Πᾶσα δόξα (Pasa doxa -- All glory) to Ἰησοῦς Χριστός
(Iēsous Christos)
By
Thomas Richards (@tlthe5th)- Assisted By AI | December 2025
The Core Definition
What is πίστις (pistis --
faith)? Not what the institutional church has made it. Not what theologians
have complicated it into. At its foundation, faith is this:
Faith = The reality of Θεός (Theos) being made known to us through Χριστός Ἰησοῦς
(Christos Iēsous), whom the Πατήρ (Patēr -- Father) sends to those who need
Him.
This is the starting point. The
foundation. The simplest and most accurate description of faith in all of γραφή
(graphē -- Scripture). Everything else builds on this.
Why This Definition Matters
1. It Starts with Θεός (Theos), Not with Us
Faith does not begin with:
•
Human effort
•
Intellectual understanding
•
Religious works
•
Mental assent to doctrine
Faith begins with Θεός
(Theos) revealing Himself.
Ἰωάννης (Iōannēs -- John) 6:44: "οὐδεὶς
δύναται ἐλθεῖν πρός με ἐὰν μή ὁ πατὴρ ὁ πέμψας με ἑλκύσῃ αὐτόν" (oudeis
dunatai elthein pros me ean mē ho patēr ho pempsas me helkusē auton) --
"No one can come to Me unless the Πατήρ (Patēr -- Father) who sent Me
draws him."
2. The Connection Is Χριστός Ἰησοῦς (Christos Iēsous)
The Πατήρ (Patēr -- Father)
does not reveal Himself in a vacuum. He reveals Himself through Χριστός
(Christos), who is sent to those who need Him.
Ἰωάννης (Iōannēs -- John) 1:18: "θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν
πώποτε· μονογενὴς θεὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο"
(theon oudeis heōraken pōpote; monogenēs theos ho ōn eis ton kolpon tou patros
ekeinos exēgēsato) -- "No one has ever seen Θεός (Theos); the only
begotten, who is in the bosom of the Πατήρ (Patēr), He has made Him
known."
3. "Reality" Is the Key Word
Faith is not:
•
"Belief" in an abstract sense
•
"Hope" for something unseen
•
"Trust" as an emotional feeling
Faith is REALITY -- Θεός
(Theos) actually making Himself known.
•
This is objective, not subjective
•
This is revelation, not speculation
•
This is encounter, not theory
This is why Ἑβραῖοι (Hebraioi
-- Hebrews) 11:1 is so often misunderstood. Most translations render it:
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for..." But in light of this
definition:
"Ἔστιν δὲ πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος
οὐ βλεπομένων" (Estin de pistis elpizomenōn hupostasis, pragmatōn elegchos
ou blepomenōn) -- "Now faith is the reality/substance of things hoped for,
the evidence/conviction of things not seen."
The ὑπόστασις (hupostasis --
substance/reality) is Θεός (Theos) making Himself known -- not a feeling, not a
decision, not an intellectual exercise.
A Personal Testimony: The Stages of Πίστις (Faith)
Almost 29 years ago, I
experienced the reality of Θεός (Theos) being made known. Not in the way the
institutional church describes it. Not a "sinner's prayer" followed
by a warm feeling. The progression was far more terrifying -- and far more real.
Stage 1: The Reality of Θεός (Theos) as Judge -- Κατάκρισις (Katakrisis --
Condemnation)
The first reality of Θεός
(Theos) I felt was condemnation. I had not yet entered into the new covenant.
What I experienced was eternal punishment with no escape. I literally trembled
with φόβος (phobos -- fear) and knew I was white as a ghost.
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous) was there, but
I did not know it yet. The Πατήρ (Patēr -- Father) was already preparing the
way through conviction.
Ῥωμαίους (Rhōmaious -- Romans) 3:19: "ὁ
νόμος... πᾶν στόμα φραγῇ καὶ ὑπόδικος γένηται πᾶς ὁ κόσμος τῷ θεῷ" (ho
nomos... pan stoma phragē kai hupodikos genētai pas ho kosmos tō theō) --
"The law... that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become
guilty before Θεός (Theos)."
This is the φόβος Θεοῦ (phobos
Theou -- fear of Theos) that Proverbs speaks of. Not reverence in a distant
sense, but δέος (deos -- dread) when Θεός (Theos) reveals Himself as Judge.
This is ἀγάπη (agapē -- love) because it causes us to depart from κακός (kakos
-- evil).
Stage 2: The Πατήρ (Patēr) Reveals Χριστός (Christos)
This went on for days. Days of
κατάκρισις (katakrisis -- condemnation). I had to seek (ζητέω -- zēteō) and
fight to get answers. I found them through the εὐαγγέλια (euangelia --
gospels).
When I read the gospels, I felt
the ἀλήθεια (alētheia -- truth/reality) of it. I felt Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous) going to
the cross -- for me personally.
Ὠσηέ (Hōsēe -- Hosea) 6:1: "δεῦτε καὶ ἐπιστρέψωμεν
πρὸς Κύριον" (deute kai epistrepsōmen pros Kurion) -- "Come, let us
return to the Κύριος (Kurios -- Lord)."
Stage 3: "I Am Not Worthy"
When I saw what Χριστός
(Christos) was doing -- going to the cross for me -- my response was: "NO.
I am not worthy. No, please no."
But Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous) went
anyway.
That was another block to
overcome -- the recognition of complete unworthiness, the understanding of the
magnitude of the sacrifice, and Χριστός (Christos) going despite that
unworthiness.
