The assurance of faith…

 

These days it seems much easier to see the evil and hardness of heart in the world than it is to see the grand things that God is doing. The focus on bad news fits with media’s mantra of “It bleeds, it leads” while the good news often has Jesus Christ stamped all over it and is filed away.

For example, we watched a narrowly won football game and in the interview of a winning team member, that player gives glory to the Lord for his ability to play well. Then the program abruptly switches to a commercial.

Months ago, a group of missionaries were abducted by criminals. When they returned home, the news reported their rescue, but the mission board website told of a miraculous escape with a locked door left open and they simply walked out and went home. No rescue involved, but the media does not like mysterious events that point to ‘only God’ so the story became tainted.
This builds a distrust in the media, and it goes two ways. I’m not sure anyone would believe it if they did report the God-events that happen.

The Bible says there will be events that are currently unimaginable, even for those who know and love God, except that God has a way of cluing us in:

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9–10)

Revelations from God are difficult to describe for they are not based on presumption, or some inner, strong ‘I want’ but on the power of God to communicate by faith without visible evidence. It is a sense of knowing. Some will say, “God told me” but this has been used by those who presume, or are listening to a strong inner desire, so it is has become a suspect reason to dismiss those statements.

One NT definition of faith uses creation, along with understanding God’s acceptance of His people, as an example:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:1–3)

I just know that God created all things. I’ve read the evolution arguments and heard what is said, but in my heart, I just know the biblical account is true. I also know that God accepts me because of Christ and what He has done for me. Neither are visible in the sense of having a sensory proof, but faith just knows.

Without faith, all this seems ridiculous. No matter. The Bible also says:

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:14–16)

At times, my mind will get distracted by media, contrary reports, blah, blah, blah, but the mind of Christ is powerful. He keeps telling me to not listen to any feeble human attempts to describe the world, but pay attention to the powerful thoughts He gives, thoughts of faith that cover not only the personal problems that I struggle with, but the events in the world that seem so godless and filled with evil intent. Faith tells me that God remains sovereign, that He has a plan that will work out just as He desires. The news may report that ‘many have died’ but the language of the Lord says ‘much more are being saved’ whether I can see the evidence or not.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! (Romans 11:33)

PRAY: Faith in You has visible results, the main one being Your peace in my heart. I don’t know what You are doing in the world, nor my family, nor even in my own life at times. But I do know You are who You are — and You can be trusted. Your wisdom and knowledge are complete, total, and correspond to Your holiness, love, and plan for this world, and for my life. Unsearchable and inscrutable are big words, yet the little word ‘faith’ overcomes their power — because of You.

 

May Jesus be glorified…

God works in incredible ways. Yesterday I prayed long and often for a person in a far-away hospital receiving rare treatment that could be dangerous. This person is constantly on my mind and even as I tried to leave her in the hands of God, I wanted to know how she is managing, what is happening. I called, no answer. I emailed and texted; nothing. This has gone on for a few weeks.

My prayer yesterday was partly about my struggle to let “faith be the evidence of things not seen” rather than asking God to give me something I could see. Still, I could not get her out of my mind. Yet I also was surprised at some of the words that came out as I prayed. It was more Holy Spirit than me.

Still praying and still trying not to worry, the phone rang just after 3:00 p.m. I was shocked It was her. We talked for ninety minutes and she updated me, answered all my questions. The conversation left me stunned. Since then, I’ve felt odd, sort of like this:

And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, (Luke 5:4–9)

Peter didn’t expect a catch of fish so when it came in such abundance, he felt the weight of his unbelief and even asked Jesus to leave him because of his sin. This morning, still astonished at God moving to answer my prayer that was so mixed with wanting to trust Him and wanting evidence that He was hearing me. The call reminded me that He is faithful and I can have confidence that He is at work in other prayer requests for other people — but in this case my confidence wavered. He whispered, “You know you can trust me.”

I’ve seen again that God hears and answers prayer whether I can see what He is doing or not. Trust is not about proof but about the character of the One I am trusting.

Trust is not about the extremity of the problem either. It is about the love and power of God. It is also not about how I feel. Facts pull the faith train, not feelings nor even what I can see. I let the lack of communication (not normal for this person) and my concerns for her govern to the point of being anxious instead of patient with God — who is totally worthy of my trust.

This all means that the phone call was wonderful to receive and the length of the conversation was reassuring, yet this call was also a rebuke.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:1–3)

Faith is like that. I have no trouble believing that God created all things by a word, no matter how much ‘evidence’ is presented to the contrary. Yet I let my ignorance of a medical procedure and the absence of communication override what faith was trying to assure me. God is more powerful than my doubts but I wanted to see something rather than simply trust Him. He assured me with that phone call, but it didn’t build my faith. Instead, I feel as Peter did when he saw the catch of fish — guilty of unbelief. I do not deserve the goodness of God.

PRAY: Jesus, what can I say? Not ‘depart from me’ but stay close. I need you. So also does this one I prayed for and who called me. Grow in both of us a greater trust in You, one that refuses to let doubt or feelings or fears pull us into depression or the despair of not trusting You.

