Faith: What’s It All About Anyway?

We hear a lot about faith these days, especially statements like “You gotta have faith.” Sounds good, especially in times of uncertainty. And we have many of those times, don’t we? But faith in what?

 

Answers to that question run the gamut. There are those who rely on “the universe,” the idea that unseen forces are at work to make things happen as they should. A corollary to this is faith in fate, that everything is predestined – some prefer the terms serendipity, kismet, or even karma. 

 

We could take our pick of myriad religions, various forms of rituals, practices and faith traditions. Then there are some who simply have faith in faith, a nebulous notion that somehow things manage to work themselves out spontaneously.

 

Some folks don’t think about faith much at all, even though each day of our lives amounts to an ongoing act of faith. We make plans for the coming day, trusting we’ll awaken after the sun rises. We board airplanes trusting in the skill and experience of the crew as well as the soundness of the aircraft. We go to work and carry out our responsibilities, confident we’ll be compensated for our time and effort. We step into our cars and drive down the road, believing other drivers will stay in their own lanes and yield the right of way.

 

Each of the above, whether we admit it or not, is a step of faith. Because sometimes folks go to bed and fail to wake up the next morning. We’ve all shuddered at tragic news of commercial jets crashing. There have been instances of businesses and companies closing their doors unannounced, leaving employees without jobs and paychecks. And traffic accidents occur every day when drivers disregard traffic lights or stop signs. (That happened to me weeks ago, resulting in terminal damage to my 14-year-old sedan.)

 

So, what is faith, anyway? Regardless of which belief system you follow, it can be boiled down to a simple equation:

      Faith = Belief + Trust (or Commitment)

 

We believe certain things to be true and then we act upon those beliefs, whether it’s believing a chair will hold us up and then sitting on it; believing an intended spouse truly loves us and then proceeding to get married, or whatever. Those who believe in astrology, tarot cards, or tea leaves consult those sources and then align their plans for the day accordingly.

 

However, belief and faith aren’t synonymous. Belief is merely mental assent unless we put it into action. It’s like believing a jet can take us from our city to another but refusing to get on board – because we’re too scared to do so. Someone might believe they could win the lottery, but without buying a ticket that belief isn’t worth a small handful of sand.

 

If you’ve been reading my posts for any length of time, you know my conviction is that there’s only one legitimate object of faith – Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Bible. This isn’t just a mental conclusion because there have been countless times I’ve believed what the Scriptures said and what Jesus promised, acted upon that in faith – belief plus trust – and had my faith confirmed.

 

Sometimes people bristle when they hear Jesus Christ’s pronouncement that “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). ‘How narrow-minded!’ some claim, or ‘I believe in a God who’s inclusive, who accepts people as they are, no matter what they believe. All that matters is that you’re sincere.’

 

With all due respect, many people have been very sincere when they tragically drove the wrong way on an interstate or continued on a road unaware that a bridge had washed out. We could cite many similar types of examples. Sincerely believing something doesn’t guarantee that it’s true.

 

I would contend that Jesus’ claim to being the one and only way isn’t narrow or exclusive at all. Because as John 1:12 tells us, “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” It says all who have believed (acted in faith). Similarly, Jesus declared, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). He said whoever – everyone who would believe and trust in Him.

 

The fact that Jesus claimed to be the only way to God isn’t bad news. It’s actually great news.  Because the holy, righteous Lord didn’t have to provide even one way. His love is demonstrated in that He indeed provided a way – the one way that satisfied not only His love, but also His divine judgment and justice. As we read in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made Him [Jesus Christ] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

 

Getting back to our original question, what do you have faith in? If we truly believe and trust what the Scriptures proclaim, trusting in anything other than Jesus is tantamount to sitting down on a two-legged chair, or trying to take a long trip on a motorcycle that’s missing one wheel. It won’t work.

The apostle Paul understood this. He might have been almost giddy when he wrote, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2). That’s the Gospel – the Good News! His faith was in Christ alone – and it’s wise that we do the same. 

We Can’t . . . But He Can!

Early in my journalistic career, while working as an assistant editor on a suburban newspaper, I was assigned responsibility for closing out the Saturday morning edition. I’d only been on the job for several weeks, but this new responsibility seemed to be going well. With layouts for the front and “jump” pages nearly complete, I was feeling pleased with myself.

Then I heard an alert from one of the wire service machines. Uh-oh! A major calamity had occurred in another state, involving a school bus and dozens of children. I couldn’t ignore this tragedy just because my page layouts were about finished. This breaking news needed to be in the paper.

Reluctantly I began revamping the layouts with only a short time before the presses were set to start. Delays cost money. I knew how to do page designs, but not under such tight deadline constraints. As the seconds ticked by, I frantically tried to make the necessary changes – essentially starting from scratch. Panic started to pervade my thinking. “What should I do?!”

Then the “cavalry” arrived, in the person of the managing editor. He had just “stopped by” to see how I was doing. I’m sure a single glance told him I wasn’t doing very well. But rather than berate me, he sat down beside me and started revamping the pages. Within a few minutes the layouts were done and passed along to the composing staff to assemble. Doom had been averted.

With potential disaster staring me in the eye, the senior editor had swooped in and saved the morning. He did what I could not.

Recalling this little episode has provided a metaphor for many moments in my life. Things seem to be going well when suddenly something drastic occurs that disrupts the calm. I attempt to respond, but nothing works. What do I do now?

Sometimes, as I’ve learned, the answer to that question is simple: Nothing. There’s not a thing within my human capabilities that can be done. There’s only one place to look for the answer, and that’s UP. At such times there’s nothing more pleasing to God than to hear us admit, “Lord, I can’t do this!” Because then He can demonstrate what He can do – and that He doesn’t need our help.

Jesus asserted this when He told His disciples, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). He wasn’t referring only to crises that exceed our capabilities. Jesus was talking about anything of eternal value. We can only accomplish those things through His power.

Later the apostle Paul, writing about how he could endure times of deprivation and struggle, as well as times of abundance and tranquility, said, “I can do everything through [Christ] who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). I could never recount all of the times I’ve experienced the same thing – when the seeming impossible became possible, but only through the Lord’s enabling power.

It might involve dealing with a devastating loss, addressing overwhelming personal challenges, or answering God’s call to do something well beyond our comfort zone. “I can’t do this, Lord!” we cry. His reply is, “I know. But I can do it – through you.”

The ultimate example, of course, involves our sinfulness that totally separated us from God. When the only standard is holiness, absolute righteousness, no amount of good deeds and intentions can offset our depravity. 

Reflecting on his recurring tendency for not doing what he wanted to do, and doing what he didn’t want to do, the apostle Paul wrote, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). Have you ever asked a question similar to this? I know I have. 

But then Paul added, “Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord…. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 7:25-8:2).

Writing to a different audience, believers in the city of Corinth, the apostle reaffirmed this truth: “God made [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Whether it’s confronting formidable challenges that seem beyond our capacity or acknowledging our inability to “clean up our act” to establish an everlasting relationship with God, the reality is actually very simple: We can’t – but He can!