Response to INSIGHTS

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Below is an answer to an inquiry about my last INSIGHT.  I realized, after
composing it, that it would be good for others beside Richard.
Enjoy!

Richard:

Thank you for your response to the INSIGHT this week.

You asked: "If faith is defined as perseverance, can we really lose it?"
  Good question.

There are several places in the New Testament where it would seem that there
is a difference between Faith and Perseverance.  There are several scriptures
that seem to bear that out.  I believe that another definition of
perseverance would be Patience.  

II Thessalonians 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God
for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye
endure:      I Timothy 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and
follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 

II Timothy 3:10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life,
purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,     Titus 2:2 That the aged
men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
     Hebrews 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through
faith and patience inherit the promises. 

James 1:3 Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
  Revelation 2:19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and
thy patience, and thy works; and the last [to be] more than the first.
   Revelation 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity:
he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the
patience and the faith of the saints. 

An old Swedish Bro. in an early Pastorate, started us thinking along this
line, and it grew.

He also mentioned the fact that the Bible says:  Hebrews 13:10 We have an
altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.     He
told us that the priests of old actually lived from the altar of sacrifice,
and that the Hebrews writer was likening that to what is available to us
today through the Spirit of God.  We can "live" from the altar of the Spirit
of God.  We can get our "daily bread" from that "Spirit Altar", and it will
do for our spirits what the meat did for the priest of old.

But, WE MUST PARTAKE from the altar, or it will do us no good, though it is
AVAILABLE to all. 

He taught us that we partake of the Spirit Altar as we pray in the Holy
Ghost.  Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy
faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,.   He defined praying in the Holy Ghost as
praying in the unknown tongue.  I Corinthians 14:14 For if I pray in an
[unknown] tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. 

To be sure, however, Faith is not an altogether passive element, for Paul
admonished the young Minister to  I Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of
faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast
professed a good profession before many witnesses. 

To me, the "fight of faith" is the essence of maintaining our confidence in
the finished work of Calvary for the well-being of our souls, both in this
life and the next one.   We are so often, and easily, tempted to try to help
things along by an adherance to certain "rules of Holiness" which would seem
to offer admission to a more secure place in Him.   The finished work of
Calvary is completely sufficient for Salvation, but we can strengthen our
faith in it, and our benefit from it by prayer in the Spirit.

Marion