Having trouble believing?

René Descartes had some trouble believing in things. “I think therefore I am,” he said. Which is why it’s so interesting that he supported the notion of the luminiferous ether.

Ether (well, either ether or æther) is a substance that Descartes believed filled all of outer space. He described it as invisible, weightless, and causing no friction or any other effect that would prove its being. The idea was embraced by Newton and every other scientist, until the late 19th century, when it was proven that it simply did not exist.

But even two decades after ether had been incontestably shown to be no more than a figment of the imagination, and four full years after Einstein had rejected the notion of ether, scientists like British physicist J.J. Thompson still insisted, “The ether is not a fantastic creation of the speculative philosopher; it is as essential to us as the air we breathe.”

Humans believe in the strangest things. We have never seen oxygen, but we have no problem believing that we can’t live without it. We don’t trust government officials as far as we can throw them, but we have no problem allowing them to put tons of chemicals which they deem safe into our drinking water. We don’t trust strangers to house sit for us, but we are comfortable trusting surgeons who want to cut us open while we sleep. Human beings have faith, but what does this mean for Christians?

Colossians 1:1–4 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints.

4 ASPECTS OF FAITH THAT WE MIGHT UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS AN INDISPENSABLE PART OF THE CHRISTIAN’S SALVATION

1. FAITH’S NATURE: WHAT IS IT?

The Bible defines faith this way in Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the assurance of things hoped for [unproven future realities], the conviction of things not seen [unproven present realities].”

In other words, faith is the firm confidence in something that has not yet been proven, whether present or future.

The Colossians had never seen Jesus. They didn’t experience his miraculous healings, his powerful preaching, his compassionate personality. They weren’t present at the sermon on the mount, they had no blind friends who were healed. They didn’t eat the freshly created bread with 5000. They had no firsthand experience of Jesus at all. All they had was the written report of eyewitnesses and the word of other people who had believed.

In that way, we are much like the Colossians.

 I have never seen Jesus. But I trust Jesus with my soul, my eternity. It is not necessary to see him believe in him for salvation. Seeing is not believing, believing is seeing.  2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. To be saved by Jesus you don’t need evidence, you don’t need a miracle, you don’t need a sign. You need faith.

2. FAITH’S SOURCE: WHERE DO YOU GET IT?

Colossians 1:3-4 We always thank God for the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus…

Paul recognizes the faith of the Colossians and him thanks... God. Why? Why thank God for their faith? Quite simply because God is the source of their faith. Not self, not evidence, not miracles, not upbringing, not a convincing argument. God himself is the source of their saving faith.

That truth is succinctly stated in Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God”

And Romans 10:17 tells us “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” The reason we preach Christ every chance we get and every place we can is because faith comes by hearing the word of Christ. No one is born a Christian. Every Christian was saved after they heard the truth from the Bible.

3. FAITH’S OBJECT: FAITH IN WHAT?

So what is the object of our faith? What is it that we have to have faith in?

“I believed I would be healed. I believed I would get that promotion. I believed I would get accepted to that college. And it didn’t happen.” But the Bible does not make promises about that. You can’t decide what you want to believe, what you want to have faith in, and then trust God to do it for you. You must know his will and ask according to it, and then trust that he will answer.

Faith in the wrong object is useless. Faith needs an object that will not disappoint.

Paul says in Colossians 1:3-4 We always thank God the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus…

Paul is impressed by their faith in Jesus Christ. This is the only true object of faith for salvation.  John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. There is no other name under heaven that brings salvation. Jesus is the only object of faith that will not disappoint.

4. FAITH’S ACCOMPLISHMENT: WHAT DOES IT DO?

Faith is what saves you: Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. But faith also produces results. James 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

It is possible to believe mere facts about Jesus, but not in a saving way. Intellectual knowledge of Christ, even recognition of his existence, does not make you a Christian. Faith without works is a dead faith. A true Christian cannot be changed into the likeness of the Savior. To believe in Jesus is to obey him.

1 John 2:3 And by this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments. Your faith is real when you repent of your sins. Your faith is real when it produces peace and love and hope.

CONCLUSION

If you don’t have this faith, then repent of your sins and ask God to give you the faith to believe in the death of his only and perfect Son for you. Then live your faith through obedience to Jesus’ commandments.

Author: Cripplegate