The
True Faith and its Foundation
By R.S. Neaville
We as Christians need a reminder that
our faith is based on facts. Our faith never
had its foundation in opinion, speculation,
or emotion. It is a fact that Jesus is God
and man. It is a fact that he died for our
sins on the cross. It is a fact that he rose
bodily from the dead on the third day as the
scriptures proclaim. These are the facts of
our faith and our hope. Our faith is in His
death and our Hope is in His resurrection.
The scriptures are a verification of our
faith along with the power of the Holy
Spirit to make them living water within us.
Between these two we have credible witnesses
to encourage and rebuke us where our faith
is concerned. These have been provided by
our God for us to rely on. It is only through these
two witnesses that we can find our
dependence on the Father and experience his
power. The third witness is our experience
that comes from the combination of the first
two. Through this we have a solid testimony
of three witnesses. This is the one
foundation for all true Christian faith.
Scriptures
2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child
thou hast known the holy scriptures, which
are able to make thee wise unto salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16
All scripture is given by inspiration of
God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness:
Holy Spirit
John 14:16 And I will pray the Father,
and he shall give you another Comforter,
that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even
the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot
receive, because it seeth him not, neither
knoweth him: but ye know him; for he
dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of
truth, is come, he will guide you into all
truth: for he shall not speak of himself;
but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he
speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Experience
2 Peter 1:16 For we have not followed
cunningly devised fables, when we made known
unto you the power and coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his
majesty. 17 For he received from God the
Father honour and glory, when there came
such a voice to him from the excellent
glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased.18 And this voice which came
from heaven we heard, when we were with him
in the holy mount.
So it is easy to see that these three
witnesses of scripture, Holy Spirit, and our
experience are the Body, Spirit, and Soul of
our faith. The scripture is physical like
the body. The Holy Spirit is indeed spirit!
These two agree perfectly always even as the
Father and Son do. Through these you find
your own agreement with God. By entering
into agreement with the scriptures and the
Spirit of God that testifies them you become
the third witness through your own
experience with them. Your experience Is the
joining of these two witnesses as one in
you. The joining of the physical and the
spiritual is a union or soul. An agreement
or covenant for two to walk together as one.
The Spirit and the Word must walk together
in you!
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of
the dust of the ground, and breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life; and man
became a living soul.
2 Corinthians 13:1 This is the third time I
am coming to you. In the mouth of two or
three witnesses shall every word be
established.
This is the only true foundation of
faith. The Spirit and the Word must find
their agreement in you. If your faith is not
grounded in these two than it is in vain. There
is no other foundation in Christianity.
These witnesses demand our submission too
them to see any real change in our lives. The
Spirit and the Word together must take
precedence above our own thinking, wants,
desires , and emotions. This is the
only foundation for any true introspection.
Through these witnesses and these only we must be
weaned from false witnesses; i.e. men’s
opinions, speculations, and emotional
manipulations.
Communion
These truths are demonstrated in the
body and blood of Jesus Christ. Scripture
teaches us that we can enter in to the
Father’s presence only through Jesus’
sacrifice. He gave his life for this very
purpose. Because he did lay down his life
for us we can communicate with God the
Father through prayer and study. This is why Jesus said His body and
blood were food and drink.
John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the
flesh of the Son of man, and drink his
blood, ye have no life in you.
When we eat with someone we are
communing, a very real and intimate sense of
communication. When we partake of the Lord’s
table we are partaking of him. this
communion becomes
even more intimate with this understanding.
This was demonstrated in the last supper.
Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus
took bread, and blessed it, and brake it,
and gave it to the disciples, and said,
Take, eat; this is my body.27 And he took
the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to
them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For
this is my blood of the new testament, which
is shed for many for the remission of sins.
1 Corinthians 11:23 For I have received of the
Lord that which also I delivered unto you,
That the Lord Jesus the same night in which
he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he
had given thanks, he brake it, and said,
Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken
for you: this do in remembrance of me.25
After the same manner also he took the cup,
when he had supped, saying, This cup is the
new testament in my blood: this do ye, as
oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this
bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the
Lord's death till he come.
The bread and the wine are emblems of
the Lord’s body and blood. This practice of
communion is more than a ritual. This
sacrament expresses the spiritual communion
we now have with the Father through Jesus as
our mediator. To eat of his body is to
partake of the Word. To drink of his blood
is to partake of his Spirit. This is our
true communion with God. Our submission in
prayer through the Spirit and the prayerful
study of scripture is how we enter in to
God’s presence. It makes us one with him
through the sacrifice of his dear Son. The
Spirit and the Word become one in us!. It
makes us his witnesses! Consider this: This
all shows through the three witnesses that
your faith in Christ is valid. This is the
foundation of our Gospel and so our faith as
Christians. This is the only way you can be
sure of your salvation. Submission to the
sacrifice of Jesus is your communion with
God. By the scriptures and through the
Spirit is by his body and blood.
