We Are Anchored
As Much By People
As We Are By Faith
And That Can Be A Problem
We usually think of faith as a problem for non-believers and that is true but it’s also a problem for believers. Let me explain.
Faith and Christianity are almost synonymous.
- You can’t become a Christian without faith.
- You can’t live like a Christian without faith.
The Bible makes very clear statements to drive those points home:
For by grace are you saved through faith. (Epheisans 2:8)
We walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)
And the book of Hebrews confirms:
Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)
Christians know this. Living by faith is their mantra. We wear it on tee shirts, broadcast it on bumper stickers and declare it verbally and endlessly for anyone close enough to hear.
All of that is understood.
Christianity’s most notable quality is faith and those who have it can’t stop talking about it. It’s a good thing but it’s also a problem not because we don’t have it but because we do.
What Are We Talking About
First, a brief explanation of faith. Faith involves three things: mindset, focus and manner.
What it means to have faith is simple. The word means trust, confidence, assurance in something unseen or not yet proven. The dictionary puts it simply:
Confident or unquestioning belief in the truth, value or trustworthiness of a person, idea or thing.
The first part of that definition gives us the mindset: trust, confidence, assurance.
The second part features the focus: person, idea or thing. Having faith is one thing. Place your faith in the right person, idea or thing is equally important.
Believing in the wrong idea will not make the idea right no matter how strongly you believe.
Faith is important but it cannot and does not stand alone. It will always have a target and if the target is wrong, the faith will do you little good.
But if the object of your faith correct, it will be followed by an appropriate manner. That is, you’ll act accordingly. If I believe I will lose credibility if I don’t pay my bills, that belief will effect how I manage my money.
So faith is three things:
- Unsubstantiated confidence
- Placed in the appropriate object
- Followed by sincere actions
Why is that a problem for Christians?
Faith Is Blind
A fundamental truth about faith is we can’t prove what we believe. Christians are convinced that what they believe is true and they work hard making arguments to convince others but in the end, there is no absolute proof.
And that’s the way it should be. That’s how faith works.
But that’s a problem because Christians are commanded to defend the faith (1 Pet. 3:15, Jude 1:3). There’s even a name for that particular area of study, apologetics. But along with the fact that we can never prove what we believe, it is also true that:
- The Christian community is notoriously divided on what is and what isn’t truth.
It’s not talked about a lot but even Christians entertain many differences of opinions.
One Christian believes you can lose you salvation and another doesn’t. That’s a fairly big issue. It deserves attention but the discussion is usually had only among believers which raises an interesting observation and question.
If Christians can’t prove an idea sufficiently to each other, and they already believe, how can we expect to prove these ideas to non-believers.
It’s great that we make efforts to bring rational undergirding to the ideas we accept by faith but in the end those efforts will never produce absolute proof.
The fact is what any person believes by faith is never going to be accepted as absolute truth by everyone else. Some maybe but not all. Not even all Christians will accept what you believe by faith.
If you say you believe something and you believe it strongly, you should expect push-back. You don’t have to force the issue. Defensive isn’t an appropriate response. There’s no insult or shame here.
Faith Can Be Isolating In The Wrong Way
Humans are social beings. We like spending time with others and, in fact, we need others in our lives. People are anchored by people as much as they are by faith.
But we are particular. Not just any people will do.
We long to spend time with people who agree with us. People of faith tend to gravitate toward people of faith and they’re even particular about which faith.
Like people, not just any faith will do.
Christians are drawn to Christians. Muslims are drawn to Muslims. Atheists hang out with atheists.
We could break that down even further by sub groups. There are some 35,000 versions of Christianity alone. No, I’m not going to explore that topic now.
But an observation is fair.
What that means is the more defined our faith is the more isolating it becomes, and the isolation occurs on two levels.
Christians isolate from each other (hence the many different denominations and the many variations within each denomination).
And believers isolate from non-believers.
Isolation, division and separation are not legitimate goals. Jesus actually prayed for unity among believers but it might be a good thing that they are unified right now.
If one language created problems at the Tower of Babel, then one set of ideas among Christians, all rooted in faith, may be just as problematic today. When Christians agree on a set of ideas (none of which can be proven absolutely and some of which may be wrong), they tend to dominate. Once they get the upper hand, they take over.
