Musings On Faith...

 What are some meditations regarding the common faith?

It began at salvation, flourishes in time, and is completed and fulfilled in glory! Only in a world where faith is difficult can it be possible; there can be no easy-believism or easy faith; it might be easy to believe but hardly worth it. Faith comes by the gift of God: “It is the work of God that you believe….” (cf. John 6:29). It comes by virtue of hearing and by hearing of the Word of God—preaching per Romans 10:17 (and we are to grow in our faith and go from faith to faith ever increasing in glory per 2 Cor. 3:18 and Romans 1:16–17). Remember the servant who said to Jesus: “I believe, help thou mine unbelief.” Meager faith in a big God is better than big faith in a small or limited God.

Some people think they have faith without a doubt, but that would be knowledge, not faith. We all live in a doubt-certitude continuum. There are degrees of certitude but God requires us all to take a leap of faith, not into the dark but into the light. Faith is trusting in what you have good reason to believe and knowledge isn’t always certain. It isn’t then a matter of how much you believe but how thorough your repentance that may be the issue! Faith and repentance go hand in hand and there can be no genuine repentance without saving faith! (Acts 20:21).

Faith is only measured by obedience, not ecstasies or experiences. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Nazi martyr, said, “Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes.” You cannot walk in the glow of some epiphany or glorious experience or encounter with God. “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” Isaiah 7:9. We do not walk into some perpetual religious high or remain on Cloud Nine as believers but our faith must be tested as if by fire. Thus, you should say that faith isn’t now much we believe but how well we obey; God doesn’t want our achievements but our obedience! In sum, you might say, “It’s not how big your faith, but how big your God.” (Don’t put Him in a box and limit Him.)  Soli Deo Gloria!

Is Seeing Believing?

"...' I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!'" (Mark 9:24, NIV).  

Some skeptics will tell you that seeing is believing!  Actually, it's the reverse:  believing is seeing!  Augustine said, "I believe in order to understand."  Philosophers will tell you all knowledge begins in faith with some presupposition you cannot prove.  When our hearts are opened by the illuminating ministry of the Holy Spirit we do see things in a new light though and the eyes of faith see things that the unbelieving world cannot.  There is nothing that will make an unbelieving person see--no amount of light can restore blindness!  It takes a supernatural work of God to open the eyes of the blind (spiritually speaking).

Just like the hymn that goes, "I was blind, but now I see." Then we have a new perspective on life with Christ as the center focus.  And He gives us purpose and meaning that only He can do and no other religion can do.  As the psalmist wrote, "Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law" (cf. Psalm 119:18, NIV), so we were blinded by Satan and could not see any spiritual truth until Jesus set us free from bondage.  Indeed, we shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free!  We should be eager to see things in a new light!

"Faith is not about how much we believe but how well we obey."  It has been said that it's not believing in spite of the evidence but obeying despite the consequences. Faith has legs and goes somewhere is an action word--it goes somewhere, for we walk by faith, not by sight (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17).  James 2:18 says, "I will show you my faith by my deeds." While Paul would complement that with:  "I will show you my good deeds by my faith."  Abraham by faith obeyed God!  His faith was confirmed by his act of circumcision, not begun.  We verify that we have faith in the eyes of others and become God's witnesses.

Faith is suspect without works and we are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone (the Reformer's formula).  It has been also said that we are not saved by works but unto works! Not by good behavior but unto good behavior!  We must validate our faith by works though.  In short, we're not saved by good works, but not without them either!  As James said, "Faith without works is dead," so we must desire to live it out and grow from faith to faith.  We must bear in mind that dead faith doesn't save.  And so it is something seen, going somewhere, not just possessed.  Just like good soil produces fruit, so saving faith produces good deeds.

The point is that when we see faith in action in others it encourages our faith and it becomes a witness to a blinded world--we must show our faith and be bold to not be ashamed of the opportunity to stand up for Christ.  We only need mustard-seed faith to be saved and the object is what saves, not the faith.  We don't have faith in faith!  One problem in the church is misdirected zeal and zeal without knowledge or fanaticism.  This kind of faith does more harm than good.  The faith you have is the faith you show in essence and it's your knowledge in action.  We must never divorce faith and faithfulness, for these two go hand in hand as we grow in the faith.

CAVEAT:  We must beware of head belief or storybook faith that is not a conversion of the heart and transformation of the whole soul.  In the final analysis, we must prove we have saving faith that springs from sincerity and good deeds--a conversion of the heart, mind, and will--we will know them by their fruits.

Concluding thoughts:  There is just enough light to see for the willing and enough darkness not to see for the unwilling; at any rate, we must turn our creeds into deeds and express just like John MacArthur said, "True faith manifests itself in obedience only."    Soli Deo Gloria!