As we have discussed in our most recent blogs, faith is not to be built on feelings or “signs and wonders”. It is to be built on facts that need to be acted on.
The oldest and most profound acts of faith in the Bible are often misinterpreted. Many of these great acts of faith actually came after years of insecurity, drifting without direction, and sometimes at low tides of experiential faith or hope. It often took a specific need of quick, powerful faith to overcome huge challenges. Remember Samson who as one of the Jewish judges of that time had fallen into a lustful relationship with Delilah the unbelieving Philistine. She arranged for a servant to cut his hair while sleeping which had been the symbolic source of the strength God blessed him with. She then delivered him to his enemies who gouged out his eyes and imprisoned him. It seemed all was lost for Samson until the moment the Philistines took him to their temple to show off the conquered. At that point, the purpose of God was fulfilled when Samson was strengthened in a final show of strength from God where he destroyed the pillars that held up that temple and killed his enemies and himself in that final act. This was divine purpose.
There are many examples where we can see and begin to understand that God always has a plan for us and will see that plan through to the end. We don’t usually understand what God does, why He does it, or how He does it…yet we see various momentous acts of faith and obedience from sinful, weakened believers like Samson and wonder why God chose them to fulfill His will in time and space. It is obvious he often uses weakness to show His mighty power in this world…
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are… (1 Corinthians 1:26-28)
In the modern Christian church, there seems to be confusion and bad eschatology regarding what faith is or how it manifests itself. Like religious people of all times, we are tempted to compare ourselves with other people or what THEY say is right or wrong, or judge who is saved or unsaved. Humanity wants “black and white” views or answers, yet God often only gives us parables or patterns by which to live our lives…and each person is unique in how, when, or where God calls them or reveals Himself. It is usually not as black and white as we want it and thus many people (like me for a time) fall away from the faith.
Hebrews 11 is “the faith chapter” of the Bible and states “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain”, “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death”, “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household”, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going”, and “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised”.
When you read the full stories behind these characters, you realize they were far from perfect and had little understanding of what they were doing or why at the moment of obedience. It was only AFTER they had been faithful to God’s calling or voice that they saw and understood the reason for what they were doing. It was not that they were “great” men or women. God called them and caused them to be faithful to His purpose.
I am very comforted today by the renewed knowledge that we are not saved by our actions or works. Salvation comes from simply trusting in the good news that Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and is coming back to receive those who have placed their trust in Him. He is not coming back for “good people”. He is returning for us sinners who have put our hope, faith, and trust in His sacrifice for our sins.
Jesus himself said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him”. (John 6:63-66)
It is now very clear to me that while the Disciples were following Jesus for 3+ years on this earth, they never fully believed or understood “why” they were called or following him. It was revealed little by little to them over those years and it never fully hit their understanding until the resurrection and his ascension to Heaven that they witnessed. Their faith grew bit by bit even in their obvious blindness to what the purposes were to be. Finally, they became so convinced that they were willing to sacrifice their lives and die for the cause of Christ and not deny their faith in the face of imminent death. This long history by itself is indicative of what the walk of faith is about. It is not about what you can see and prove right now…it is about “the walk” of faith daily that reveals more and more of one’s purpose and calling in this life.
I ran from the call of faith for over 35 years, but even falling away from faith is often part of God’s mysterious plan (again, look at Samson). This brief life is meant to be an education and to prepare us to know God in His fullness…as He really is. That is the great reward at the end of the path of faith. That is our goal as Christians…not being “good” or even “helping other people”. Our goal is to know Christ and the “power of His resurrection”. Once we know that, we are then truly equipped to be obedient to our Lord and help others out of the abundance that we have received from Him. To try and serve or be “good enough” before knowing Him fully is futile and fatiguing…and basically will not work.
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7-11)
To achieve a mature and secure faith, one must be willing to sacrifice their self-centeredness in order to gain knowledge and spiritual understanding of the Almighty God. God doesn’t ask us to sacrifice something for nothing. When we relinquish holding on to our own ideas or thoughts, He replaces them with HIS ideas and thoughts. If we are constantly looking at ourselves, we will not see or be focused on God. My words mean nothing…His words mean everything. He wants us to understand that our righteousness is as filthy rags to Him. Only He can get us to a point in life where we are willing to submit to HIS power and righteousness…not by our own efforts. When we become full of His spirit and knowledge, we then live as resurrected beings saved by His power to keep us from harm and sin. We cannot do this on our own. Man cannot save himself.
Today we are quick to point out the lack of faith in others. We are quick to see the sin and failings in each other and ourselves. If we do not recognize and accept the free gift of God’s mercy and grace in sending Jesus as our example and way to the Father, we will always be stuck in this cycle of faith, waning faith, and finally no faith. We will continue living in the judgment of each other versus being free to share love and forgiveness as we experience it in our faith walk with Jesus.
These things might seem profound to some seekers, but I believe as we read God’s word as it is meant to be we will see how simple these truths really are. While much of this life of faith has very little black and white to fall back on, we can fall back on the “black and white” scriptures that reveal God through His Word, the Holy Bible. We don’t worship a book, but we worship a spiritual God as revealed to us by that book. It is our only hope to overcome sin. “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you”. (Psalm 119:11) Reason and rationality alone will not accomplish this. We apply faith to the FACTS of His Word. Only then will we have the right reasons and rationality controlling our lives in faith believing.
All of us are at different points on the scale of faith. Some are “babes” just starting out in Spiritual life. That’s how we all start at some point. Jesus said we must be “born again”, come “as a little child”, and start believing Him. Others have had the advantage of God’s call on their lives with lifelong exposure to these truths and yet occasionally struggle to feel or know what is true. Whether new or mature, it is a daily decision to feed our imperfect faiths with the truth of God’s Word. If we don’t, we can easily fall away and find ourselves living empty, worthless lives of “quiet desperation”.
“We urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation! (2 Corinthians 6:2). Those reading or hearing this message should heed His call and not put off the faith which is offered them. Choose to become “His child”, or if you are a prodigal son like I was, lay down your life at the feet of Jesus and return to your first love. This is the call and your reasonable response for all He has done for you. If you do so, feel free to message me the good news.