Faith
I'm starting a series of posts about basic Biblical
terminology, and how our understanding (or misunderstanding) of the meaning of
words leads to all sorts of confusion, including bad theology, and results in
mistreating ourselves and others. I'll start
with FAITH, because it's foundational and therefore should be understood before
attempting to deal with more advanced concepts.
Most people think FAITH is the equivalent of BELIEF, perhaps
with a religious connotation. Faith, in
the biblical sense, goes beyond belief.
People can believe any number of things, and some people have been known
to believe many things that contradict other beliefs they hold with equal
sincerity. When people are who hold two
contradictory beliefs are confronted with situations that implicate both of
them, they experience what psychologists refer to as "cognitive
dissonance", which is mental and emotional distress caused the brain
attempting to either resolve the contradiction or escape from the situation so
it doesn't have to face it at all. Any
sincere Christian who has struggled with issues of sexual orientation, gender
identity, or the ridiculous behavioral restrictions common to fundamentalist
sects will understand the devastating consequences of cognitive dissonance, and
those of us who have experienced such battles will attest to one fact: faith goes beyond mere belief, and it is
often the result of God's intervention at times when our beliefs are tested by
life's circumstances.
Belief is a mental state wherein you conditionally accept
the truth of a certain proposition, based on whatever standard of proof you
find sufficient at the time, and subject to revision based on further
evidence. Faith is an emotional and
spiritual state of conviction, beyond
a reasonable doubt, based on experience and evidence, that alters the
conscience and will not allow for inconsistent or contradictory behavior. One definition I've heard is that faith is
ACTION based on BELIEF and sustained by CONFIDENCE (A.B.C.). If you can convince yourself to act like
something is not true, then you don't have faith in that reality.
Take gravity, for example.
We're all convinced based on experience in the reality of gravity as a
force in the universe. We don't have to
understand it, or be able to articulate it.
But, from the time we learn to walk, we are incapable, in the absence of
mental impairment, of acting as though gravity is not a factor. We live, move, and have our being in a state
of total conviction that the law of gravity applies, and cannot bring ourselves
to act otherwise.
Abraham had faith, and God credited it to him as
righteousness. Abraham was ultimately so
convinced in the truth of God's promise that he was willing to sacrifice the
son of promise, knowing that God had said that he would have a multitude of
descendants through Isaac, so God would either prevent his death or raise him
from the dead to keep His word. Peter
was so convinced in Jesus' power over the natural world that he walked on water
at Jesus' command. He was so convinced
in Jesus' commission to the disciples (see Mark 16:17-18) that he healed the
sick, raised the dead, and cast out demons everywhere he went after
Pentecost. Peter was convinced based on
his experience with Jesus, and it is OUR experience of Jesus and His word that
causes faith to arise within us, developing our belief through trial and
testing into that kind of unshakable conviction that will not allow
inconsistent action.
As Christians we may believe many things about God, and
accept the truth of various doctrines based on scripture and man's reasoning
that may or may not be ultimately true.
Our faith, if we are truly His, is only in God Himself as revealed in
the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth.
We are not saved by our belief - we are saved by God's grace, operating
through the faith that He has provided and developed in us by revealing Himself
to us through His word and through His actions in our lives. We are utterly convinced of His love for us, and
that we are His. Therefore, we do not
fear death, and proceed through life trusting that He is at work in all our circumstances. Because we accept His teachings as ultimate
truth, we know that we will be judged by the same standard we apply to those
around us, and that if we do not forgive those who do us wrong, we will be held
to account for our own misdeeds. We work
for justice and peace, and care for the poor and needy, because He has
commanded it and will judge us according to our works. At least, that would be the case if we truly
had FAITH.....
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