In Part 1 of this discussion (link), we discussed that faith is a 3 step process, using a chair to better understand it.
- Step 1: We must acknowledge that the chair exists
- Step 2: We must examine and see that the chair meets some qualifications we require to trust it
- Step 3: We prove that we trust the chair by sitting down in it.
The typical view of our Christian faith will often stop at Step 2. We believe God exists, we see that He’s worth trusting… and thus we declare we have faith. Yet without acting on that faith, we don’t truly have faith at all. With that broad goal in mind, let’s start looking at each of these steps.
Step One – Examine
Unlike the modern view that says “just have faith in something,” biblical faith is purely focused on God. Yet never has God asked anyone to take faith blindly.
- Adam and Eve walked with God and spoke with Him directly
- Their children had personal experience in seeing or hearing God, knowing there was indeed someone they were making sacrifices to
- Moses and Israel saw irrefutable proof of God’s existence
- Israel would often erect small monuments to remember how God had worked in their lives, reminding them that He was real
- The Disciples and many others witness Christ’s miracles
- The early church often saw signs and wonders that proved an apostle’s authority from God as He spoke truth to them from both the Old Testament and new teachings
We notice a dangerous pattern starting to form here – people only lived and acted after God proved Himself. Thus, we may think we can only believe God exists if He proves HImself to us.
That’s true, but also so very wrong.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)
God has shown He exists. We don’t need a miraculous sign from Him because, like the rich man and Lazarus, people won’t obey just because they’re given a supernatural nudge. This verse in Romans tells us that we can use basic logic and reasoning to conclude “Everything is here, everything is purposeful, therefore someone must have purposefully created it.”
Yet just like everyone from Adam and Eve through the early church, we aren’t left with the broad idea of “something mighty exists out there somewhere.” God has always been direct in His dealings with humanity. He is too loving, and too real, to demand blind faith.
As we trace Him throughout the Bible, we see that God has always had a means of giving direction to His people. In the beginning, He gave this quite directly, literally looking our early ancestors in the eye as He spoke. Then He moved on to speaking through prophets, giving them wondrous signs to prove that they represented God and carried His authority through their words.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Today, we don’t have prophets because they were imperfect and limited. We don’t have miraculous signs because we no longer need evidence that our source of truth is from God. Although not as sensational, God’s means of telling us who He is and what He desires comes from the immense, unshakeable foundation of the Bible.
Faith through reason
Although an unpopular concept in our culture, true biblical faith begins in our minds. Here’s how this first step breaks down:
- As we grow older, we start to see beyond ourselves and realize there’s more to the universe. We start to question things.
- We realize that everything had to come from somewhere. We recognize there is a mighty creator out there somewhere who made it all happen.
- God calls us to His truth. We understand that a God who made something so personal must be a personal being. Thus, we understand He made a way for us to know who He is and what He desires for us.
In other words, our faith begins by realizing that something out there must hold more authority than us. We experience some kind of ache or emptiness as we continue to recognize that there’s more to our purpose than “Wake up, work, sleep, eventually die.”
The God who created everything has given us more to go on than our emotions or intuition. He has made Himself knowable through the Bible. From there, we can start knowing this object of our faith on a more personal level.
This is why faith without the Bible just doesn’t make sense. The Bible isn’t a manual filled with “do this, don’t do that.” It’s literally our greatest way of knowing the God of the universe and the savior we hang our eternity on. It is unwavering truth that is far more reliable than our feelings. God’s word sets the course for our entire lives because our entire lives are centered around faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Taking the next step
Faith in God begins with our minds as we reason that He must exist, even if we can’t physically touch Him. Our minds continue to be convinced that not only must He exist, but that He can be known through the Bible.
However, right now all we’re doing is agreeing that He’s real. That’s not enough to base our lives on, is it? After all, Dr. Seuss existed and gave us books, yet we don’t go around dumping green food coloring on everything. So how do we go from “I know God exists” to “I will give up my life in love and service to Him”? How do we live lives different from those who believe God is real yet live like He’s not?
We must first realize that He’s not only real, but that He’s worth following. We’ll discuss why we believe that in our next article in this series.
This article is part of the series “65 Theology Questions People Will Ask You.” Click the link to read more articles like this one!
