Can The Supernatural Be Explained By The Laws Of Nature?

By definition, the supernatural is beyond the natural, not coincidences or flukes (i.e., the laws of nature) like the metaphysical is beyond the physical. But accepting the fact of the supernatural is not the stance of the scientific community. They are naturalists who believe in a natural explanation to everything; i.e., no supernatural. The laws of nature do demand an explanation for their being or existence and that leads to a Supernatural God or Lawgiver.

You cannot explain away a miracle by the laws of nature. Miracles are events not producible by the elements in question considering the time and manner of events available. Jesus is an example of someone who defied nature by walking on water and calming a storm. It is circular reasoning to say that miracles don’t happen because they are impossible—or haven’t been scientifically examined.

For God is a law to Himself and able to overrule the laws of nature for He made them. For instance, the force of gravity is specifically tuned to an almost infinitely small degree and if changed, no life would be possible. Why? Why is the speed of light what it is or is DNA only composed of four letters that seem to be the language of God? (Doesn’t this imply a Supreme Mind?) Science can discover the know-how but not discover the know-why. Why does the universe seem so fine-tuned for life? This Anthropic Principle needs an explanation if not from God as the Designer and Creator. Why are there laws of nature if not a God of nature? Soli Deo Gloria!

The Genesis Of Faith...

 Faith must begin somewhere!  It is not mere emotion or intellectual capacity but an act of the will; one decides to believe freely. God has given mankind the power of volition and freedom of choice to believe to disbelieve in Him. A forced faith would not be faith.  The conception of faith arises in the Word of God itself as it is the gift of God as one hears the preaching of the Word of God; God has chosen the foolish means of the world to defeat the wisdom of man.  So Romans 10:17 says, "Faith comes by the hearing and the hearing of the Word of God."  That's it, it's a gift of grace but God intends for us to exercise this faith; it's His gift but our act!  

I might add that God plants the seed and opens the heart!  (cf. Acts 16:14; 14:27).  He can make the unwilling willing (cf. Phil. 2:13) and make believers out of us by grace.  In fact, we believe through grace (cf. Acts 18:27).  Faith is a gift and we cannot take credit for it but are stewards of it. (cf. Romans 12:3; cf. 2 Pet. 1:1). 

Faith needs an object to be valid; it is only as reliable as its object.  You can have strong faith in the wrong object or God and it is invalid and does no good. God doesn't demand perfect faith, but only unfeigned, sincere faith  (cf. 1 Tim. 1:5; 2 Tim. 1:5). Paul said that the Jews were zealous for God but according to knowledge (cf Romans 10:2; Prov. 19:2).  Jesus said to those skeptics that if anyone is willing to do God's will, then he shall know the truth (cf. John 7:17).  

Only in a world where faith is difficult can it exist!  Easy-believism is a self-contradiction biblically speaking.  The road to faith has never nor meant to be an easy one.  We all have doubts; the disciple who wanted a healing told Jesus:  "I believe, help mine unbelief."  That means that doubt is not the opposite of faith but an element of it; it's not just a religious problem but a human one--we have doubts or are capable of them. But we believe in many things we don't have all the answers to and doubt can survive alongside faith.  Everyone's faith must be tested in fire to see if it's genuine (cf. 1 Pet. 1:7).  

We all have a "measure of faith" given by God and are appropriately tested and responsible for it as a steward of this gift (cf. Romans 12:3). But not all have faith (saving faith that is) though everyone believes in something. It can take more faith to deny God, for instance, than to just accept him by default and put Him to the test: "Taste and see that the LORD is good." (cf. Psalm 34:8). Our God invites scrutiny!  Test God in this manner because the proof of the pudding is in the eating. 

We all have trials, tribulations, and adversities to endure by faith. But if you wonder why, the same sun melts the butter hardens the clay. It is through much tribulation that we enter the kingdom of God (cf. Acts 14:22).  Similar events sow faith in some and agnosticism or skepticism in others.  God is testing our hearts and motives.  He doesn't want us to merely believe because of fear of hell as some kind of fire insurance, but as a loving response to God's love and grace.  We love Him because He first loved us!  (cf. 1 John 4:19). Perfect love casts out fear (cf. 1 John 4:18). 

