciples have access to His glory and truth through the Spirit to make them "one".

So when we read about Him dwelling in our hearts, or being inside us - just remember that it is meant that He is with us vicariously through the Spirit.

Wisdom Through Faith - Ephesians 3:12

...the fellowship of the mystery...the manifold wisdom of God in Christ Jesus our Lord; In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

The source of all truth and all unspeakable and marvelous things is Christ. The light of Christ is present all around us, but only accessible through faith in Him. Faith in Him brings the Spirit which is our medium of access to these blessings. Truly, faith leads to fellowship in His mysteries.

Grace Through Faith - Ephesians 2:8,9

By grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Good works are only a side-effect of faith. No man can work his way to heaven. Indeed we must keep His commandments, it is part of the baptismal covenant. But that is only in order that we may receive the Spirit. It is through the spirit that we receive all grace.

It is through the  cleansing power and the enabling power of the atonement that faith and good works are made possible. These things are free gifts made available to those who ask with a sincere heart and real intent.

Fruits of the Spirit - Galatians 5:22,23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

Many of these things are inseparable. Can you have love and joy without faith, goodness and meekness? I think not. It is all one package that is available to us via the Spirit. But to have it constantly means that we will be required to pray always and always remember Him.

Faith Works By Love - Galatians 5:6

In Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Faith can only work by love. Keeping the law alone is not sufficient. Faith is a gift - it is one of the gifts of the spirit. The love if God which we feel gives us assurance and faith. The love of God is "the most joyous to the soul".

Righteousness is By Faith Through the Spirit - Galatians 5:5

We through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

Unfortunately, there are many of us who have developed a "holier than thou" complex because we have disciplined ourselves to a great extent in in keeping the law and commandments. Furthermore, many of us have studied the gospel a great deal, and we pride ourselves in it. But these things do not make us worthy of salvation!

Yes, they do make us worthy of blessings; and as a people, we are very blessed. But righteousness does not come by obeying the commandments or the law - it is only a prerequisite for righteousness. Righteousness comes by obeying the Spirit. It is completely possible to obey all the commandments and yet not receive the Spirit. This is the epitome of the Pharisee.

Jesus is the only one who can save us, and He does not save us for keeping the commandments alone. The commandments are a precursor to obeying the Spirit. So it is by faith in Jesus Christ that we obey the Spirit - and it is the Spirit that cleanses us. And then and only then are we considered righteous in the eyes of Him who's estimation of us really matters.

2 Nephi 2:3:

I know thou art redeemed because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer

Notice that it is not said: you are redeemed because of your righteousness - nope - Personal righteousness does not save us, it blesses us. It is iterated may times: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land... (1 Nephi 2:20)

While keeping the commandments is a crucial thing, it does not qualify us for being saved.

2 Nephi 2:4,5:

The way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free... men are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil. And the law is given unto men...

 We all have a conscience through the Light of Christ and we know the commandments, and knowing the law, which is knowing good from evil:

... by the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever.

 Again note that we are not saved by keeping the commandments (the law). It is also interesting that the word "flesh" is used. Also in v. 8 we read:

... there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life ... that he may bring to pass the resurrection.

I take this to mean that keeping the commandments cannot sanctify our body. We must have the Holy Spirit to sanctify us.

3 Nephi 27:20

... be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.

2 Nephi 2:9

Wherefore He is the firstfruits unto God, insamuch as He shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in Him shall be saved. 

Spiritual Rebirth - Galatians 3:26

Ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Once baptized and having received the gift of the Holy Ghost, we are all part of the kingdom of God.

Remember that baptism represents death and rebirth; and while a person may show faith by being baptized, true spiritual rebirth - death of the carnal man or carnal desires and birth of the spiritual man of Christ may actually occur later. While it takes an act of faith to be baptized and enter the narrow gate of discipleship, the true spiritual change may (and usually does) occur at a later time. It will happen as we exercise faith and receive grace for grace until we are spiritually reborn - truly desiring no evil.

The Faithful are Promised the Spirit - Galatians 3:14

...receive the promise of the spirit through faith.

The blessing of Abraham is  priesthood, posterity, and prosperity. These blessings were made available to the gentiles through adoption by means of baptism. Then we receive the "promise of the Spirit" which is the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We read in v. 24:

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

This means that the law and commandments are there to point us unto Christ. But once we have entered into the faith (through baptism) the law and commandments in and of themselves do not justify us - it is only faith in Christ that does. Once we have received the Holy Ghost, it is our new schoolmaster - we are to follow His dictates. Thus the law is superseded by the Spirit. Faith relies on living revelation of the Spirit!

