faith thoughts

When are we most prone to believe? What causes faith? Indeed, what exactly does it mean to be a believer in the first place?

In one sense the answer to these questions is simple. To believe is to place our trust in Jesus, the one-and-only adequate Savior. To believe is to look outside of ourselves to another, One wearing sandals and declaring, “I am the way.” To have faith is to find our starting point in a transcendent reality which, according to Christian tradition, has become one of us.

To back up a little, the Bible tells us what, in our most honest moments, we already know about ourselves, that we have somehow violated our created purpose. When we speak of sin, therefore, we’re talking about being out of sorts spiritually, missing the goals set by our Creator, falling short of our true potential, being disconnected from the One who made us and desires our friendship. Indeed, so screwed are we that we actually delight in rejecting that which is best for us. In other words we rebel.

It is from this vantage point that human beings, needing rescue, sensing a greater purpose, and recognizing their personal incompleteness, foolishness, and inadequacy, turn to the living One. This movement is faith. Of course knowing exactly when faith is present and what elements of truth must be embraced in order to possess genuine faith is, well, it’s often a mystery. Let’s face it, we all stumble regularly. Even on our best days, our faith is fickle and inconsistent. Thus, whatever faith is, it had better include a incredible measure of grace. But isn’t that what it’s all about, grace?

We aren’t rescued by simply memorizing some formula (though some formulas may be useful). God does not save us by virtue of our well-constructed belief systems (though some of these are quite helpful). We don’t come into a relationship with our Maker through the display of an unwavering faith that is impervious to doubt and stupidity. No, as long as we live in this imperfect state, we’ll be drawn to folly and attracted to that which is contrary to our best interests.

So, what can and should we do? Well, faith says, “look outside of yourself. Cast your weaknesses on the One who is strong.” Faith, then, involves regularly admitting that you can’t make it on our own. Why is this okay? Because the One in whose image you were formed made you in such a way that you work best when you are connected to him. This, at least in part, is what it means to believe.

Of course Christians have long maintained that this faith is not merely belief in whatever tickles your fancy. Rather, it is genuine faith to the degree that it finds its resting place in the genuine object of faith. This “object” is in fact a person, and he has already lived and died among us. Indeed, he did this and more when he conquered death on our behalf. I freely admit that I’m not entirely sure what you need to know in order to know him, that is, to know Jesus. He is, after all, with us, and he promises to draw near to any who draw near to him. This, I assume, means that we have to be willing to say that we have a far from complete understanding of who’s "in" or who’s "out" when it comes to the issue of faith. Humility, in other words, along with a deep sense of hope in our gracious God, compels us to be careful in our assessments. That said, though, and as Christians who have at least a small measure of truth available to them, we should remain true to the traditions that have been passed down to us, which are preserved in Scripture.

Where should people turn for purpose and help and rescue and deliverance and healing and whatever else? Not to some guru, not to complicated religious strategies, not to some system of self salvation, not to idols, not to a “god” we make in our image, and certainly not to ourselves . . . but to Jesus, the compassionate and powerful, the lowly (yet) great One, the just-like-us and just-like-God Savior. If we do that, I’m sure that he can and will work out all of the details. “Come to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth.”