Now, faith isn't about how strong you believe or much you are convinced of the truths of the Bible but in your application of them. It's more about how much you obey than how much you believe.  That's why the only test of genuine faith is obedience (cf. Heb. 3:18-19). Dietrich Bonhoeffer, martyr from the Nazis, claimed:  "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes."  These two are juxtaposed in Scripture and we must not divide what God has joined together. Repentance is also linked to faith and goes hand in hand in complementary fashion (cf. Acts. 20:21; Heb. 6:1). In that case, it may not be a matter of having enough faith but not having a thorough enough repentance. 

Remember, the struggle with faith is not lack of faith so much as faith itself.  Only in a world of disbelief existing can faith exist.  God refuses to make Himself as obvious as the sun in the sky to believe but wants us to search with all our hearts to find Him. What pleases God is faith, not intelligence or wisdom (cf. Heb. 11:6). Jesus was asked to do miracles on demand and to do a biggie miracle to impress the Pharisees, but Jesus wouldn't accommodate them because they had the prophets to bear witness of Him for the Scriptures bear witness of Him (cf. John 5:39).  He said that despite His miracles, they would [not could not] believe in Him (cf. John 12:37).     Soli Deo Gloria! 

What Good Is Faith Without Works?

 Karl Broberg, Blogger/Bible teacher (10+ yrs), researcher, life coach

Answered 3h ago

The Reformers taught that we are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone. If it is not accompanied by works it is dead faith—which cannot save (cf. James 2:26). Even the demons believe and tremble (cf. James 2:19). Faith must produce fruit and have the natural byproduct of good works or deeds. We are to be known by our fruits (cf. Matt. 7:16). We are not saved by works, but neither without them. Works validate and authenticate our faith and prove it is saving faith. No fruit means no faith!

God has redeemed Himself a people “zealous of good works” (cf. Titus 2:14). James 2;18 says that James would show you his faith by his works! Anyone can say he has faith but will they use it to glorify God? For example, by faith, Abraham obeyed God and went out (cf. Heb. 11:8). There is no such thing as being a disobedient disciple because we are called to obey Christ by faith, as Jesus said that if we love Him, we will obey His commands (cf. John 15:10). How can you call Him Lord, and not obey? “All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,” (cf. Acts 2:21). “No man can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit,” (cf. 1 Cor. 12:3).

The whole point of salvation is a changed life and becoming a new creature per 2 Cor. 5:17 (doing works fit for repentance, cf. Matt. 3:8; Luke 3:8; Acts 26:20). The idea of “no-lordship salvation” or easy-believism has been around for decades and Dietrich Bonhoeffer called it “cheap grace.”

There are only three ways one tries to get saved:

1. Works alone equals salvation (religion)
2. Works plus faith equals salvation (legalism)
3. Faith equals salvation that’s not producing works (Antinomianism or libertinism)
4. Faith equals salvation resulting in works. (correct).

NB: Antinomians are usually believers in “no-lordship” salvation or that you need not accept Christians the record of your life to be saved which would entail obedience. In other words, works need not result from salvation. It is works of the flesh that don’t please God. Our works must be wrought in God through the Spirit (cf. Hosea 14:8; Isaiah 26:12; Amos 6:13; Romans 15:18). In the final analysis, obedience is the test of faith and is linked in Heb. 3:18–19.  Soli Deo Gloria! 

Is There Any Foolproof Argument For God?

 Now, there’s a difference between an argument for God and proof. No one can prove or disprove God, it takes faith both ways. Evidence is another thing altogether. There is evidence! (Scientific, historical, literary, philosophical, and testimonial.) Evidence isn’t always conclusive or compelling but can be circumstantial or indirect, subjective or objective. There may be evidence pro and con to an argument. There’s no foolproof argument but there are plenty of arguments or reasons to believe.

But the best argument (but no argument is foolproof but only a reason to believe) that I can see that is shaking up (in that as many as ninety percent of them believe in God now) the cosmologists and astrophysicists is that the Big Bang was the beginning of everything in our reality and the Bible calls this the moment of creation. “In the beginning God created…”

The point proves that the theory of an eternal universe is untenable and it had a beginning and this implies and logically necessitates a Beginner! Nothing causes or creates itself, It must be determined what or who is responsible for it. Everything that begins to exist or any event must have a cause. Who banged the Big Bang? This discovery brings new challenges.

