It might seem odd to talk about what something is not, as a way to explain it. But sometimes it can be enlightening to examine a subject from that point of view. It can help us come to new, fresh perspectives about a subject that we couldn’t see previously. So, that is the course I now take to discuss the importance, purpose, and role of faith in the lives of Christ followers. Although this is not an exhaustive list, it will certainly get us thinking more deeply about such an important element of our lives.
The Object of Faith Is Not an Outcome – It’s A Person
It is critical to understand that the primary focus of faith is not about arriving at some desirable condition, or even finding purpose in one’s life. Faith is trust. And that trust is in God himself. So, faith is the vehicle for living a life that is rooted and grounded in God. By faith we come to know and learn to walk with God in our daily lives. We are told in the book of Hebrews that “without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would draw near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6, ESV). Never forget that your faith is in God, in Him alone, and you will receive the reward that comes from seeking Him – His assuring and empowering presence!
Faith Is Not A Formula for Success
Faith is not a tool. We do not use faith like we would a combination lock or a problem-solving algorithm – we live it. If you have lived even a short number of years, you’ve probably discovered that life rarely, if ever, completely cooperates with our plans. Even the most meticulous efforts on our part can fail to result in what we ask for. We are regularly having to adjust our expectations and desires as we encounter reality.
These challenges to our faith are not meant to discourage us from continuing our pursuit of God’s direction or provision. They are meant to help us arrive at a genuine, battle-tested faith that will endure. When we begin our walk with the Lord, we generally start off with what some have called the “faith of propriety.” This is where we think that if we believe and do the right things, we will get what we want. It leaves us in control of how things turn out in our lives. It promises a better life filled with good things that make us happy. But it never delivers, though it may seem to for a while. It doesn’t work for one reason: we cannot keep our end of the bargain, no one can. Living in this kind of faith looks something like this: “If you want good kids, raise them according to Christian principles”, “If you want a good marriage, understand the biblical model of marriage and live it to the best of your ability”. Psychologist and author Larry Crabb calls this the “law of linearity”. It’s a quid-pro-quo arrangement with God. This law states that there is an A that leads to B. Figure out what A is, do it, and you’ll have the life you desire. Unfortunately, things rarely turn out this way. Reality does not accommodate our wishes. As we mature, we must abandon this kind of faith. It cannot sustain us in the rigors of life. We need the kind of faith that values God’s nearness over having our way. This takes you out of control, but it sets you free. Free to trust God for all the outcomes of your life. This is living in a relationship with God instead of adopting formulas for managing your own life.
Faith Is Not Mysterious
Faith is not an unsolvable puzzle, too obscure to understand. Actually, we experience it day in and day out. Basically, faith is simply reliance upon something or someone in both attitude and action. Sometimes it involves reliance upon God. At other times it may involve such things as people, machines, or laws. I have faith in my alarm clock. I trust that it will sound its alarm at the time I have set to start my day. And because I do, I’m free from worrying about waking up at the right time the next morning. If I did not have faith in my alarm clock, I would have trouble sleeping, wondering how I’m going to wake up on time. This is how faith works. And it affects my attitude (concern for how I will get up in the morning) and action (setting the alarm clock).
So, again, faith is reliance (trust/confidence) revealed in attitude and action. Attitude can be understood as the continuing posture we have in life. It’s our basic way of being in the world. And it is here – in our fundamental posture toward life – where genuine trust (faith) in God is conceived and expressed. It’s crucial that our view of the life we have in this world is informed by the values of God’s kingdom; love, mercy, goodness, humility, etc. For the kind of faith that pleases God does not exist in a moral vacuum. But is rooted in the nature of God himself.
For faith to be authentic and meaningful, it must include the element of hope. A good way to understand hope is found in the phrase ‘to confidently expect or anticipate something.’ If we go back to the illustration of the alarm clock, we can see that there is clearly a confident expectation (hope) that the clock will do its job. This is equally true of our faith in God. So, a proper understanding of God’s nature and power will provide the hope we need live a life of faith. And as we grow in our knowledge and experience of God, our confident expectations will permeate our thoughts, attitudes, and actions, and we will be able to say along with the writer of the book of Hebrews that, “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, ESV). And here, the apparent enigmatic nature of faith evolves into substantive and unshakeable certainty in the faithfulness of God.
Living by Faith Is Not Assurance Against Pain, Loss or Disappointment
There are some who promote the idea that your faith should be evaluated by the absence of difficulties in your life. But is this true? Is a pleasant, problem-free life really a sign that your faith is strong and effective? Does God promise us an easy life? Jesus told us that, “in this world you will have tribulation.” (John 16:33, ESV). Jesus’ life was filled with hardship, suffering, and turmoil. And no one would seriously assert that Jesus had little faith. Hebrews chapter 11 recounts the lives and exploits of Israel’s heroes of faith. Some of these champions of faith, “suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated.” And of these tragic figures it says, “of whom the world was not worthy…” (Hebrews 11:36-38, ESV).
