It Takes the Faith of the Bible

It Takes Faith

Summary:  The faith of the world vs. the faith of the Bible, is the faith the same?

Ephesians 2:8-9 – for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory.

We have been saved by the Grace of God.  We have not been saved through works, that is, we cannot earn salvation.  God by grace extends salvation through faith.

If salvation requires faith, then we certainly need to understand what faith is.

People use the term “Faith” all the time.  It is used in many different ways:

Blind Faith, Keep the Faith, Leap of Faith, the Faith, You Gotta Have Faith, Act of Faith, in Bad Faith, in Good Faith, to Break Faith, Article of Faith, Have Faith In, Faith that Can Move Mountains, Faith as a Mustard Seed, Faith Healer…?????

Do you have Faith Jordan will return?

Do you have Faith Jordan will return?

The Collins American Dictionary defines faith as follows:

“unquestioning belief that does not require proof or evidence”

While there are other definitions for this word, it is my belief that this is largely how society uses the term faith.

Here are a few examples of the type of Faith the Collins Dictionary Defines:

I have Faith Michael Jordan is going to return to play in the NBA.

I have Faith that Obama has the best interest of the United States at heart.

I have Faith the world was created by the Big Bang.

I have Faith Elvis is Alive.

I have faith I am going to win the Lottery.

I have faith the Cleveland Browns are going to win the Superbowl this year. (The browns have never been to a Superbowl, the odds are 75/1)

Worldly Faith can even have a religious context:

My son Sterling once hurt his finger when he was young, he immediately prayed about it, looked at his finger and said… “hey!”

A personal friend of mine once had faith he could miraculously heal.

I suggest these examples of faith differ from the Biblical faith we see in scripture.  As a Christian, the most common verse I hear quoted in regard to Biblical Faith is Romans 10:17 – “For Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” This tells us there is an origination for our faith in God and it is His Word.  Many would conclude from this verse that faith cannot exist unless an individual is exposed to the Bible or His Words directly.  Consider Romans 1:18-20.  Starting in vs. 19 – “… that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.  For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”  If mankind can realize there is a God based on the things which God has created, then they can have faith.  But where is the Word?  John 1:1-3.  In this verse, we see that through creation man is presented the evident attributes of God through the Word.  Thus, in the Bible and creation, the Word is present and Faith can be gained.

At this point we can see the origin of faith within an individual, but let’s go back to the Collins Dictionary definition… “unquestioning belief that does not require proof or evidence”.

Is the belief the Bible speaks about unquestioning?  In our main text, Ephesians 2:8-9, the Ephesians were said to be saved through Faith.  Their salvation was freedom from the sins they had committed in their life and the freedom to know that future sins would also be washed away by Christ’s once and for all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10), if they continued in repentance (Revelation 2:5).  However, those who have faith can fall away.  Hebrews 6:4-6:6 speaks of those who had miraculous gifts (which only come to those who are obedient to God) and then fell away.  They clearly had belief, but evidently questioned it.  Paul warns the Christians in Hebrews 4:11 – “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”   Some will cry “Lord, Lord did we not…”, but in falling away they must have questioned their belief.  The apostles themselves, workers of the miraculous, viewers of the wonderous things Jesus did, had faltering faith.  Jesus referenced them in Matthew 14:31 – “Ye of Little faith” and they asked Jesus to increase their faith in Luke 17:5.  So can belief be questioned?  Absolutely, the Bible shows it can.  The secular definition of faith falls short.

At this point, it is important to look at the Bible definition of Faith.  It is found in Hebrews 11:1 – Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

To understand this further, look at the next two verses.

Hebrews 11:2-3 – For therein the elders had witness borne to them. By faith we understand that the worlds have been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen hath not been made out of things which appear.

These next two verses confirm what we stated about Romans 1.  Faith can come from creation.  Faith is being confident in the existence of God, heaven, the angels, the heavenly host, and God’s promises because of the evidence which has been given.  Where does Faith come from today? – The Word in the form of the Bible and creation.  The evidence is found there!  The evidence is our proof or proving of what the Bible says.  Thus, through the Bible we totally refute Collins Dictionary definition of faith.  Faith can be questioning and it absolutely involves evidence or proof.

The Bible reaffirms our conclusions about evidence in 2 Timothy 3:16-17:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.