Even Einstein mused: “God doesn’t play dice with the universe.” And he also said that the harmony of natural law indicates a Supreme Intelligence. Creation was pre-programmed with some fifty universal constants called the Anthropic Principle (The fine-tuning of the cosmos) implying a Designer and Supreme Mind at work. Nothing can cause or create itself and this implies as Aristotle thought, a First Cause, because it’s impossible to cross infinity and an infinite regress of causes is impossible. God’s name also means “I CAUSE TO BE” Note: This is not the complete argument but a synopsis and volumes could be written to support it.

An atheist will use circular reasoning to refute arguments: I don't believe in miracles because they are impossible. I don't believe Jesus is God because I don’t believe He claimed to be. Even if they lost the argument you would not convince them; you cannot argue someone into God’s kingdom nor rationalize God to an infidel. They will tell you: There is no God because I have not experienced or seen Him or that He cannot be proved beyond a shadow of a doubt. They want it as easy to believe in God as to believe in the sun or the moon in the sky.

But know this: You can not disprove God either as a philosopher will tell you that it’s impossible to prove a universal negative. There are many arguments for God and much evidence from science, literature, history, philosophy, and personal testimony. But there is no “smoking gun” argument that is absolutely foolproof and if you don't want to believe you cannot be forced to. God will force Himself on no one.

Brilliance and intellect don’t please God. Only faith pleases Him (cf. Heb. 11:6), “the world by wisdom knew not God” (cf. 1 Cor. 1:21). Jesus said that “if a man is willing to do His will, then he shall know” (cf. John 7;17). The proverb goes, “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” No amount of evidence will make someone believe who doesn’t want to: Jesus said in John 12:37 that although the Pharisees had seen many miracles they would not believe, not could not believe—it’s a person’s stubborn heart. Remember all the miracles Moses had done? Israel still refused to believe! (cf. Psalm 78:32).

But the atheist has faith too! He has faith in science or in man’s reasoning and logic. Faith in science is still faith! It’s not a matter of faith versus reason as he thinks but faith versus faith and it all depends upon what presupposition you are willing to accept. Both sides of the equation contain people of faith. In fact, it takes more faith to be an atheist than a theist because there’s so much evidence! All knowledge is contingent and starts with faith, not just about God. Soli Deo Gloria! 

Job says, "I Know That My Redeemer Lives"

Job made this confession in my title (cf. Job 19:25) and showed his ultimate faith in God that in his flesh he shall see God. Yes, the resurrection was even fact in the OT: Psalm 49:15, "But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave...."  Also, in Hosea 13:14, "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death."  As it says in 1 Cor. 15:55, "O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory?"  Death is finally defeated and we need not fear it!    Martha told Jesus that she shall see Lazarus at the resurrection! (cf. John 11:24).   ".... I kill and I make alive..." (cf. Deut. 32:39). 

But the doctrine was not fully realized nor fulfilled, or did it have a good reason to be believed, till Jesus conquered the grave by rising from the dead as the definitive proof of His deity (cf. Romans 1:4; Acts 17:31).  It was the skeptical Sadducees that denied the resurrection.  Paul truly said that if there is no resurrection we are a people most to be pitted and are still in our sins!  (cf. 1 Cor. 15:19). 

But the resurrection is a known historical fact with much compelling, though circumstantial evidence to verify it. It is said that the resurrection is more variously proved than any even in antiquity with many types of evidence that is.  Dr. Luke says that there were "many infallible proofs," (cf. Acts 1:3).  History rarely has direct evidence.  We have documents, records, testimony, and the witness of present believers as evidence.  But just believing it is history, not salvation.  As Josh MacDowell said, "Either the resurrection is the most wonderful event in history or its cruelest, biggest hoax." 

The resurrection is not only the point of Christianity but its focus and fulcrum, without it, we disembowel the faith and make it just another religion.  Denying the facts makes you out to be living in denial!  We must not only accept it as a historical fact but we must receive the living Lord into our hearts; i.e., believe it in our hearts!  Christ must not only be risen historically but personally. The resurrection is indeed the central fact of history and its hope. 

