Biblical Faith

Beginning with this post and continuing over the next few posts, I hope to demonstrate that the roles of faith and reason are not mutually exclusive in the life of a believer but are both necessary for a full relationship with Jesus Christ. To begin, I would like to briefly discuss the topic of faith. I understand that books can and have been written on the subject of faith, but I want to touch on faith in the broader context of how it works with reason in our lives.

The word “faith” has had a negative connotation in recent years. Where it once was used to describe a positive characteristic of a person who had hope, it is now used in a derogatory way to mean that someone is not intelligent. To see evidence of this, all one has to do is turn on the television or browse social media. Bill Maher states in his movie Religulous,“ Faith means making a virtue out of not thinking. It’s nothing to brag about. And those who preach faith, and enable and elevate it, are intellectual slaveholders, keeping mankind in bondage to fantasy and nonsense that has spawned and justified so much lunacy and destruction.”^[1] Maher’s definition of faith is not correct and is his attempt at belittling those who are religious.

While he is poking fun at those who are religious, every person has faith in something. This could be as simple as faith that they will have a job tomorrow or that the plane they are flying in will not fall out of the sky. The point is that everyone has faith of some sort. What Maher is trying ot do is separate faith from reason. In the eyes of many, faith is separate from reason, with reason being intellect and faith being nonsensical wishes. As Christians, is faith separated from reason? Should reason be our primary guide in living the Christian life with faith playing a distant role?

What is Biblical Faith?

As in many undertakings, we must first define our terms. Dickinson, Gould, and Loftin provide a great definition of faith. They state, ”Christian faith is entrusting ourselves to Christ and venturing on the truth and reality of the Gospel. We place our faith in Christ as Savior and Lord. It is not merely the truth of the Gospel, and it is not merely the evidence and reasons constitutive of the knowledge of the Gospel, but we are literally entrusting ourselves to Christ and his Gospel.”^[2]

What also separates the Christian faith from other faiths is that the Christian faith helps Christians believe certain things about God, such as His omnipotence, love, and grace. Biblical faith also helps Christians relate to God because they trust in Him. Finally, Biblical faith elicits a response from Christians in living out what they believe.^[3] Hebrews 11:1 affirms this belief for the Christian by stating it is the“assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (English Standard Version). Throughout the Bible, God provides assurances to His people. Christians trust things they have not seen but have assurance because they have the Word of God, the Bible.

Examples of Biblical Faith

Some great examples of Biblical faith are found in the Old Testament. What makes these examples great is how each person trusted in God during their particular situation. These were men of God who had to have total faith in Him. Many Christians are familiar with the “Hall of Faith” presented in Hebrews 11. The author of Hebrews uses this chapter to tell of those who demonstrated faith in God and how He rewards those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:5).

Abraham

The story of Abraham is a familiar one to most Christians. In Genesis 12, the Lord tells Abram to leave his country to go to another that God will show him. Abram has faith in the Lord and leaves his country. In Genesis 15, the Lord promises a son to Abram, even though he is an older man. Time passed, and Abraham did have a son, Isaac. In perhaps the most outstanding display of faith in the Old Testament, the Lord tells Abraham to sacrifice his only son. Abraham and Isaac went up for the sacrifice, and Isaac asked, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” (Genesis 22:7). By this time, Abraham had seen what God would do in response to his faith. Abraham knew God through reason, and in one of the boldest statements of faith made, Abraham responded, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” (Genesis 22:8). Abraham had faith that God would provide a sacrifice instead of his son, and He did.

Enoch

Another man presented in Hebrews 11 is Enoch. Not as much is known about Enoch as is Abraham, but he is important, nonetheless. Hess states, “As the first biblical character to forgo death, Enoch had a unique relationship with God.”^[4] Enoch, in Hebrews 11, was also commended as having pleased God. (Hebrews 11:5). By continuously walking with God, Enoch was spared death. The book of Jude also gives an idea of why God so highly regarded Enoch. Jude 14 and 15 tell of Enoch prophesying and speaking of the Lord coming to pass judgment and convict the ungodly. By continuously walking with the Lord, Enoch learned about Him. Enoch’s trust that the Lord would judge those opposed to Him and Enoch’s walk with the Lord are great examples of Biblical faith and reason.