It is unfortunate that the word “reproof” has been written in English as “reproof”.  It does not mean to correct; we already have correction in this verse.  The word is the same Greek word as evidence in Hebrews 11:1.  This verse tells us the Bible can make man complete – mature – through teaching, evidence, correction, and instruction in righteousness.

Biblical faith, comes from the Word, and is built on evidence which increases our faith.  This type of faith is not the same as worldly faith.  All of the examples of worldly faith that we started this article with do not have any evidence to support them.  There is no evidence that Michael Jordan will ever be a player in the NBA again.  There is no evidence the Cleveland Browns will win the superbowl this year… or ever….  My friend had no evidence he could miraculously heal and scripture actually refutes the claim that anyone can today.

The world today is full of people who believe many things as to whether or not there is a God or many gods, how everything came into existence, and whether or not there is an inspired book such as the Bible that can be believed.  People join great varieties of religions just to be disillusioned.  They become Christians with faith that is not certain of the Bible.  Many Christians even go there whole lives without reading the Bible.  The truth is, if you cannot believe in the Bible as the inspired, inerrant Word of God, you will struggle with the assurance of the hope of what we cannot see.  You will doubt God, you will doubt if He exists, you will doubt in the coming of Jesus, and you will doubt in heaven.  Until I truly sat down with the Bible, questioning, and searching, I was not convicted as a Christian should be.  I have strong faith because of the evidence the Bible provides.  My goal is to help folks see the evidence provided by the Word, so they can believe completely in the Bible, so they can be assured that God is real, his promises are real, and He has a plan for our life.

Before closing, there are some additional attributes of Faith that must be established.  Consider Romans 1:8:

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.”

Faith is visible.  How?  The Bible presents many covenants.  However, there are two major ones. The Law of Moses was established on Mt. Sinai.  It was given to the Israelites to bring them to Christ – Galatians 3:23-27. Upon the death of Christ, a new covenant came – the law of liberty.  The new covenant released the Jews from the Law of Moses, being fulfilled by Christ.  Thus, Galatians 2:15-16 establishes that man is not made innocent or given his freedom from sin by doing the works of the Law of Moses.  Paul is very specific in the book of Galatians that anyone who follows the Law of Moses was beholden to keep it all.  Unfortunately, the sins under that law could never be taken away (Hebrews 10:4).  What does this have to do with visible Faith?  Examine these two verses:

Romans 3:28 – We reckon therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

Romans 4:5 – But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.

In both of these verses, the context is doing the works of the Law of Moses.  The scripture is clear that faith in doing the works of the Law of Moses does not justify, or make innocent, the individual.  It is the individual who comes to Christ whose faith is seen as doing right.  Now, before examining the next verse, it needs to be pointed out that the previous verses are often explained by saying faith does not require doing what God commands.  That would be an interpretation out of context. James 2:17-26. This is how faith is visible.  Faith is visible in the works of obedience to the New Covenant.  One is justified when he puts on Christ, but once he has done so, he is beholden to the New Covenant.  In following the New Covenant, his faith is visible.

The final attribute of Faith I want to mention is seen in the following verses:

Romans 14:22-23 – The faith which thou hast, have thou to thyself before God. Happy is he that judgeth not himself in that which he approveth.  But he that doubteth is condemned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith; and whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

The context is weak faith.  The issue is eating meat when one’s conscience is not comfortable with it.  Why would this be?  Perhaps the meat had been sacrificed to idols. Perhaps the meat was something that was noted as unclean in the Law of Moses and after a life of avoiding the meat, a Jewish Christian could not bring himself to eat what God now said was clean.  Why could he not?  Because he had not heard and understood the Word of God such that he could eat knowing fully it was God’s will.  If the man could not eat with full confidence, then it would be sin.  The attribute to be drawn from this is Faith takes its direction from the Bible.  If you are not positive your actions are authorized by God, do not do them.  The simple verse for this understanding is Colossians 3:17 – “And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

It takes faith to be a Christian.  The faith of the Christian is a Biblical Faith; that is, it is based on a Bible definition and not the world’s.  Biblical Faith today comes from the Bible and creation.  Men may question their faith as it grows.  However, faith is built on evidence and with that we can learn to trust in the Bible and our God.  Faith is visible and accompanied by our obedient actions under the New Covenant of Christ.  If our actions are not from the Word, they are not actions of Faith and are sinful, actions against God.