I confess and admit it takes faith to believe this for faith is what pleases God (cf. Heb 11:6). Now there is never enough evidence to convince a person who doesn't want to believe. Israel rejected the LORD and Moses though there were many miracles (cf. Psalm 78:32). Jesus said in John 7:17 that anyone willing to do His will shall know; there's the rub! Jesus had observed in John 12:37 that even though the stubborn Pharisees had seen many signs or miracles, they "would not believe," not that they could not believe; for the heart of the matter is that it's a matter of the heart--where was their heart if they even had one still?  

The resurrection becomes a reality to believers because Jesus takes up residence in our hearts upon accepting this and we become transformed persons becoming renewed in Christ's image.  The transformation that took place in the apostles after they saw the Lord is the strongest evidence for His resurrection. You must want it to be true though!  But the good news is that we can taste that Jesus is good (cf.1 Pet. 2:3) and as Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the LORD is good."  We are then becoming satisfied customers or happy campers in the Lord.    Soli Deo Gloria! 

What Are Common Ways To Misinterpret Scripture?

1.  Most common are taking out of context: theological, literary, historical, cultural;
2. not interpreting the implicit in light of the explicit;
3. not recognizing imagery or figures of speech;
4. not according to genre (narrative, prophecy; poetry, proverb, didactic);
5. not taking the OT in light of the NT or vice versa;
6. not interpreting as the author meant it to be—a face value;
7. spiritualizing or not believing it literally when meant to be;
8. not letting common sense makes sense, but seeking other sense;
9. hyper-personalizing or thinking there’s some secret or special message for you only;
10. interpreting texts in isolation to find some far-fetched truth, without regard to the whole of Scripture not interpreting Scripture in light of Scripture and letting it be its own Supreme Court;
11. reading into the Word your preconceived ideas and prejudices
12. confusing Law and gospel. 

Who Created or Caused God? Doesn't Everything Have A Beginning And An End? ...

 

NB: THIS IS A THEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT NOT MEANT AS SCIENTIFIC. THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME AGREEMENT HERE IN THE TWO. THESE VIEWS ARE NOT FRINGE BELIEFS BUT FAIRLY WIDELY ACCEPTED.

The maxim that out of nothing, nothing comes is valid. God is not a thing but the Creator of all things. But we must not jump to the conclusion that everything was created or had a beginning. Then there would be a time when nothing existed and that means nothing would exist now. The fact that something exists really proves something must be eternal. Only that which is within the time-space continuum has a beginning. God isn’t as its Creator and is therefore eternal or without beginning.

All events and effects have causes. Even the Big Bang had a cause outside itself. Everything that begins to exist has a cause; how can God be the First Cause if He began or was created? God is eternal and that means without a beginning point or cause: He’s the First Cause. Aristotle settled this issue and called God the First Cause that caused all things to begin.

It’s impossible to cross infinity, to say everything had a beginning is just that; it's faulty logic. A caused B caused C caused D ….. (AT SOME POINT WE RUN OUT OF LETTERS). Infinite regress is impossible philosophically, mathematically, and logically. Every chain of events has a beginning point and a cause. God is not an event or an effect, but the uncaused cause, which is possible philosophically and logically. So you cannot say that there was no beginning or creation point when God began it all.

If someone or something made God, God would not be the Creator but a creature and be caused Himself and not the First Cause. If someone made God you could ask who made him? and so forth ad Infinitum. God says He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end Himself! Even time had a beginning and is part of creation for God created it because it's a corollary of space and matter. Many things just are: love, truth, logic, justice; where did they come from? God is love, true, just, and logical. “In the beginning was the Word” [Logos or logic, understanding, intelligence, law, order, design, purpose, design].

Science, not philosophy or religion has come up with the theory that time would not exist had it not been for the existence of both space and matter. That time began therefore at the big bang when the time-space continuum began. This was postulated (some may say speculated) by physicist Stephen Hawking who wrote The Brief History of Time supposedly outlining the beginning and end of time. Before the Big Bang, there was no time! Even the Bible (cf 2 Tim. 2:9; Titus 1:2) says that time began or had a beginning.