We know that for these individuals the troubles and trials they faced did not mean they had little faith. Rather, their challenges were evidence of a vital, overcoming faith. Though God certainly does want us to ask Him for what we need, it will help us to remember that our faith is in God, that He is the focus of our faith. It’s more important to seek the Giver of gifts more than the gifts themselves. So, rather than evaluating your faith by how well things are going in your life, ask yourself where you are putting your trust. That is the right question to ask. And the answer to that question will give you the best assessment of the kind and quality of faith you possess.
Faith Is Not Passive
Faith is better considered a verb than a noun. Though it is proper to think of faith as something to have (noun), most often it should be thought of as something that empowers our actions (verb). When we mostly think of faith as an object, we run the risk of having faith in faith. This often leads to an inward focus that excludes much of the activity of our everyday lives. Faith is meant to be lived. The evidence of our faith is in the living we do. Our interactions with others, our expressions, and attitudes will demonstrate our faith. Since we have been transformed by the spirit of God, our life of faith should be on display as a testimony of the life-giving power of our God.
In chapter 2 of his New Testament letter, James addresses the subject of the difference between faith being thought of as an object and faith being demonstrated by our actions. In his message, James uses a common example from daily life to explain. He says that if someone you know is in need and you tell them that you will be praying for them (you have faith), but you did nothing to actually help them, what good is your faith? And then he says something that has a history of controversy. “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead.” (James 2:15-17) The controversy over this statement concerns the idea that James was advocating for salvation based on works, and not on faith. James emphasizes this idea again when he says that “faith apart from works is useless.” (James 2:20) However, if we look further and more deeply into the later part of chapter 2, we’ll see what James meant by these statements.
He uses the example of Abraham’s faith to explain his prior statements about works and faith, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works.” So, here we have the clarification needed to accurately understand James’ message. He is saying that faith is completed by works, not that works supplant faith. Faith, along with actions motivated by faith, is what real faith is comprised of. He is not promoting works as a means to justification. He is saying that authentic faith is characterized and made effectual by appropriate actions.
Faith is not absent of reason or knowledge
There is an old saying that ‘faith is blind.’ In one way that’s true. Faith does not require physical sight to trust or believe. As the apostle Paul said, “For we walk by faith not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7, ESV). Though faith is not dependent on what we see, it is dependent on what we know. We are exhorted to “… grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peer. 3:18, ESV). Knowledge, particularly the knowledge of God, is essential to a life lived by faith. Without the appropriate knowledge, we will live more by superstition than biblical faith.
Whenever the Bible talks about knowledge it always refers to it on the basis of interactive relationship. Today we make a distinction between “head” knowledge and “heart” knowledge. In the language of the scriptures no such distinction is made. Knowledge is always the knowing of something or someone through personal interaction. Today’s head knowledge is knowing about something or someone. Essentially, it is information. Though having information about something is helpful, it does not provide sufficient understanding to enable you to be competent in working with the subject of your knowledge. Let me give you an example of what I mean. If you had a brain tumor that needed surgery, you would probably look for a good brain surgeon to operate on the tumor. Now, let’s say there are two such surgeons in your town. The first went to a good medical school, has read every medical book ever written, and has attended every professional lecture ever given on brain surgery. And this physician is so smart that he has even memorized every known procedure to remove the tumor in your brain. But, he has never actually performed surgery on a person. The other surgeon available to you went to a traditional medical school where she studied the literature needed to be a doctor and surgeon, and has performed many practice surgeries on cadavers, worked with experienced surgeons on actual surgical procedures, and has completed more than 100 brain surgeries since her graduation from medical school. Now, which person would you want operating on you? Of course, you would select the one with the medical education and practical experience. Why? The first person knows a lot about surgery, the second person has an interactive knowledge of surgery that gives her competence that the other person does not have.
When our faith is based primarily on knowledge about God, instead of the knowledge that comes from experience and relationship, we are left with a faith that doesn’t have much impact on our daily lives. We tend to live in confusion and are easily derailed by circumstances and cultural influences that conflict with our limited knowledge of God and reality. So, having a vibrant, living faith requires real knowledge and the reasoning that attends it. Professor and author, Dallas Willard, has given us the following definition of knowledge: “The capacity to represent things as they are, and on an appropriate basis of thought and experience.” To have the capacity to represent God and his world as it is, we must know Him beyond mere ‘head knowledge.’ In looking at the nature of faith, we understand that there is a significant difference between professing to believe something and ACTUALLY believing it. True belief is when you are ready to act “as if” it was true. And this can only arise from knowledge of God. Reason is the God-given ability of human beings to see connections between things and to draw conclusions from that, with the aim of seeking the truth. But reason must have the correct starting point, or it will arrive at the wrong conclusions. As believers, we must have an accurate starting point concerning the nature and character of God. This necessitates our transformation by the renewing of our minds. A mind that is occupied by the truth of God’s Word will think correctly about God and reality. This mind is not governed by distorted or inadequate ideas and false images. With this mind, we will be able to prove (or test) the truth of God’s will, and this is when it becomes knowledge. (Romans 12:2).
So, in closing, my desire is that by highlighting what faith isn’t, your true faith in the person of Jesus Christ will be strengthened and evident in your life in ever-increasing measure.
