Faith

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen. It gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Through faith, the people in the days of old earned a good reputation. -Hebrews 11:1-2

Faith. One of Jesus’s favorite topics and something I think is often misused. In the evangelical community it is often ephemeral, fleeting, and more akin to hope. Faith is in the Bible, in the creation, and in doctrine, but it has little to no impact on your daily walk. The Bible is clear it means more:

• Faith is never talked about when discussing whether the Bible is true or not. Rather faith is something much deeper - believing that the God of the Bible is true and that He can act in your situation.
• Faith is always expressed as action. Journeying to see Jesus or yelling for him against his disciple’s orders. The model of everything written in Hebrews is, “By faith, ____ did _____”.
• Often the difficulty in the Evangelical community doesn’t come at whether God can but whether He wants to. The community echoes the leper saying “If you are willing, you can make me whole.” He knew God could, but he wasn’t sure if God was willing.
• This kind of belief can look weak, especially in cultures accustomed to displays of power accompanying their belief. Also, you don’t need a relationship with God for it to work, which is what I would consider the main flaw.
• The promises in the Bible are to be taken in context but are not for you personally unless God says they are.

In the Pentecostal community it’s seen as a way to get God to do your bidding. “I have faith so it must happen” is the general attitude. Promises are seen as binding no matter who they were given to or the context. There are a couple problems with this:

• We were never supposed to do miracles outside of relationship with God, but it’s clear in the scriptures this can happen. Such as with the 7 sons of Sceva or Matt 7:22-23 where Jesus says you can do miracles in His name but not enter heaven.
• There is an unhealthy focus on the external gifts of the Spirit verses the internal fruits of the Spirit. Gifts of the Spirit are taken as signs that you are approved by God, which is not consistent with the rest of scripture.
• Faith is 1 dimensional - in victory alone. The faith in difficult times - of Job or Hebrews 11:35-38 are discounted or seen as less than the faith of the powerful and victorious.
• This look on faith again, doesn’t need God.

When you read the Bible, it takes faith. You are reading something that looks nothing like your everyday life. The world has different rules - often times Jesus says something the complete opposite of what you know from your experiences. Lead by serving? Treat your enemies kindly? Forgiveness in a world that says never forget? Each of these is a choice - either your life and experiences are true or the Bible is true. Belief is choosing to believe the Bible over your circumstances, and faith is acting on that belief.

I believe faith was never meant to be a siloed experience; it is always meant to draw you into a relationship with God. Every time you see something in the Bible that you don’t see in your life, God is asking, “Do you want to do this with me?” It’s an invitation to a deeper level of relationship and understanding. When you read something in the Bible and the Spirit within you burns, it’s time for a personal change.

God, show me your ways. Help me walk in faith, and let me see every disconnect between my life and the Bible as an opportunity for growth.