According to Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity space and time are interwoven and connected. It is said that at absolute zero no time exists and that after the so-called “heat death” of the cosmos that it will too. Also, that time began at the Big Bang and someday will cease to be. I do not claim to be a scientist but am well-read on the subject. This is a lay opinion and meant to be a philosophical/theological answer, not a scientistic one. I regard the Bible as the final arbiter of truth and rule of faith for the Christian.

I refer all questions to The Nature of Time and Space by Stephen Hawking. I did not intend to make a direct quote but what science has come to believe.: “Almost everyone now believes that the universe and time itself had a beginning at the Big Bang.” (Page 60).

In conclusion, God’s name is I AM with no predicate (I AM WHO I AM WHO I AM ….) God is whatever He needs or desires to be and is complete in Himself, self-contained, and self-existent. (cf. Acts 17:25).

Does God Exist, And If So, Have You Ever Seen Him?

 What evidence do you have that He doesn’t exist? Objections to Christian conduct or church history are not enough to debunk Christianity. Christians make mistakes and the church has learned from its mistakes. There are multitudinous arguments for the existence of God that are philosophical, scientific, historical, and literary. Books and volumes have been written and philosophers have dabbled in the subject including Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle who all believed in Him. I will not even attempt to go there because no one can prove His existence beyond a shadow of a doubt.

But no one can disprove God either. Philosophically you cannot prove a universal negative. It takes faith both ways and both believers and naysayers are people of faith. To place your faith in science is also faith. To say that you only believe what science can prove is foolish and cannot be proved as a valid option even scientifically because that itself is a truth claim and made in faith. No amount of evidence will convince a person to believe who doesn’t want to believe. There is no “smoking gun” evidence either way! So we must have faith.

The existence of God according to God (per the Bible) is self-evident and there’s enough evidence in nature to convince anyone but a fool. God says that no one has an excuse and will be judged according to the God they did know. The problem is not intellectual but in the heart of man that is stubborn and rebellious against God. The heart of the matter is that it’s a matter of the heart then!

Now whether I’ve seen Him. That’s why God sent Jesus to show us Himself. The Bible says no one has seen Him but to see Jesus is the same as seeing God. Jesus came to show us, God, in the flesh as His Son. He is the express image and likeness of God—His icon. All of the fulness of deity dwells in Christ. The disciples asked to see God and Jesus told they have seen Him because He is God. We believe in many things we don’t see but we see their effects: air, electricity, thoughts, love, etc.. People who are blind often “see” better than those who are not.

We have spiritual eyes and God can open them to see Jesus in the Bible on every page in every book in every theme through many of its characters. God opens our hearts to believe and helps us to see spiritually. I do not believe in the wind because I can see it but because I see its effects and what it’s doing. If I don’t look at the sun, I can still believe in it because I can see everything else. God is light and dwells in unapproachable light that no man is capable of beholding. We do not see light but its effect: colors. God is spirit and spirit is unseen. God is also love and love isn’t seen either but is felt and experienced. We can taste God with our emotions, for God challenges us: “Taste and see that the LORD is good.” You see, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Is It Logical To Believe In God? ...

Yes, the maxim goes: “Out of nothing, nothing comes”. Matter can't arise from pure nothingness, (as some who study quantum physics believe) and by the way, a vacuum is not “nothing” because it contains space) God created space too. The fact that something exists proves something must have always existed or be eternal; namely, God. Nothing, and that includes all matter, can create or cause itself. Everything that exists in the time-space continuum has a beginning and therefore a cause. And that’s because everything that begins to exist has a cause.

It all goes back to the First Cause that is responsible for everything. Even the creation (Big Bang) had a beginning and therefore a Beginner. The beginning of creation had design and purpose and was not chaos. Logos (logic) cannot arise from chaos and without Logos is no cosmos. This shows signs of ID or intelligent design from an Ultimate or Supreme MInd at work.

Pure energy would be nothing but chaos and isn't organized; it takes logic and design to make it useful energy (random to kinetic). That comes from a master Designer or Creator. When Carl Sagan said, “The cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be,” he forgot about ID or the intelligence in the cosmos as the missing ingredient necessary for creation. It seems like creation was pre-programmed with universal constants or the laws of nature.

NOTE: Logos means many things including law, order, design, purpose, expressed thought, and logic.

