Complete Faith

What is “true faith”? What does it look like to truly believe and not to doubt? If you were to drop a ball, I’m sure you would have total and complete faith that it will fall to the ground. You would not doubt. In fact, if things were to happen any differently; say if the ball were to float upward, suspend in mid air, or shoot off diagonally instead of falling straight to the floor, it would probably blow your mind. You may even need therapy after seeing something so incredible. But if you, or I, were to drop a ball, there is no doubt in our minds that it would do exactly what we think it would do. That is “true faith”. That is the kind of faith Jesus had while he walked this earth. He had absolutely no doubt that when he laid his hands on someone they would be healed, that when he wanted to walk on the water he wouldn’t sink, and when he called Lazarus forth from the grave that he would be raised from the dead. It says in John, chapter 11, verses 41 and 42:  

“So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 

The very next verse describes Jesus calling for Lazarus to “come out” from the tomb; a tomb in which he lay dead for four days! Even knowing this Jesus had absolutely no doubt that Lazarus would appear. In fact, when Jesus prayed aloud, he only did it for the benefit of the people around him, not for himself. So if you want to know what complete faith looks like, this is it. Jesus was as sure that Lazarus would walk out of the tomb, as you and I are that a ball dropped would fall to the floor. And I believe that it is this level of faith that we are to strive to achieve. One reason we believe that when we drop a ball it will fall to the floor is because we have complete faith in the law of gravity. We’ve seen it and experienced it since our first day on this earth. It has never changed, and never will change, unless God performs a miracle. Jesus has known from the beginning of time who the Father is and how he will respond to his prayers. I don’t know about you, but I want to hone my faith to a level that it is equal to, or even greater than, my belief in gravity.

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Faith is a learned behavior. Just like our faith in gravity is learned, our faith in our Lord is learned. The Bible teaches us that we build faith by reading his word. Romans reminds us that “faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God”. Faith is also learned through experience. When we experience God being true to his word, we have faith that he will do it again. So, we gain faith by reading God’s word and experiencing his faithfulness. Are you reading God’s word? Are you putting it into practice? That is how we gain faith. In fact, Jesus says that if we have faith and do not doubt, we can say to a mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. That is as impossible as saying to a man who has been dead for four days to “come out”, but Jesus had enough faith to believe in both.

Reverence Revealed

I’m a fairly big NFL football fan. I love the Detroit Lions, even though they rarely make it to the playoffs. And even if they do, they are usually eliminated right away. But as much as I like the Lions, there are tons of fans who like them even more. They will buy season tickets, go to the game wearing blue and silver face paint, and will proudly display Detroit Lions gear on flags, furniture, clothing and bumper stickers. If you encounter fans like these, you will have no doubt as to where their allegiance lies. There is no question which team they love. Why do I bring this up? Because although believers don’t have to wear clothes emblazoned with the name of Jesus, or display Christian bumper stickers covering the back of their car, the world should clearly be able to see where our allegiance lies when it comes to ours faith in Christ. Proverbs, chapter 14, verse 2 puts it this way:

“He whose walk is upright fears the Lord, but he whose ways are devious despises him.”

Our fear, or reverence, for the Lord inevitably comes out in the way we live, or as Proverbs puts it, the way we walk. So if you reverence God, it should be just as evident as if you don’t. Do you know of anyone who would vehemently argue that they are a Christian, but their actions, words and lifestyle reflect something different? I’ve watched movies where drug lords who secretly kill, run sex trafficking rings, and bribe officials would in public, give money to the poor and support charitable foundations. Inevitably they are exposed, but I have to believe that their heart has already done that work among those who really know them. Likewise, our allegiance is clear to those who know us, whether we want to hide it or convince them otherwise. By our lives, or our walk, people will know where our allegiance lies, but more importantly God will know as well. So my question to you is, how is your walk? Do you fear and reverence the Lord? Because if you do, the proof goes far beyond your words.    

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“He whose walk is upright fears the Lord, but he whose ways are devious despises him.” Do you fear the Lord or do you despise him? Your walk, or your heart, will reveal the truth. If your allegiance is strong, your countenance should be as obvious as if you were wearing a neon sign. But even if you aren’t outwardly expressive with our walk, the Lord will know because he knows your heart. He knows if you fear him, or if you despise him. He knows if your walk is upright or if your ways are devious. It may take time for your reverence for the Lord, or lack thereof, to be revealed to man, but it is as clear as crystal with God. So I would encourage you to take the faith you claim to have seriously. I encourage you to pursue an upright walk with the Lord.

Rejected as Evil

Have you ever been hated by someone? If you have, you know that it is not a very good feeling, especially if you’ve done nothing to deserve it. Being a black man in the United States, I can attest that I have been hated because of the color of my skin. I’ve heard racial slurs, I’ve been ostracized and I’ve been excluded because of my ethnicity. But being rejected as “less than” can’t be as bad as being rejected as evil. In recent years it has become more and more politically incorrect to hate me because of my race. But it has become more and more accepted to hate me because of my Christian belief. When I first read Luke, chapter 6, verse 22, I never thought I would see it played out in my lifetime. But things have changed, and Jesus warned us by saying:

“Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.”

