Subject: Hebraic Perspective: Emunah (faith)
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 1998 00:35:39 +0000
From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Reply-To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
To: "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>

From:          Johann van Rooyen
Subject:       Emunah (Faith)
To:            heb_roots_chr@geocities.com

                       What is EMUNAH / FAITH ???

During his training, a fireman is taught that you need 3 things to
have a fire:

1) Fuel
2) Oxygen
3) A flame or heat to start the combustion.

If any of these three is missing, you simply don't have a fire.

It is likewise with faith.  Emunah (faith) presupposes 3 things:

1) Da'at (knowledge) of Emet (Truth): Intimate knowledge of Scriptural Truth
2) Trust in YHWH and His Mashiach (Messiah)
3) Obedience, faithfulness, steadfastness.

If any of these are lacking, you don't have emunah(faith).  A pagan
idolater may have bags of trust and be painstakingly obedient.  But there is
no Da'at (knowledge) of Emet (truth), so that his trust and obedience is but
a futile vapour.  In his letter, Ya'akov (James) teaches that Knowledge
and  Trust without works, i.e. obedience, is likewise a false faith.

We can now define emunah (faith) as the mutually reinforcing interaction
between:

(1) knowledge of Scriptural truth
(2) trust and confidence in Almighty YHWH and His Messiah, and
(3) Obedience to the Word.

Johann van Rooyen

South Africa

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