Noah

The story of Noah is another that is familiar to most Christians. Genesis six tells of a righteous man who was blameless in his generation and walked with God. When God told Noah He was going to send a flood to destroy the earth and to build an ark, Noah did. God promised Noah He would preserve Noah’s family, but Noah had to step out on faith and make the ark that God had instructed. Because Noah trusted in God and had faith in His promises, he and his family were spared. Once again, Hebrews 11 provides details of Noah’s faith. The author of Hebrews says of Noah, “being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household.” (Hebrews 11:7).

This ties in with Hebrews 1:1 in that Noah had the conviction of things not seen and had faith and trust in the Lord. One might ask where Noah’s reason came into play. I would venture it came into play as soon as God began telling Noah the instructions on how to build the ark. Noah reasoned that if God gave him the measurements and the instructions on how to build an ark, He would flood the earth just like He promised. These are only three examples in a long line of people who have had great faith in God over the centuries, but why should we worry about faith today? After all, if knowledge is power, as they say, shouldn't we focus on intellect and reason? I would say that although we do need intellect and reason in our Christian lives, faith provides three key benefits for us today.

Faith Connects Believers to Jesus

Because the object of trust for Christians is Jesus, it stands to reason that Christians would want to understand the object of their faith. This is, perhaps, the most important reason we need to have faith. Intellectual assent that Jesus is Lord is not enough. "You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!" (James 2:19). This verse emphasizes that mere belief in God's existence is not sufficient for genuine faith, since even demons acknowledge God and cower in fear. True faith must be accompanied by actions that reflect a transformed life, distinguishing it from the superficial belief that demons possess. I understand that not every Christian wants to dive into deep theological issues and studies, but they must still have some connection to the object in which they place their trust. One verse that illustrates this principle is Romans 10:14, which asks, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?” To believe in Jesus is to be connected to Him. To truly be connected to someone requires that we spend time with them. The basis of that connection is faith, and as our relationship deepens with Him, we see Jesus being faithful to us as well.

Faith Connects Believers to Each Other

“Belief, that sacred faculty which prompts the decisions of our will, and knits into harmonious working all the compacted energies of our being, is ours not for ourselves, but for humanity.”^[5] When believers put their faith and trust in the person of Jesus Christ, they enter the body of Christ. Each person in that body connects through the Holy Spirit. As Clifford points out, our belief, or faith, is not only for oneself but for humanity. “Then it helps to bind men together, and to strengthen and direct their common action.”^[6] Believers are strengthened by being together. Jesus states in Matthew 16:18 that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church. Because a unifying faith in Jesus Christ connects believers, they can stand together in unity and knowledge and fight against those opposed to Him.

We must understand that there are no "Lone Ranger Christians." We are designed for fellowship together and to be a part of a local church. A great pastor and friend of mine, Dr. Jeff Berger, wrote, "Wherever God’s people come together, they are God’s bridge between Heaven and Earth. They are the place where people can come, experience His love and grace, and be saved. Becoming a church member is making a commitment to God and to a group of people. It’s saying, 'This church can count on me to give my time, my gifts, my financial resources to help us reach our community.' The benefit you get is that you’re obeying the command of God, and you’re fulfilling your destiny as a living stone in God’s building."^[7] We must not neglect how our faith connects us to each other and our importance of being the Christ's Church.

Faith Provides Hope

Once again, turning back to Hebrews 11:1, faith is the assurance of things that are hoped for. In 1 Timothy 1:1, Jesus Himself is described as the Christian hope.^[8] It is in this hope that all Christians place their faith. Faith in Christ provides hope that the wicked will be punished and that those subjected to evil will be vindicated. When thinking about hope in the biblical sense, one should not think of what Jackson terms “so-called ‘prosaic’ or mundane cases of hope—for instance, my hope that the cashier at the grocery store has a nice day, that my distant cousin gets the job he wants, or that my picnic doesn’t get rained out.”^[9]

The type of hope most Christians express is known as profound hope. Profound hope is more life-changing and is concerned with things such as the hope of seeing a loved one healed. A believer’s hope is in Christ. Peter tells his readers in 1 Peter 1:13 to set their hope on that grace that will be brought at the revelation of Jesus Christ. The revelation of Jesus Christ leads to understanding. Faith connects believers and provides hope in Jesus Christ. As you reflect on these truths, consider how diligently engaging both your faith and your reason can transform your daily walk with Christ." Next time, we will look closer at the idea of reason and its role in the lives of Christians.