Reception of the Spirit is By Faith - Galatians 3:2

Received ye the spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

The law does not save us - rather, it condemns us! Since nobody is perfect, our measure against the law will only result in pointing our our utter failure to measure up. On the other hand, faith and obedience to His word; the word of revelation, will save us and justify us because of His atonement and grace. But it takes faith and courage.

Live By Faith - Galatians 2:20

...the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.

This is the very essence of the life of a disciple. The entire quote is this (comments added):

I am crucified with Christ:(this is in similitude of baptism - immersion under the water represents death - death of the old man, the man of sin.) nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:(Paul now clarifies what he means by "Christ liveth in me" -) and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

I do not take this to mean that Christ literally lives inside me, but that the meaning refers to the light of truth or the light of Christ which penetrates all things. The faithful strive to live by that light. The faithful recognize the light and the workings of the Spirit.

Furthermore, the footnotes refer us to this: John 17:22 - Part of what Christ prayed to the Father in the great intercessory prayer.

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.

Note the reference to glory - the light of Christ - which was given by the Father is now given - to who? v. 8,9: "them which thou hast given me". Meaning those who received the words which Christ had received from the Father and "have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me."

2 Corinthians 5:15-17:

...he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

So faith leads us away from seeking our own pursuits unto true devotion to Him. Baptism is the first step, but devotion takes a lifetime. Thus by being in the light of Christ, and further having companionship with the Holy Ghost we are unified with Him and the Father. Purity and truth permeate us, and we are one with His divine will and with Him. The light of Christ is real - those of faith seek to live by its truth.

Seeing is Not Believing - 2 Corinthians 5:7

We walk by faith not by sight.

To take this literally, it is not that we can see that allows us to walk, it is that we trust what we see. For example, I see the floor, and I trust that I can walk on it based on past experience. Similarly, I may trust the word of the Lord based on past experience.

It's not about sight, it is about trust. Faith is nearly equal to trust. But it is more. It depends on having some information from Him or at least believing in His ability to provide information and direction when needed; But it requires real intent - a solid conviction to unwaveringly follow information and direction we receive - because we trust Him completely.

Stand Fast - 1 Corinthians 16:13

Stand fast in the faith, ...

To stand fast in the faith is to dispel doubt. It is both a decision and a gift. We must make the decision to turn over our will to Him, then He will give us the gift of faith.

Our Faith Hinges on Christ - 1 Corinthians 15:14

If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

Here, Paul is asserting the error of those who do not believe in the literal resurrection. The point is that if Christ is not resurrected, then the whole plan must have been frustrated. In order to perform the resurrection, He had to descend below all things, experience all pain, sorrow, suffering, joy and misery that He could understand them and overcome them all. In this way He was able to triumph over death on behalf of us all. If He did not do this, He could not have all mercy and grace; Thus He could not be a light unto the world and real faith would have been impossible. But because of His ultimate triumph, our faith can rest in Him. His supernal grace and mercy is infinite, and so we can rely on Him to guide and save us.

Faith and Charity - 1 Corinthians 13:13

Now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

(v.2) Though I have faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 

 Faith is necessary for miracles, but charity is necessary for Celestial character. I'm not convinced that one is a stepping stone to the other. Rather, they are developed in parallel. Charity also appears to be a gift from God. Faith complements charity, but seems to deal almost completely with one's relationship to God. Whereas Charity seems to be a vital attribute of God himself. Where faith is a commitment to conformity with the Light of Truth, Charity is a love of truth. It is love in it's purest form. Perhaps one cannot develop perfect faith until he loves truth completely. And loving truth is synonymous with loving the Savior Jesus Christ.

Faith is a Gift of the Spirit - 1 Corinthians 12:9

(it is given) faith by the same Spirit.

The Spirit is the source of all spiritual gifts. Also, faith is a spiritual gift. We are admonished to seek after the Spiritual gifts. Will God grant us faith by the Spirit if we do not seek it? More than ask, we must seek - this is an involved process that takes patience. We must pray for it, but we must strive for total obedience to the Spirit. We must strive for 100% compliance, which is to turn over our will to Him.

The faithful seek to know and do His will - the spiritual gift is the help to know it. It is not always manifested as words that we hear nor even a physical feeling, sometimes it is simply knowing that something is right.