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Truths from Irma

Reminders from the Storm

There are those events in our lives which become a catalyst to enhance spiritual truths we have known for years. It is not that we have forgotten the truths, but familiarity may have dimmed our appreciation of them. Let me share with you truths made more vivid as we dealt with the hurricane, Irma.

There are many truths we can learn remembering a storm such as Irma.

There are many truths we can learn remembering a storm such as Irma.

Irma reminds us that God is omnipotent. He is all powerful. All other forces are not worthy to be compared to His awesomeness. We were “powerless” in every way before His might. We hid in our shuttered houses. When daylight arrived, we left our houses to see the aftermath of His majesty. Perhaps the prophet Nahum said it best. “The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm” (Nah. 1:3).

Irma reminds us that God is omniscient. For days before the arrival of Irma, we saw meteorologists who were completely baffled as they sought to plot the course of the storm. Just thirty-six hours before the storm arrived, we were told to expect it to come directly over West Palm Beach. No mortal knew when Irma would turn northward. The evidence of this was seen in “spaghetti predictions” made by the most outstanding scientists using their computers. They knew almost nothing. God alone is the all-knowing One. Paul described God’s wisdom in relationship to human wisdom. “He taketh the wise in their own craftiness” (1 Cor. 3:19).

Irma reminds us that God is omnipresent. Our God was present during that Wednesday night prayer meeting before the storm arrived. He was there when we prayed for deliverance in whatever came. When we left, He was with us in our homes as the storm approached. He was there during the storm. He was there after the storm. His name says it all, “I AM.” He is the eternal, unchanging God. He promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5).

Irma reminds us that God is “omnipassionate.” I recognize that there is no such word as I just used, but His compassion and care is unending and immeasurable. He loves us. I will never forget what I saw during a lull between the raging rain bands. I opened the front door and stood in the breezeway. Four small birds flew from one place to another. How could I ever forget that if God takes care of every sparrow, then He would take care of me (Matt. 10:31)? Elizabeth Cheney so beautifully describe His love for us:

Said the robin to the sparrow,
“I should really like to know,
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so.”
Said the sparrow to the robin.
“Friend, I think that it must be,
They have no heavenly Father,
Such as cares for you and me.”

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Forlorn Sheep

A Terrible Parable

Once upon a time (not all that long ago), in a land far, far closer than many of us might think, there lived a family of forlorn sheep. There was the mommy and daddy sheep, along with their several precious little lambs. They all lived together out in the desert of sin. Life was hard out there. Times were tough. Good, nutritious, and spiritually fulfilling food was almost impossible to find as they sifted through the local religious landscape; but even then it was always avoided (even if they did manage to locate some) simply because they didn’t recognize it for what it truly was, and therefore feared partaking of it in their ignorance. The pure waters of life were never sought or consumed by our little sheep family either, for the same reason. Instead, they would occasionally drink from the poisoned, polluted, and powerless to truly refresh waters of man-made denominationalism, while their deadly and desperate drought of depression continued to deepen.

What is your flock of sheep feeding on? How are they led?

What is your flock of sheep feeding on? How are they led?

And then, there were the wolves… the always sly, sneaky, sinister and savage wolves, against who’s ripping teeth and ferocious fury our little sheep family was absolutely defenseless and pitifully powerless! Those savage wolves who struck at will, any time day or night, leaving behind nothing but the bloody carcasses and ripped-up remains of those they caught, killed, and feasted on; and the broken, maimed, and scarred existences, of those they tragically toyed with and slowly devoured from day to day, one debilitating bite at a time. Yes, life in the desert of sin was a relentlessly desperate, difficult, and ultimately deadly experience.

