Is Christian faith a leap into the darkness? Is our belief simply a comforting thought? Is our faith merely an allusion? Is our faith a reaction of our emotional feelings?
Faith is a response to evidence, not simply emotions.
John wrote his Gospel in order that we can have evidence to know Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. Jn 20:30-31 says, ” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” God does not want us to base our faith on emotions. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:27). The Gospel of Luke was written “that you might have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:4).
Faith is a response to God’s commands, not personal feelings.
The concept of “faith” encompasses 1) our belief in Christ; 2) what we believe about Christ; 3) and how we practice Christianity. To neglect or pervert any one of these aspects is to chip away at the bedrock of faith. Jesus’ Great Commission is not simply a convincing message about the nature of Jesus, it is also a challenge to learn and practice a system of belief (Matthew 28:19-20). The Hall of Fame of the Faithful in Hebrews 11, were compelled to faithfulness to God’s commands. Jude exhorts us to “contend for the faith”.
What should I do?
Since faith comes from the Word, we should study the Word in order to build and fortify our faith. We must study the Word in order to maintain our adherence to God’s plan. What a blessing to have God’s Word!
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