Faith…
It’s one of those words that means anything and everything to everyone. Now don’t get me wrong, just because people have different opinions about the word faith doesn’t mean that there is no fact of the matter or accurate definition.
Christian faith is not a blind leap in the dark in spite of the evidence. Rather, in general terms, faith is active trust in what you have good reason to believe is true.
The Act of Faith vs. The Object of Faith
In order to define this view of faith more precisely, it will be helpful to distinguish between the act of faith and the object of faith.
Faith derives its value not from the intensity of the believer but from the genuineness of the one she believes in. True faith is faith in the right object; faith in an unfaithful person is worthless or worse.–David Clark
Having faith that a hammock made of toilet paper will support my weight won’t do me any good no matter how sincerely I believe it! Thankfully, the object of Christian faith—the God of the Bible—is infinitely more trustworthy (cf. Deut. 7:9).
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. –Deut. 7:9
The object of a person’s faith is a critical part of the equation. However, sincere faith on the part of the believer is not enough.
The One Thing Everyone Needs To Know About Faith
It all boils down to this: Faith is only as good as the object in which it’s placed.
Trusting an improperly packed parachute is not going to end well–no matter how sincere someone might be or how this choice makes them feel.
Emotions alone are not a suitable foundation for faith because they are always changing. A culture in which feelings reign supreme is one at risk of leading people to trust objects never intended to bear that kind of weight.
The moral of the story? Investigate the objects of your faith carefully.
After all, questions of eternal life, if Jesus was really raised from the dead, and if God really has spoken are at least as significant as properly packed parachute.
If you found this post helpful, you would enjoy How to Respond to the “That’s Just Your Interpretation” Objection
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