But then one day, off in the distance, the two adult sheep detected a strange sight. And so, they sheepishly decided to investigate. As they and their little family slowly drew closer, they discovered it was a flock of well-fed, well-watered, and deliriously happy, fulfilled and contented sheep. And why not? At their head, leading the way up the straight and narrow path and on to where there were even greener pastures and incredibly tranquil pools of quiet, sweet, still and fulfilling water, was their great and all-powerful Shepherd. His rod and His staff were always perfectly at the ready; ready to defend, protect, and rescue even the most helpless of His defenseless sheep. In fact, even as our little family of beleaguered, beaten down, and malnourished sheep approached the bigger flock of joyous and well-fed sheep families traveling together under the great Shepherd’s care and guidance, a huge, powerful, and terrifying pack of adult wolves all of the sudden exploded from out of the tall, lush green grass on the other side of the path where they had been hiding, just hoping the flock would come close enough for them to scatter, kill, and consume. But the entire flock just faithfully and confidently closed ranks and stood their ground, obeying the all-authoritative commands of the great Shepherd, as He sprang into action and soundly defeated and dispersed all the wolves without a single sheep life lost!

It was at that one, incredibly insightful and impressive instant, that the parents of our little sheep family realized that their becoming a part of this flock, under the guidance and protection of their invincibly great Shepherd, was the one and only way to ensure that their little family would live a long and happy, full and productive, truly fulfilled life. And so they came closer, learned what it would take to become His sheep, and were welcomed and washed by the Shepherd and immersed into His flock. And all was very, very well – at least for a little while…

But one day, as the little flock of families was being led by their great Shepherd up the straight and narrow path to higher ground and greener pastures, one of the parents of our original little sheep family – apparently having so soon forgotten how terribly powerful and tenacious the wolves in the valley of sin were without the protection afforded in the faithful flock by their great and fearless Shepherd – decided to stray a little bit from the old path, believing they had perhaps seen a few spears of still greener grass off in the distance, on the downhill side of the straight and narrow, only a slight bit closer to the valley of sin.

Taking their eyes off of the Chief Shepherd and taking for granted His invincible protection momentarily, they subtly began to disregard some of His perfectly heavenly provisions and instructions, and slowly but surely started breaking ranks and moving out and away from the flock of God, striking out on their own in a different direction and taking their little family with them in search of their ever-elusive greener grass and pasture fantasies…

Now, sure the Great Shepherd called out to them time and time again, pleading for them to return to Him and His flock… And sure, many members of His flock sought to call them back to the protection of His presence and His rod and staff as well… But all to no avail… They folded their fuzzy little ears over and closed them; increasingly snubbed their noses at their loving and pleading brethren; and foolishly and fatally turned their backs on His flock and departed. All of this, while the voracious and well-hidden-in-the-grass-where-they-were-headed wolves, gleefully grinned and drooled, in total anticipation of the taste of the tender lamb chops and sheep steaks that were to soon be delivered right to their grass-enshrouded den door.

Later on towards evening, as the sun set and the Shepherd’s faithful and loving flock once again happened to pass by the place where the small sheep family had so tragically chosen to depart the divine protection of the invincible Shepherd and His mighty rod and staff, off in the distance, downhill towards a now newly and needlessly stained crimson patch of not so green anymore grass, they noticed the small, bloody, and tragically shredded and ripped apart remains, of the once vital and beloved family that had so recently fled the flock… and a pack of usually and typically terrifying, but now full, and fully contented and satisfied for the moment wolves, serenely laying around and licking their blood-stained lips and paws.

 

“He who has ears, let him hear what the parable says to the sheep in wolves country.”

 

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Buffet Christianity

Authentic Christianity is Not to Be Found in the Buffet

Many Americans think they love Chinese food.

If you were to ask them, “Do you like Chinese food?” they would likely reply, “You bet! I eat at the Chinese buffet all the time.”

Christianity and buffets should not resemble one another.

Christianity and buffets should not resemble one another.

Said buffets are to be found across the breadth and length of this country, and they are all surprisingly alike, with some variation on the quality and selection offered. These fine eating establishments offer a variety of culinary delights, most of which is anathema to sound dietary practices, but all of which is consumed with eager relish. From the popular General Tso’s Chicken, to the egg rolls, to the sushi and hibachi grill, to the pizza for the kids, to the crab rangoons… it seems like there’s always something for everyone.

However, the curious thing about most of the food found in Chinese Buffets is how little of it is actually Chinese. Some of it, one supposes, might be better described as being inspired by Chinese cooking, perhaps in a fashion similar to how some movies claim they are inspired by real life events… meaning they maybe kept the names.

