From time to time, someone is described as “a man (or woman) of faith.” That sounds nice, but occasionally I’m inclined to wonder, “Faith in what?” Because the world around us gives us so many options. For instance, there are numerous religions – the big, name-brand ones, as well as obscure ones seemingly invented by somebody that had nothing else to do. And even a cursory look at them shows they advocate very different precepts and dogmas.
Some people have faith in government, although I suspect their numbers are steadily declining for a variety of reasons. We can have faith in ourselves, but honestly, we know we’re not always as reliable or trustworthy – even for ourselves – as we’d like to think we are.
Having faith in family members and friends can present a similar dilemma. Since they’re imperfect human beings as we are, inevitably they’ll fail to keep commitments or live up to our expectations. That might not be their intent, but that’s reality.
Even atheists act upon a kind of faith multiple times every day. Driving down a two-lane road, we all must believe the oncoming car won’t suddenly veer into our path. If we didn’t trust other drivers to stay in their own lanes – with the awareness that on occasion some have not – we’d never leave the garage.
Boarding an airplane is an act of faith, trusting in the competence, skills and experience of the pilot and crew, the integrity of the aircraft’s design, and myriad other factors necessary for achieving a successful flight. Belief is looking at a commercial jet and saying, “Yes, I believe that if I got on, it could take me to New York City.” Faith requires acting upon that belief – by actually boarding the plane, sitting down, getting buckled in and fully expecting to arrive in the Big Apple on schedule.
I’m not discounting or disparaging faith. It’s important, and like the old American Express commercial used to say, we shouldn’t leave home without it. But as our pastor commented recently in starting a series of messages on genuine faith, it’s not about blind optimism or wishful thinking.
Christianity, of course, is rooted in faith. The Scriptures clearly assert, again and again, what – or rather, who – is the basis of our faith. The Bible’s declarations about faith begin in the book of Genesis and continue through its concluding book of Revelation. One entire New Testament chapter is focused exclusively on the subject of faith.
Hebrews 11 opens with the declaration, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Chew on that for a moment. I like the New King James translation of it even better: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Because in the physical world, things that we hope for lack substance until we’ve obtained then, and evidence that’s not seen wouldn’t hold up well in a court of law. But that’s exactly how the Scriptures describe genuine, life-transforming faith.
The remainder of Hebrew 11 is a parade of examples of people through the Scriptures who lived out their faith in extraordinary ways. The list starts with Abel, the son of Adam and Eve who was killed by his brother, Cain. Of Abel it says, “by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead” (verse 4).
Verse 6 tells us how important faith is to the Lord: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Everyday life gives us numerous opportunities to exercise our faith, realizing that despite our best efforts, much of what is transpiring around us is beyond our control.
Hebrews 11’s “hall of faith” cites numerous other individuals, including Enoch, who did not experience death; Noah, who labored many years to build an ark at God’s command, saving his family from the global flood; Joseph, Moses, Gideon, Samson, David, Samuel, and even a prostitute named Rahab.
Abraham is a classic example of faith, of whom it says, “when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8). It says he was rewarded for his obedience, being blessed with a son – Isaac – by his wife, Sarah, after they were well-advanced in years: “And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as murderous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore” (verse 12).
The existence of the nation of Israel today and the presence of Jews all around the world stand as proof that this promise to Abraham continues to be fulfilled.
This incredible chapter closes with the acknowledgement that the objects of faith are often long in coming, sometimes not even realized during one’s earthly life: “These were commended by the faith, yet none of them received what they had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:39-40).
At the same time, as we study the Scriptures, we find hundreds of instances when deep, unwavering faith in God was indeed rewarded. And these should serve as encouragement and inspiration for us all. As God declares in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” That sounds wonderful to me. How about you?
No comments:
Post a Comment