BLOG #9 — FAITH

When asked to give a definition of “FAITH” in his first Sunday school class, the little boy responded,

“Faith is believing in something that you know isn’t true!”

And, he’s not alone. For many, faith is wishful thinking for the gullible, choosing to believe in fantasies and fairy tales. But this is not the kind of faith described in the Bible, nor is it the faith expressed by hundreds of millions of Christ-followers around the world. This faith is not “gullibility” (believing in something with no evidence to support it), nor is it “certainty” (believing in something that can be proven by scientific verification). No, Christian faith falls under the category of “credibility,” that is, it is based upon “credible,” or “reasonable evidence.” And so, the Christian faith is a firm conviction based upon an accumulation of all of the credible evidence that is available.

The Bible actually defines FAITH as having a “conviction” about certain things that cannot be seen, and having the “assurance” of things that we hope for (Heb. 11:1-2). While the writer of Hebrews provides this clear definition of FAITH, he goes on to say that, “Without FAITH, it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11:6). And so, if you or I want to please God, then we must have FAITH. It is one of those “non-negotiables.” It is the foundation upon which one’s entire Christian life is built.

Historians can demonstrate, with reasonable certainty that a man named Jesus died on a Roman Cross in about AD 30. That’s not faith, but historical fact. At the same time, the Bible tells us that, “God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). In short, when He died on the cross, he died for our sins. Such a statement does not come by scientific verification, but by biblical revelation. So I must ask, “Is it reasonable to believe what the Bible says about Jesus’ death on the cross and the forgiveness of sins that resulted from that historical act?”

During the Last Supper, the night before He went to the cross, Jesus took the cup of wine and said, “This is the blood of the New Covenant shed for you for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt. 26:28, Lk. 22:20). Two of the gospel writers were present with Jesus in the upper room the night before He was crucified. They were eyewitnesses to His life and ministry, having walked with Him for over three years. They listened to Him speak, heal the sick, and raise the dead. They even recorded that they could find “no fault in Him.” They were not delusional, nor were they trying to deceive anyone when they wrote the historical accounts of Jesus, including the account of His resurrection following the crucifixion. History shows us that many people die for causes that they believe in, but I don’t know of anyone who would willingly die for something that they KNEW was a lie!

It is entirely “reasonable” to believe what the gospel writers wrote about Jesus’ words in the upper room, that His blood would be shed for the forgiveness of sins. We can now say that this is a biblical truth that comes to us from the eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry. In the end, they all died giving testimony to the world of what they had all heard and witnessed. Ultimately, we must believe in the trustworthiness of the gospel writers who recorded accurately what Jesus said in the Upper Room. Is this a reasonable “leap of faith?” I believe that it is, but it is still only a statement of belief.

Now let’s take one more step, and that is a huge one. This biblical truth must become personal. The Bible says that if anyone confesses their sins (just as the Prodigal Son did), God is faithful to His promise to forgive their sins and cleanse them from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:9). Forgiveness for and cleansing from all sin is not only a promise, but a spiritual reality. It results in freedom from condemnation and guilt, and marks the beginning of a new life. It’s about a soul emptied of junk through confession and then filled with the Spirit of God. It sounds so reasonable; it sounds so good. But then again, it requires a leap of faith. But keep in mind, it’s not a leap into the darkness, but into the light. It’s a leap that each one of us must take if we are going to have and experience forgiveness of sins and enjoy the riches of a “new” life. If you haven’t yet taken this “leap of faith,” why wait any longer? Go ahead and jump!