Faith, Hope & Love
0 comments | Posted by Steven Layson on 17 Jun 2007 in From Steve's Study ::
A man fell off a cliff, but managed to grab a tree limb on the way down. The following conversation ensued:
“Is anyone up there?”
“I am here. I am the Lord. Do you believe me?”
“Yes, Lord, I believe. I really believe, but I can’t hang on much longer.”
“That’s all right, if you really believe you have nothing to worry about. I will save you. Just let go of the branch.”
A moment of pause, then: “Is anyone else up there?”
What is the place of faith nowadays? We are told constantly by our society that we should rely on facts, not faith. For this reason, many people dismiss Christianity, which is built on faith, as unworthy of consideration.
Despite this, it is impossible to live without faith. Whenever we sit down, we put faith in the chair, that it won’t collapse under us. Each time we step onto a bus, we place faith in the driver to keep us on the road. When we commit to a marriage relationship, we place our faith in our partner to be faithful. In each of these circumstances we do not blindly put faith in these things. We trust the chair because it has held us up before; we trust the driver because every other time our bus has arrived safely; we trust our spouse because we have got to know them for who they really are. Faith is not blind, but is based on facts.
The writer of Hebrews reminds us that “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Heb 11:1) The Christian faith, contrary to popular belief, is not a blind leap into the dark of irrationality, but merely an acceptance of facts and their impact on us.
Faith is more than just a set of beliefs held in a vacuum, it is a relationship with someone who has proved themselves trustworthy. Faith is acceptance of the hope that God offers, but it is based on the love he has demonstrated to us. Our faith would indeed be baseless if it wasn’t founded on the facts of God’s love, demonstrated through the death of his one and only Son, Jesus. We can “let go of the branch” because we know he can be trusted to catch us.
« Comforting the Hurting Where is Wisdom?»
Commenting has expired or Comments are turned off for this article.