Within recent years, some Americans may have felt a little of what Jesus warns about in this verse. You may have even experience it yourself. If you have, I would encourage you to remember that even though being “hated” doesn’t feel good, Jesus also says that you will be blessed because of it. You see, God considers it a badge of honor to suffer because of your allegiance to Christ. Many have been beaten, imprisoned, excommunicated, mistreated and have even died for their belief in Jesus. And their reward in heaven will be great. You and I may have never felt this level of persecution, but things are changing. I didn’t expect that our culture would hate, or vilify, those who boldly proclaim their faith in my lifetime, but it is happening. Even still, the Bible encourages us not to despair. On the contrary, we are to consider ourselves blessed. In fact, in the very next verse Jesus says, “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.”  

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If you hold to the Christian faith; if you fearlessly and boldly proclaim what you believe you will be hated, even if your proclamation is done in love. But that shouldn’t discourage us. In fact, we should be encourage. Jesus says that we should “leap for joy” if we are rejected as evil because great is our reward in heaven. Though I don’t think we are called to seek out persecution, we certainly shouldn’t avoid it. Because if we are living a life for Christ, some level of persecution is inevitable. It is inevitable in a way that it has not been seen in my lifetime. So when we are hated we shouldn’t be surprised. Are you willing to be hated? Are you willing to be excluded, insulted and to have your name rejected as evil because of Jesus? You may want to consider the answer to those questions before it happens. It is my prayer for you and for me that we are ready and willing to be hated, because no matter the level of persecution you face, your reward will make it all worth it.

Sustain You

You’ve probably heard it said that there are a number of similarities between a baby and someone of very old age. There are simple motor skills that both don’t possess, both are vulnerable to disease and to those who may want to take advantage of them, and with both there certain bodily functions that are not under their control. But when you were a baby, you presumably had your parents to sustain and take care of you. What happens when you grow old? For the believer, God assures us that he will never leave us for forsake us. Even in our old age God is active in our life; he is active in our care. In fact, the Bible tells us that he will even sustain us. It says in Isaiah, chapter 46, verse 4: 

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”

One benefit of having children is the comfort of knowing that someone will care for you in your old age. I’ve witnessed several good sons and daughters who have taken extreme measures to make sure that their parents are cared for in their twilight years. But in Isaiah, we learn that even if we don’t have children to help us that God will sustain us in our old age. In fact, God will be with us and will intervene on our behalf during our entire Christian life. The verse referenced in Isaiah was spoken specifically to the Israelites of old, but like so much of the Bible, I believe that it is a promise for believers today. “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” This is a comforting thought. It is so nice to know that we don’t have to worry about being on our own later in life. Though this isn’t a promise that we will have great health, or that everything will go well with us as we age, it is a promise of God’s consistent hand in our life. He will make it his business to know how you are, he will listen to your cries for help, and he will sustain you even in your old age. 

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This verse from Isaiah is of particular interest to me. I don’t have any children of my own, so I’ve always wondered, in the back of my mind, what will happen to me in my old age. Even for those who do have children it is no guarantee that they will be there for their parents in their twilight years. I used to work in a nursing home and would see several residents who seem to have been forgotten by their families. But for those of us who believe, for those of us who have put our trust in Christ and have decided to follow him, we can rest in the knowledge that whether we have children or not, whether we have dedicated loved ones or not, God will sustain us in our old age. So I would encourage you, as I encourage myself, focus on life today. Live for Christ now. Don’t worry about your future as to who will take care of you in your old age, or where you will be when you are no longer able to take care of yourself. Trust that God will be true to his word. Trust that he will sustain you even when your hairs are gray. Trust the he will carry you and rescue you as he has done your entire Christian life.

The Gate

The Bible describes Jesus in many different ways. He has been called Emmanuel, Christ, Lord, Son of God, Son of man, Lamb of God, Light of the World, King of the Jews, and the list goes on. But did you know that Jesus also describes himself as “the Gate”? He uses this title to remind us that he is the only way for man to enter heaven. He reminds us that many will claim to be “the Gate”, but they are in fact, thieves and robbers. Our culture claims to be inclusive of everyone, everything and every ideology. We claim that everything is equal, even every religion. But Jesus reminds us that every religion is not equal. In fact, there is only one Gate, and all others are false. Jesus is the Gate and if you are a true believer, you know his voice. He says in John, chapter 10, verses 1 through 5:

“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 

Two verses later, Jesus explains by saying, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” This is one of the most contentious truths among those of faith; the claim that there is only one way to heaven, and that one way is Jesus. In a culture that preaches inclusiveness, it is hard for many to come to terms with this truth. Nevertheless, it is truth. In fact, Jesus also describes himself as “the way”, “the truth”, and “the life”. This will come as terrible news for some; those who have chosen to follow other gods, and those who have subscribed to the belief that there is more than one way to heaven - more than one gate. But it will come as welcome news to others; those who have chosen the narrow path; those who are his sheep and know his voice; those who are saved by grace through faith in the only one who has the power over sin and death, Jesus the Christ.

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Have you made the decision to follow Christ? Are you ready to accept that he is the only way to heaven. He is “the Gate”. There are many who steadfastly and wholeheartedly follow different gods, believing that they have chosen what is right and true. God in his sovereignty allows us to make the decision for ourself. What will you decide? If you haven’t already, I would encourage you to choose Jesus. Allow the Holy Spirit to draw you unto the Father. Open your heart to him and pray. Seek him and the Bible assures you that you will find him. Do not leave the question of your salvation unanswered. Have the faith to believe in him today and allow him to be your shepherd.