Ῥωμαίους (Rhōmaious -- Romans) 5:8: "συνίστησιν
δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην εἰς ἡμᾶς ὁ θεὸς ὅτι ἔτι ἁμαρτωλῶν ὄντων ἡμῶν Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν
ἀπέθανεν" (sunistēsin de tēn heautou agapēn eis hēmas ho theos hoti eti
hamartōlōn ontōn hēmōn Christos huper hēmōn apethanen) -- "But Θεός
(Theos) demonstrates His own ἀγάπη (agapē -- love) toward us, in that while we
were still sinners, Χριστός (Christos) died for us."
Stage 4: Entering the New Covenant
Then came the sinner's prayer
-- through the television. Supernatural timing. Πνεῦμα ἅγιος (pneuma hagios --
spirit holy) orchestrated it.
That was the moment of entering
the New Covenant. And I felt the ἄγγελοι (angeloi -- angels) in οὐρανός
(ouranos -- heaven) rejoicing. I was a καινὴ κτίσις (kainē ktisis -- new
creation). Brand new.
Λουκᾶς (Loukas -- Luke) 15:10: "χαρά ἐστιν ἐνώπιον
τῶν ἀγγέλων τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι" (chara estin enōpion
tōn angelōn tou theou epi heni hamartōlō metanoounti) -- "There is joy in
the presence of the angels of Θεός (Theos) over one sinner repenting."
2 Κορινθίους (Korinthious -- Corinthians) 5:17: "ὥστε
εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, καινὴ κτίσις· τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδοὺ γέγονεν καινά"
(hōste ei tis en Christō, kainē ktisis; ta archaia parēlthen, idou gegonen
kaina) -- "Therefore if anyone is in Χριστός (Christos), new creation; the
old things passed away, behold, new things have come."
The Pattern Confirmed by Γραφή (Graphē -- Scripture)
|
Stage |
What Was Experienced |
Γραφή (Graphē) Confirmation |
|
1. Reality of Θεός as Judge |
Trembling, white as ghost,
eternal punishment with no escape |
Ῥωμαίους 3:19 -- every
mouth stopped, whole world guilty before Θεός |
|
2. Days of seeking |
Fighting for answers, reading the gospels |
Ὠσηέ 6:1 -- "Come, let us return to the Κύριος" |
|
3. Personal revelation of
Χριστός |
"He is doing this for
ME" -- "No, I am not worthy" |
Ἰωάννης 1:18 -- the only
begotten has made Him known |
|
4. Acceptance despite unworthiness |
"He went anyway" -- sinner's prayer |
Ῥωμαίους 5:8 -- while we were still sinners, Χριστός died for us |
|
5. New Covenant entrance |
Angels rejoicing, brand new
creation |
Λουκᾶς 15:10, 2 Κορινθίους
5:17 -- joy over repentance, new creation |
Why This Pattern Matters
This is NOT the "easy
believism" taught by false teachers.
FALSE TEACHING: "Just
say this prayer and you are saved."
TRUE PATTERN:
1. Θεός
(Theos) convicts through πνεῦμα ἅγιος (pneuma hagios)
2. Sinner
feels κατάκρισις (katakrisis -- condemnation) and terror
3. Πατήρ
(Patēr) reveals Χριστός (Christos) as only hope
4. Sinner
seeks and fights for understanding
5. Gospels
reveal personal sacrifice of Χριστός (Christos)
6. Recognition
of unworthiness but trust in His blood
7. Invitation
to Χριστός (Christos) into heart
8. Πνεῦμα
ἅγιος (pneuma hagios) enters -- New Covenant sealed
9. Καινὴ
κτίσις (kainē ktisis -- new creation) -- immediate transformation
10. Lifelong
ἁγιασμός (hagiasmos -- sanctification) process begins
Every stage was REALITY,
not theory. Real κατάκρισις (katakrisis) -- felt physically. Real Χριστός
(Christos) -- felt Him at the cross. Real angels -- heard them rejoicing. Real
transformation -- became new person. Almost 29 years of proven track record.
False Definitions Corrected
|
FALSE Definition |
TRUE Definition |
|
"Faith is believing
hard enough" |
Faith = Θεός
(Theos) making Himself known |
|
"Faith is mental assent to doctrine" |
Faith = Reality revealed through Χριστός (Christos) |
|
"Faith is trust
without evidence" |
Faith = Θεός
(Theos) providing the evidence of Himself |
|
"Faith is a leap in the dark" |
Faith = Θεός (Theos) turning on the light through
Χριστός (Christos) |
What Builds on This Foundation
Once Θεός (Theos) makes Himself
known through Χριστός (Christos), everything else follows:
•
Μετάνοια (metanoia -- repentance) follows
•
Cleansing through the blood
•
New creation in Χριστός (Christos)
•
Πνεῦμα ἅγιος (pneuma hagios) indwells
•
Walking in ἀλήθεια (alētheia -- truth)
•
Growth in χάρις (charis -- grace)
•
Works through Θεός' (Theos') δύναμις (dunamis --
power)
But it ALL starts with the
Πατήρ (Patēr) revealing Himself through Χριστός Ἰησοῦς (Christos Iēsous) to
those who need Him.
Conclusion
Faith is not what you do. Faith
is not what you decide. Faith is not what you muster up.
Faith is the reality of Θεός
(Theos) being made known to you through Χριστός Ἰησοῦς (Christos Iēsous), whom
the Πατήρ (Patēr -- Father) sends to those who need Him.
This is the foundation.
Everything else is built on it. And almost 29 years later, that foundation has
not moved.
Πᾶσα δόξα (Pasa
doxa -- All glory) to Ἰησοῦς Χριστός (Iēsous Christos)
Who
almost 29 years ago turned a trembling, condemned sinner into a καινὴ κτίσις
(kainē ktisis -- new creation)
And
has kept him standing as a living witness ever since
Full testimony: spirituallysmart.com/igotsavededit.html
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