History provides evidence of this very thing. Catholics dominated and terrorized communities for centuries and the European religious wars following the reformation were focused on which group would gain control next.
Instead of evangelizing the lost, Christians aim to control them politically.
We see that happening now and it’s a little scary.
Be careful about the people to whom you anchor your life. Not just anyone will do.
Admittedly, though, it’s also scary when Christians get to close to a world that is sinful but that is what we’re called to do. We are to preach the Gospel, not politics or moralisms, to every creature.
Taking isolation to an extreme is counterproductive. Preaching the Gospel from an isolated position is more like throwing rocks. Get close and you’ll have a better chance at succeeding. You may “get some on you” but that makes you human, not heretical.
Faith Can Be Confusing
There are actually two reasons motivating faith: eternal and temporal.
One motivation, eternal, is aimed at the after life. Where will I go when I die and for many in the faith community, that question is settled immediately once a person places their faith in Christ for salvation.
Others, however, believe the question is never settled, meaning each individual must revisit the idea daily, moment by moment, to be sure they are still in the right place.
That’s why Catholics go to confession and do penance. That’s why they have last rights. Their faith system doesn’t allow for certainty in the matter of eternal destiny.
Other denominations do this also but in a different way. They preach moralisms from the pulpit punctuated with the threat of hell should parishioners not comply. In other words, they teach members that if they have salvation now, it can be lost if they fail to live by the rules taught by the denominational heads.
The second motivation of faith, temporal, focuses on the here and now and how to improve one’s life experience, how to make things better and avoid the pitfalls that effect the quality of one’s life.
Temporal faith answers questions about how to be successful, how to improve, how to grow, how to be a better person, and so on. It isn’t focused on the next life. It is focused on this life.
Done properly, temporal faith, enables us to be an encouragement to others, not a threat.
It draws people in. It attracts those who wish to do better and in the process, opens the door for evangelizing the lost.
The interesting truth is temporal faith works for anyone. Any person who exercises the principles of temporal faith will experience the temporal benefits even if they haven’t settled the question of eternal faith.
Many Christians don’t believe this but look around. You find non-believing individuals of all ilks who live by the principles of temporal faith and experience the associated benefits.
The kicker is some of the temporal rules established by religion add nothing to the individual and are usually done in a self-centered way, not to help others or be an example of stable living, but to avoid going to hell.
That’s why Vince Lombardi went to mass every morning. That’s why the Amish all wear the same style clothing and allow no modern conveniences in their homes. That’s why Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to accept blood transfusions.
I could go on. The list is endless.
And after a while it becomes horribly confusing. Who is right? What is right? It’s the reason a large number of people avoid organized religion.
Don’t be confused. It’s really quite simple.
Exercising eternal faith takes only a moment in time and needs no monitoring or adjustments afterward. Once done, it is done.
The other kind of faith, temporal, is for the here and now. Temporal faith determines how I engage life on a day to day basis and will need adjustments as we go. When temporal faith is in order, life is more effective.
With temporal faith, we will make mistakes and that can make us insecure.
The warnings associated with temporal faith, which can vary widely depending on who’s teaching, can make us feel insecure. For some, faith is never just faith. It’s never final. But not to worry. Your faith is personal. You need no experts to qualify it.
Faith in Jesus results in salvation. It’s just that simple but the do’s and don’ts associated with faith, the temporal version, are so restrictive that people often feel insecure about it.
Did I really believe? Must I redo my faith? Can I redo it?
Does Jesus still accept me?
Have I been good enough since?
If I don’t obey all the rules, will I lose it?
The insecurities make life after faith more difficult than life before.
But that’s not how faith works. Faith is liberating. It opens doors and creates opportunities.
Once your eternal faith is settled, your temporal faith becomes an adventure. You will make mistakes. You will take a few wrong turns. You will get things wrong occasionally. It’s possible you could go off the rails completely.
You might not obey all the religious rules but Jesus made a promise for every person who is sincerely trying:
I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrew 13:5)
And the next verse says quite clearly:
The Lord is my helper. I will not fear what man can do to me. (Hebrews 13:5)
So, don’t be confused. Maintain a sincere attitude. Try to do your best. Analyze the effects and make adjustments accordingly.
By that rule, you won’t go wrong.
THINK!AboutIt
Leave a Reply