Can one plus one plus one equal one?

For years, theologians and the people in the pews have taught, debated, denied and struggled with the concept of the Trinity. How can there be One God yet three are called God? We come up with illustrations, like the three parts of an egg (inadequate in my mind), or H₂O being ice, water and steam (better). Another is that my husband is a father, a son and an uncle; the same person with three titles, but that isn’t quite it either.

The Bible does not get into a detailed explanation of how this works, it just declares it. The Hebrew people understood God is one. He revealed it to them; it was not something they came up with themselves. While they resisted God and His rule over them, they still let it be known that they were worshipers of the one true God. He is their Creator who gave them His Law, who led them and who eventually allowed them to be in bondage in Babylon. It was in this pagan place where they finally became so disgusted with idols and idolatry that they never dabbled in it again.

Their monotheism or belief in only one God stood out from all other societies. It was so strong that when Jesus came, they could not accept His claim to deity as anything but blasphemy and therefore crucified Him. But Jesus was not lying or insane. He was God in human flesh. Even though the New Testament church supported monotheism, God’s people understood more about God and found no other explanation of what He revealed to them except that He is three persons yet one God.

Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. (1 Corinthians 8:4–6)

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. (1 Timothy 2:5–6)

These verses and many others support the OT revelation of one God. While the Father and the Son are often the focus, the Holy Spirit is also included as the third person of this Triune being . . .

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4–6)

^^^^^^^^^^

Lord Jesus, I cannot explain even to my own mind the idea of three equaling one. However, knowing You is not about mere human logic and never has been. Instead, knowing You is by revelation. You reveal yourself to me as a triune God. When Jesus came into my living room and into my life, that was the first truth that was firmly placed in my understanding. By faith, I know it is true — Jesus is fully God. The evidence is in Your Word but without any explanation except this description of faith:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:1–3)

You have convinced me of that which I cannot see, just like You convinced the people of old. I know You created all things, regardless of anything that appears otherwise. I know that You are God, even though I cannot figure out how that works or makes sense. Faith makes sense, not because I can make sense of everything but because You have proven yourself worthy my total trust!

My problem goes deeper than my method

The theology course I’m currently studying is Hermeneutics, the science and art of interpreting Scripture. I like the topic, but in some ways find it frustrating.

Those who ‘specialize’ in this field seem to look for a cut and dried method, a list of principles that always works for all passages of the Bible. They want objectivity; we must distance ourselves and not bring presuppositions, human ideas and desires, and so on into interpretation. Yet despite all best efforts, those trying to formulate the rules continually find parts that don’t fit.

One issue is that those who reject the Bible as the Word of God call those parts ‘inconsistencies’ and use them to dismiss the rest of the Bible. This adds fuel to the search for a ‘cut and dried’ way of trying to explain every part, as if that will change the minds of all skeptics. In other words, some theologians seem bent on proving what we believe by making everything logical and tied up in a neat package.

However, God and faith never ask for perfect hermeneutical how-to lists. Faith is about God, not about how good my brain is at figuring out God. Actually, the deeper my relationship with God, the more I realize how puny I am at figuring Him out.

Instead, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen . . . By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” (Hebrews 11:1–3) By this definition and example, faith is trusting God concerning what I cannot see or understand. It means trusting Him in the fog of my finite mind.

Of course that mind does need a proper hermeneutic in the sense that I am apt to go off the rails because of bringing my own ideas, wants, worldview, baggage and so on into my study. If I am reading any book, I need to know what the words mean. I must consider the author, the culture, the historical data, the context and genre, and so on. However, after being as objective as possible, to get at what God is saying eventually boils down to relying on God to make sense of it.

After all, faith is assurance about what I cannot figure out. What God says and is doing usually does not make sense (at least at first), but I don’t need to human rationale to trust Him. Rather, I need grace to know Him, to trust Him, and to hear what He says.

Aside from that, it has been said that the parts of the Bible we don’t understand should not bother us, but the parts that we do understand. For me, it goes like this: the parts of the Bible that I don’t understand become less of a problem in light of the parts that I do understand. That is, what I know about God and what He says is enough to trust Him concerning the parts that don’t make sense.

Lots of it does make sense. For instance, the Apostle John wrote this: “Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” (Revelation 1:4–8)

I get it. Jesus died for me and is building His kingdom. He is coming back and the world will mourn over what was done to Him. Using a ‘proper hermeneutic’ theologians try to figure out what that second coming will look like, but I don’t need to know how and when, only that He says He will return. It will happen. I trust Him for that because He has already doing the first part where He loves me and sets me free from sin by His blood. Faith isn’t about how things happen, but about who makes them happen!

While a sound hermeneutic is needed, the danger is putting too much trust in how I do it. God has shown me that my problem isn’t with my interpretation rules, but with my foggy and finite brain. Sin ruined it. Jesus sets me free from that ruin by cleansing the crap and in that process, I gain ability to make sense of His Word. I am more concerned that my focus stays on getting rid of my junk, rather than on ‘properly’ understanding what I’m not yet ready to understand.