Rev. Don Campbell
THOUGHT FOR TODAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2018: ON THE TRAIL OF FAITH
It is not just any faith for which we should search but saving faith: “For by grace you have been saved through faith” (Eph 2:8). James spoke of a dead faith, one which cannot save (Jam 2:14,17). Perhaps our thought should be: “On the trail of saving faith.”
There are three ingredients of saving faith: knowledge, belief, and trust. We will explore these by looking at a statement made by Jesus: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). The Jews certainly understood him because they picked up stones to stone him “because you make yourself God” (v.33). Because he is God, Hebrews 11:6 applies to him as much as to the Father: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
There can be no faith in Christ without knowledge of Christ and there would be no knowledge of Christ without the gospel: “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:14-17).
Knowledge alone is not sufficient. Those Jews who tried to stone Jesus had firsthand knowledge of Jesus’ works which bore witness of him, but they did not believe him. They asked Jesus, “‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered, ‘The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me’” (John 10:25). Millions know the claims of Jesus, some rejecting them and some accepting them. However, even among those who believe those claims, many still do not have saving faith.
The missing ingredient is trust, which means that we not only believe he is who he says he is and that he will do what he said it would do, but we put our eternal destiny in his hands. There is no greater example of trust than Jesus’ example. Suspended on a cross between heaven and earth and able to call seventy-two thousand angels to rescue him, he said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Lk 23:46).
Do you believe Jesus is who he says he is? Do you believe he will do what he said he will do? Have you done what he told you to do—or, more accurately, what he told his apostles to tell us to do: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mk 16:15-16).
Don’t try to explain it away. Don’t even try to explain it. Just trust him and commit yourself into his hands. Now, before someone responds, “He did not say, “whoever is not baptized will be condemned,” let me answer that quibble: Faith demands knowledge, belief, and trust. If one does not believe, then one cannot trust. If one does not trust, one is lost with or without baptism.