As we start analyzing the various dishes, we will of course observe that there are, in most buffets things that are obviously not Chinese: the sushi (inspired by the Japanese), the pizza and the alfredo noodles (from the Italian), the salad bar,the multi-colored jello offerings. But even the dishes most might think are Chinese, aren’t. While there was a General Tso in China, its most likely he never consumed anything resembling the dish that now bears his name. The Chow Mein noodles? Invented in San Francisco. Egg rolls? They seemed to have been invented in New York City. The Mongolian Beef? Not really a Mongolian dish. Even the ubiquitous fortune cookies are an American invention.

But, the buffet does delight. And there is something for everyone. It’s just not authentically Chinese.

Many Americans likewise love Christianity.

If you were to ask them, “Are you a Christian,” they would reply, “You bet! I go to worship at such and such a church all the time.” All the time being a vague term which, depending on the person, might mean anywhere from a couple of times a year to several times a week.

It is worth noting that for many Americans, Christianity frequently seems to resemble the aforementioned Chinese buffet. There is something to please everyone. There are churches which will cater to your tastes, no matter what those tastes are. If you want an easy divorce, there are churches which will sanction it for you. If you want to get drunk on a Friday, there are churches which will tell you it’s alright. If you want loud explosive music filled with screaming guitars and heavy drums, or if you want soft, soulful music with a nice choir… somewhere there is a church that will provide what you want.

However, as with the buffet, what is all too often lost in all of this variety is authenticity. The religious experience offered might delight the senses, tickle ears, and get the adrenaline pumping; but chances are good that it has little to no relationship to that form of Christianity found in the pages of the New Testament.

This is not a new problem, nor strictly speaking, an American problem… but it is a problem.

We see this in the concern the apostle Paul had for the church in Corinth, when he feared that the devil would lead them away from the purity and simplicity of Christ and His gospel (2 Corinthians 11:1-4). We are warned of the danger of departing from the purity of the Gospel, being told that to change the Gospel is to make it not the Gospel, and that the one who adds to it in his teaching will be accursed (Galatians 1:6-9). The Scriptures warn us that the one who runs ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have a true relationship with God (2 John 9). And Jesus Himself reminded His listeners that,“teaching as doctrine the commands of men,” made their religion, and their worship, vain in the sight of God, revealing hearts that were not in tune with what God wanted (Matthew 15:8-9).

True Christianity is not to be found in the buffet. It is to be found in that form of doctrine taught in the New Testament. Men who are authentically seeking the authentic Christ should not be satisfied with men who tell them what they want to hear, but should continue to look until they find those teachers that point to the Bible, and the Bible, alone for their worship, doctrines and practices.

 

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Loneliness

Go Visit Someone Today

There is a word that is chilling to our culture today; that word is “alienated.”  The word “alienate” means to cause to withdraw or isolate.  To be alienated is to be alone.  Loneliness is one of the greatest fears that we have.  It has driven some to insanity, and caused others to end their lives.  It is the father of despair and hopelessness.  What causes alienation?

Combat loneliness! Reach out to someone!

Combat loneliness! Reach out to someone!

Alienation is the result of failing to treat others with respect by acting upon our selfish desires (James 1:14-15).  Selfishness displays no true concern for others.  That lack of concern works in two ways.  First, others will observe it and seek to insulate themselves against it by not associating with us.  They will not want to be used as mere tools for our satisfaction.  Such reduces people to being objects instead of a persons.Second, those showing no concern for others will also cease associating with anyone who is not interested in satisfying their selfish desires.  They mistakenly believe that it is the satisfaction of their desires that affirms their value as persons.They assume that anyone who does not satisfy them shows no concern for them.  They will only see people who are treating them as objects instead of persons.

How important is it, then, that 1) we do not identify ourselves with our own desires, and 2) that we have enough respect for others to include them in our lives even when they behave selfishly?  The Bible teaches us true respect for others by letting us know that we are 1) persons created in God’s image (Gen.1:27), and 2) worth the life of God’s Son, Jesus (John 6:51).  When we identify with Him, we won’t identify with our desires (Galatians 2:20).  We will also submit ourselves to God to be used in unselfish service for others (Romans 6:17-19).  So, go visit someone today and affirm both your value and theirs.  God bless you, and I love you.

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