Nothing To Offer Christ

Christ offers salvation to the lowest bidder, not the one who thinks he's qualified but the one who humbly acknowledges he isn't.  Paul saw himself as the chief of sinners! We must realize that we cannot do enough to impress God or make ourselves worthy.  We cannot earn, deserve, nor pay back God but must realize salvation is a grace-transaction, not a works-transaction.  They say it is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and this is the best way to see it because religionists add merit to grace, works to faith, and the church or tradition to Christ.  We must also realize that Scripture alone is our rule of faith and final authority or arbiter of truth, not tradition or any church leader.   We must realize though that we can never be good enough, in fact, we can only realize how bad we are when we try to be good and trying to be good. 

When we realize we are saved by grace through faith we realize our works do not merit salvation.  We are not saved by any work, but we cannot be saved without them either for faith without works is dead and cannot save.  If we have no works, our faith is suspect and we certainly are not producing fruit as Jesus said we shall be known by our fruits. James said he could show his faith through his works (cf. James 2:18). Likewise, our works validate or authenticate our faith. As the Reformers taught: "We are saved by faith alone, but not be a faith that is alone!'  By definition, grace is getting what we don't deserve, but mercy is not getting what we do deserve; this means God would be perfectly just to condemn everyone to hell and save no one!  If God had to save us or was obliged by our deeds, it would be grace but justice. 

We are humbled when we see that even a great preacher like George Whitefield said, "There but for the grace of God go I, "after seeing a condemned man to the gallows. Paul had similar thoughts when he said, "I am what I am by the grace of God," (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10)  As Paul nearly wreaked havoc on the early church Christ chose him to be a light to the Gentiles. We come to the realization that all we have to offer Christ is brokenness and strife, a contrite heart of repentance as a sacrifice. 

We don't have to do anything to be saved; no pre-salvation work.  God opens our hearts and kindles or quickens faith within us, even making the unwilling willing and turning hearts of stone into hearts of flesh (cf. Ezek. 11:19). We when we realize Christ is the way it all is clear and we surrender ourselves to Him in faith.  That's the gist of it, exercising faith in some way: It differs for every individual; just because someone walked an aisle for instance to receive Christ doesn't mean that it's necessary or the only way.  There may be prefabricated prayers of salvation and the common one, the sinners' prayer  from Luke 18:13 ("God be merciful to me a sinner)") but none is perfect and certainly not the only valid one. For there can be no perfect, foolproof prayer to grant salvation for God sees the heart and reads the motives.  Then salvation would be by lipservice or going through the motions: religiosity. 

This is what I mean:  we need to know how bad we are to be saved, and we don't know how bad we are till we try to be good or repent of our badness!  In other words, we are never good enough to get saved but bad enough to need salvation! We all have a dark side, a side no one sees but God and we all have feet of clay or apparent flaws that are not visible or known by others. This means we are not basically or inherently good but bad or evil without Christ in our hearts. When we really see ourselves for who we are we realize the picture isn't pretty.   We are "dead in trespasses" and "by nature children of wrath," "sold under sin."  God needs to open our eyes to have faith (cf. Acts 26:18) and especially the eyes of our hearts to see Jesus (cf. Heb. 2:9) in the Bible, which testifies of Him (cf. John 5:39).  

When we realize what great sinners we are, we thank God that He is a great Savior! And we are humbled by grace to say, "Why me Lord," and "a wretch like me?" But thanks to the restraining power of the Spirit, we are not as bad as we can be; we are only as bad off as we can be in respect to our ability to save ourselves and therefore need a Savior. Recognizing that God doesn't grade on a curve and has concluded all slaves of sin and spiritually dead, we realize our need for grace for there could be no other way to qualify for salvation in our own right. 

In the final analysis, we must be willing to stand up for what we believe (cf. Jer. 9:3) in and that means confessing Christ as Lord or verbalizing our faith, not privatizing it.  "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so," (cf. Psalm 107:2).   "I  believed, therefore I spoke," (cf. 2 Cor. 4:13).  And if we don't stand firm in the faith we will not stand firm at all. (cf. Isaiah 7:3).  NB:   We have nothing to bring to Christ but the sacrifices of praise, thanksgiving, and of a contrite heart (cf. Heb. 13:15; Lev. 7:12; Psalm 51:17).   Soli Deo Gloria!