You can't be absolutely sure. Firstly, if this could be proven it would have been. Secondly, the ability to prove it would make faith unnecessary - a religion that does not demand faith is not a religion, its just a set of known and undisputed facts.
%% I see your points. But since i've seen many more title deeds/bought REALTY; i know ''Faith is the title deed'' HEBREWS 11;1 Actually /keep reading T Morton; medical studies have proved the power of the LORD answering prayer. And while it was not 100%; 100% of people in the Bible were NOT healed . Sometimes being off just a bit can change it all/ 100% Matt 7;7 amplified better translates ask,Matt 7;7 KJV. as / it keep on asking.....................................................................................................
It's hard to say what he is trying to say, due to the use of parables, which are necessarily vague. It's possible he is also not sure what "title deed" actually represents. But i will make an effort to break this down to a couple of possible interpretations. Title deed could mean actual knowledge, or, title deed could mean permanent possession of the evidence that faith invokes. If it's the latter, this would not be surprising. Faith manufactures it's own evidence. That evidence will seem more permanent the more you believe in it. The more you believe in it the more permanent it will seem to be...kinda like real estate. This is how faith works, and why it is so deceptive. What started out as a notion that was a little uncertain (like renting), eventually solidifies and cements itself in your mind. After a while you have a kind of "foundation" that you can build other notions on top of. The problem with this kind of real estate is that if the original notion was not true, the structure is built upon "sand", so-to-speak. Eventually it must fall under it's own weight. This describes all worlds built upon "matter", or "particle physics", in which tiny grains of "energy" converge to produce larger, more complex structures that can be seen with eyeballs. He might be saying he is happy, and/or satisfied, or quite convinced, that what his eyeballs see is indeed permanent. It appears to be eternal. This increases faith, further contributing to the solidity of the structure underfoot. The other possible thing he might be trying to say is that at some point, faith is transformed into knowledge. He might be saying that having doubts is like renting, but if you can feel like you know something, it is like owning real estate. This is actually not too different from the former interpretation as this is the tendency of faith, to eventually see itself as knowledge. This is seen in common sayings where people are always interested in turning their "dreams into reality" and/or real estate. This is for people who judge reality to be things that can be constructed with tiny particles, large enough for eyeballs to see, or feet to stand upon. However, if he is suggesting that faith actually transforms into facts (knowledge), this would indeed be surprising. This is not really possible. Nevertheless, if have talked about the necessity of getting knowledge instead of faith, or of a way to abandon faith in order to get knowledge. This is not the same as saying faith eventually transforms into knowledge. I'm saying that if you remove faith, and stop believing in anything, your mind will be ready to accept knowledge. This is tricky because there are only two states of mind possible to any mind: one filled with faith, or one filled with knowledge. To get to knowledge, one must come into a kind of no-man's-land, where real estate, as commonly believed, is no longer believed. Knowledge sets one free of the effects of faith. Unless steps are taken, faith remains self-reinforcing and circular, like chains that get tighter and tighter the more you believe. In a worst case scenario, you believe your faith is knowledge. At that point the chains are nearly unbreakable. Title deed to what, exactly? Faith can produce so much evidence that the evidence can "own" the believer.
%% I figure its a title deed [deed of trust in some states]for paid off real estate/but good question. DR John McAuthor+ CA is trying to shut his church down[megachurch]. He or his study Bible says that word for title deed is also used of a leader on an old coin. Like today, it would be like George[Washington/not Bush/LOL] on an old silver coin. FAITH is also much better than gov health care ACA/trainwreck. I've had Lord heal me just like Jews in old testament. Keep on praying/ Matthew 7;7 Amplified Bible.Good question. Thanks/have a blessed + tax free mostly/ thanksgiving
"I cannot reconcile the God of the Bible with the concept of such a massive universe." At one time, the universe was the size of a coin. Everyone is agreement on this. Every day, the universe continues to expand, and yet moves with mathematical accuracy. This cannot be explained by science, as some honest scientists have admitted. The whole universe is one giant miracle. The human being, each with near infinite complexity are also miracles.
The universe is vast from a human perspective , not from a godly or higher being perspective . Most of the bible isn't to be taken literally ,it's more of a road map to raising yourself from a lower animal being to a higher nature but then once on the path weird things start happening to you .
this is objectively true this is not An inability to reconcile may have more to do with what is true and that which only claims to be true.
Stu, due to having such a huge ego, you have an inability of being open to the idea of a higher than human intelligence .