Faith? What's that? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 1:27-28,

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you."

Paul's comment about the priority of striving for "the faith of the gospel" reminds me how faith is the key that unlocks for us all that God has for us, how important it is and how we must strive for it. Paul tells us, "For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'" Paul's perspective, as he quotes Habakkuk 2:4, is that the only way anyone has ever had to approach God ("from first to last") is through faith, old testament or new. Abraham was a man of faith and it was for his faith that God counted him righteous, "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." Genesis 15:6.

Our prospect for being heaven bound when we leave this life will be determined on whether we embrace Jesus Christ in faith while here. This makes faith a very important issue to understand. What exactly is faith? The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." Hebrews 11:1-2.

While this is a simple and straightforward definition of faith, many misconceptions abound. One is, "You just need to have faith!" A common statement that often has no reference to an object. True faith requires an object to embrace. Faith alone is not enough, faith in Jesus Christ is all that is needed to gain access to heaven with a right standing with God. "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Romans 10:9-10.

Another misconception is that faith somehow manifests that someone is spiritually superior to others, that he or she was able to attain to such a spiritual state as to have faith. Nothing could be further from the truth. In discussing how our "good works" cannot bring us into God's favor, Paul says, "If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.' Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness." Romans 4:2-5. Faith is not a "work" nor is it something that causes God to be indebted to us. Faith does not make us morally superior nor does it require compensation from God. All people have the capacity for faith and all have been given their own wills to exercise their potential for faith. The issue of faith is that God has chosen for himself all who will choose him. This is what the Scriptures speak of when it talks of God's "election". People choose him by embracing him in faith, trusting in him. It is something anyone can do - if they desire.

It is faith in Jesus Christ that brings us into God's family. How much faith? What does that kind of faith look like? James tells us that the kind of faith that brings us salvation is a faith that finds expression in the things we do, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds." James 2:17-18. When I cross the Poplar Street bridge in my commute to work over the Mississippi River, it is an act of faith on my part. My crossing expresses my faith in the bridge. If I claim to trust the bridge, and all other things being equal, but won't use it, my faith in the bridge would rightfully be questioned.

The fact that God welcomes us into his family on the basis of faith is said to be a gift, an expression of the grace of God. He does not require anything from us, but that we choose him and place our trust in him as we embrace him in faith. "Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all." Romans 4:16. How wonderful is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

 

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com