Thoughts from The Bible – 03/04/20

Thoughts from the Bible

Thursday, 05 March 2020 08:59

by Terry Broome

Exhibiting Faith in Faithless Times
The Christian life is an experience of faith. Think about it. It commences in faith when a person believes in Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God and our Savior. It continues by faith as the Christian establishes a habit of yielding his life to God’s plan and building his life on the principles of God’s word. It should conclude with a faith grown strong and unshakable through testing in which God has proven Himself to be the Almighty God of the Bible.

But what is faith? How do you define it? When do you know you have it? What is it supposed to do for you? These are important questions that many Christians find difficult to answer. Some people have the idea expressed by the little boy in Sunday School who, when asked to tell what faith is, said, “It’s believing real hard in something you know isn’t true.” Then there are those who would say that faith is believing in something that can’t be proven true. However, those are definitions of foolishness, not faith.
Faith is confidence in someone or something that has been proven reliable. The more you know about a person’s character, the more reliable they have been, the more you will trust them. When our children began driving we limited where they could go and who could ride with them. They were required to call home before leaving one location and driving to another so we would know their whereabouts. Over time, they proved to be capable drivers, and we came to trust them more. Our faith in each one’s ability as a driver increased. And so it is with Biblical faith.

God never authored “blind” faith. Biblical faith is not “blind.” He gives us confidence grounded in reality. Faith in God is no different than what we’ve illustrated with driving. It rests upon the proven character and performance of God. It rests upon His Word, proven over time to be infallible. God is real! He is reliable! That is why we trust Him.

The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 1:16-20 (KJV) 16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 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:” This is reasoning from evidence that demands a verdict. The verdict is that God is, and that He rewards those who seek after Him (See Hebrews 11:1-6).

Our faith in God’s existence and His power is founded on evidences all around us in the creation. Our trust in Him is justified by the historical records of Bible Scriptures. Romans 10:17 (KJV) 17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The biographical accounts of the men and women of the Bible are preserved in Scripture for a reason. They give us role models whom we can admire, who create in us a desire to know God as they knew Him (Romans 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:6). On top of all this is the historical record of a resurrected Lord and Savior! Our faith is neither blind nor in vain!
The author can be reached for comments at 256-574-2489.