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!

Can I Have Doubt With My Faith?

Doubt is not a unique Christian problem, but a human one. Some believers are even congenital doubters or have cerebral doubts that weaken their faith, but they still have faith even if the size of a mustard seed. If they seek the answers from the right sources, these doubts can be answered. Doubt is not the opposite of faith, but an element of it. They can and do co-exist.

Faith is putting into action and trusting in what you do believe. Faith is knowledge in action, not having all the answers. But faith is not inert but grows for the believer and he will find out that God will eventually answer his questions. There is a doubt-faith continuum that we all fall on. Perfect certitude is not necessary for faith and that’s why it’s called faith. But saving faith is the gift of God and we find God through this grace, not our works.

We cannot believe in God in our own intellectual powers or wisdom; we need to be enlightened by God who opens our hearts and kindles faith within us There is mundane faith in God for the things of the world, using our spiritual gifts, and doing His will and then there’s saving faith: Saving faith is the gift of God but God can rebuke us for showing little or no faith in doing His will, as it is written, “O, ye of little faith… why did you doubt?” “I believe, help thou mine unbelief.”

There’s hope! Jesus can strengthen our faith and we are to pray for this. But note that our faith must be tried as if by fire and be tested to see if it’s genuine and not bogus. This is the good news: Christ doesn’t require perfect faith, but only unfeigned and sincere faith that isn’t hypocritical (cf. 1 Tim. 1:5; 2 Tim. 1:5). Soli Deo Gloria!