Faith Hinges on Revelation not Logic - 1 Corinthians 2:5

Your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Although there are many and varied arguments for belief in God and His words, our faith should not rely on them. Men's logic and powers of communication are not sufficient. Our faith should and must rest on revelation - the communication of spirit to spirit. Once God has manifested himself unto us in power concerning a principle, our faith can rest on it. But that does not mean that once we have received a witness from the Holy Spirit we can rest. As Henry B. Eyring says: Faith has a short shelf life.

Our faith can only rest upon a foundation built by God. Any other foundation, such as can be built by men will inevitably crumble. Any structure, no matter how strong, having a flaw, no matter how microscopic it may be, will eventually fall, and that flaw will be its undoing. Revelation from God is flawless, it will never crumble unless we cease to seek, heed and build upon it.

I am not saying that we shouldn't attempt to read and understand men's logic, but that such should be confirmed in prayer. Study, prayer and application of the principles urged by the Spirit is a pattern that results in faith. Just remember that without the third step - communication from the Spirit - faith is not possible. This is why it is said that faith is a gift from God.

Receive Everyone - Romans 14:1

He that is weak in the faith receive ye...

Anyone who desires to serve God is called to do so. It is not up to us to judge. Someone who seems weak may in fact be stronger than ourselves. We have no right to judge nor reject anyone.

Intelligence by Faith - Romans 12:6

Let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith.

Here, Paul is teaching about spiritual gifts. Saying if yours is the gift of prophesy, then use it as much as the faith given to you will permit. Faith is a gift of ability and courage to listen to and follow the Spirit. The spirit of truth is also known as the Light of Christ. It permeates all things and infuses them with truth. However, we must be listening on the correct wavelength. Even if we've tuned into the right frequency, we don't necessarily have what is necessary to convert that light and truth into something that we can understand.

Remember that the glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words,light and truth; and truth is things as they really are, and of things as they really will be. (Jacob 4:13) Thus by faith, the spirit of prophesy is the reception of truth about things which are to come - and the spirit of discernment is the reception of truth about things as they are. These gifts are only as useful as our ability to tune to truth and light, and convert it to something intelligible. That is where the Holy Ghost comes in - it helps us to "feel" the truth and understand it.

Faithful Thinking - Romans 12:3

God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

All are given faith to a certain degree. It is of course a gift. But we can cultivate it. As Paul suggests in v. 2: Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. This says to me we can rewire, train or change our thought patterns to be more faithful. One way we can re-train our thought patterns is to reject lies and errors as soon as they enter our consciousness. Another way is to avoid destructive thinking - reject denigrating thoughts. Another is to reject temptation. Another is to reject doubt. I suppose there are many things that we must focus on in order to re-train our thought patterns. These will increase our faith and trust in Him.

Personal Interpretation of Commandments - Romans 14:22,23

Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God... Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Paul explains to us that (v14) there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, it is unclean. Here, he is talking about meat. I gather that some of the saints were offended by their fellow saints by their eating of meat. Paul gives a double edged admonition: don't judge others, and be careful not to offend others. Judging others for eating meat is misguided. Also flagrantly eating meat in front of those who find it wrong is also not good.

In this particular case, it wasn't necessarily the eating of meat that was considered offensive to some, but the fact that it was meat that had been sacrificed to idols. There are two perspectives here, one is: since idols aren't the real God, who cares? It's just meat... The other perspective is: the fact that the meat was used in an unholy sacrifice means it is unholy to eat it. Paul says in essence, it is up to the individual to decide for themselves. But the point is to not judge others that have a different interpretation than you, nor put them in an uncomfortable situation.

There are also many other parallels. Some feel fine about spending many hours watching sports while some find it to be a terrible waste of time. Some are able to justify themselves in drinking sugary or caffeinated drinks, while others view it as an evil. Whichever side of the fence you are on, seek not to offend nor to judge.

Brother Katanuma once said that we should study everything; even evil if it crosses our path. Now, I don't believe this means that we should practice everything that we study, but we should seek to understand it. As Paul said: there is nothing unclean of itself, but if we feel that it is unclean for our self, we should avoid it at all costs. I am definitely not condoning sin here - there are many hard-and-fast rules that we should all adhere to. Many of them are outlined in the ten commandments and elaborated on in the sermon on the mount. What I am talking about here are "gray areas". If there are certain principles that you feel are important for you to keep, do not automatically assume that they apply to everyone.

When Paul says: Whatsoever is not of faith is sin, he means that going against the light that we have personally received is sin - regardless of the subject; whether it be meat, sports or adultery.