Faith in its purest form is refusal to doubt God's love for each and every soul including our own soul. Romans 4 .18Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping........The shield of faith is only a metaphore for trust in the Lord to see you through your fiery ordeals that you may suffer, the temporary set backs that seem ever so long and painful.
Romans 8:23
New Living Translation (©2007)
And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. ....And while you wait for the fiery trials to smolder you can nourish your soul on the fruits of the spirit which we know is love kindness...Galations 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Gal 5 16-26 is in refference to your redeemed new spirit in contrast to your fallen nature that we all still have. Its a choice to persue at your own heart ache and the heart ache of others your choice in serving Christ Jesus by your own choices as opposed to the Holy Spirits choices for your life. The Holy Spirit does not contradict His own words found in the scriptures. It is not Gods will for you to commit immoralty like slander and any of the other deeds of your fallen nature that you are still clothed in. It is His will that you love God and others in so doing this you will not harm and hurt others with the allures of our passions that are in need of reigning in at times. Be ready for the Lords arrival. Gal 5 19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. You may be strong on some but dont ignore your weaknesses. 5 were foolish and 5 were wise, do not be foolish.......And why are you so obcessed in calculations on the end time but do not fear for your own soul. Your to busy doing the math, instead develope your own soul in the ways of the Lord. And why do you seek attention to your own selves with threads that having nothing to do with the Lord but you surely throw in the Lords name in there to give credence to "your" discoveries? Stop already! Thats enough! And why do some of you try to do only what the Holy Spirit can do? And that is witness to each and every heart what is a word from God and what is not. Stop your interference and let God be God. Why muddy the waters and that is what you do. These rebukes are not directed at Once4all at all but it is to many of you who claim to be of Christ. Love without truth is a lie and nothing but a big lie. You can serve Christ in the spirit or you can serve Christ in your fallen nature-and that cant possibly be construed as serving Christ but only your false pride the ego. You serve your ego at the expense of other souls and that is not love by any stretch of the imagination.