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Point of Reference
by Fred Price
Have you ever struggled with faith issues, finding it difficult to believe in something you don’t really understand? You’re not alone, most of us struggle to develop a rock-solid belief system and unshakable faith; some never will. That kind of faith and faithfulness is usually acquired one small step at a time as we prove God’s faithfulness and develop a dependence on him that vindicates and verifies our trust. Often we can do nothing more than exclaim, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24; before we fully realize, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Mark 9:23
In encouraging a distraught father to, “…just believe…” in his ability to remedy heartache, Jesus was not asking the father to ignore the facts of his situation, nor does he expect the rest of us to likewise remain “blissfully” ignorant of the facts of any number of issues we’ll face throughout our lives. Rather it is a call for us to realize that some things about God are not understandable and beyond explanation; that as a result of our leap of faith and continued faithfulness, our understanding may grow as our perception of our circumstances change. (As in Romans 8:28 – God making good come of all things – even the bad ones.)
By their very nature, faith and belief are not entirely comprehendible by any standards or techniques devised by man. Scripture defining it as, “…being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 Not a “blind” leap but the acknowledgement that some things belong to God’s perview and will be beyond our full understanding (Isaiah 55:8), only then will we begin to truly comprehend the mysteries of our God. (Hebrews 11:3; See also John 20:29) In fact, “…without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe (first) that he exists (even though we have never seen him) and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews11:6 That’s not something that can be empirically tested but spiritually discerned and experienced.
The familiar passage of John 3:16-18 speaks directly to the heart of this issue. God loves us so much that he has done all that is necessary and possible to see us saved and redeemed. All who believe this premise to be authentic are saved, all who do not condemn themselves. (John 6:47) He who doubts, will at the very least struggle and live life less effectively (See Matthew 14:31; 21:21; John 20:27; James 1:6), while those who disbelieve will experience God’s wrath. (John 3:36) Our mission as Christians, reduced to its simplest form is, “…to believe in the one he (God) has sent.” John 6:29 Once that is accomplished, all other aspects of a Christian lifestyle can follow. In fact, Jesus’ life-story was written so that all those following in his footsteps who were however, not his contemporaries could, “…believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing… have life in his name.” John 20:31 (The gospel being the power of God for the salvation of all who believe. Romans 1:16) This bed-rock principle has been shown throughout church history as God’s way of establishing individual faith and growing the church at-large, evidenced by Paul’s proclamation to the Philippian jailer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…” Acts 16:31 Could it really be that simple, does it have to be that hard? It depends on the depth of your faith, the breadth of your trust; as belief fosters faith, which strengthens belief and broadens trust, which deepens our commitment and creates a desire for faithfulness.
There are those in society today who admire many of the principles Jesus embodied but who refuse to embrace who Jesus claimed to be. They find him personally interesting and his teachings challenging if not noble while refusing to accept them as authoritative; allowing them to pick and choose what, if anything, they consider significant enough for emulation. But to find Jesus interesting is not enough; to be curious about him is not enough; to observe his manner and study his teachings is not enough; to follow him and mimic his ways is not enough; to give up one’s station in life and give away your wealth is not enough; even claiming to be a disciple is not enough. Interest wanes, curiosity can be satisfied, study and observation become tedious, trying to be someone we aren’t never satisfies, personal sacrifice, alone, never completely fulfills, allegiances change. So what’s the answer – what is enough? Accepting him at his word, even when we don’t fully understand it. Believing in his person, even if we can’t completely comprehend him. Receiving him as the Savior of our souls and the Lord of our lives. Nothing else will do!
Being saved from something is not a hard concept to grasp. But what does it mean to genuinely revere Christ as Lord? A Lord exercised great authority and power over others; ideally for their benefit but often wielded for the benefit of those in power. The word for Lord actually being derived from two old English words – hlaford, meaning loaf, and weard, meaning keeper – keeper of the loaf or provider. A loaf of bread was the primary food source and symbol of well-being when this word was developed and is significant in that it conveyed the idea of an authority figure who provided and sustained; a person in charge of the food source, who by inference could withhold his provision from them as well. In most cases, a Lord owned you and all you had, ideally giving back what he thought you needed and would use well. This relationship often degenerated to one of Master and Servant/Slave; but even these terms can have widely divergent meanings, from cowering servitude to honorable service rendered a reasonable overseer or contributions made to a shared cause. (Matthew 10:24; 23:8)
In comparing wise and foolish builders with those trying to decide whether to meaningfully follow his way or not, Jesus pointedly asked, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Luke 6:46 A legitimate question. For if he is truly our Lord, we will follow his lead, seek his guidance and ask for his blessing on all we do and say; he will indeed control our lives as we willingly hand all things over to him. And even though its not necessary for us to cower before him in expectation of abuse or punishment, discipline can be expected from him if we claim to belong to him yet live our lives as we see fit – in contradiction of that claim. (Luke 6:46-49,12:35-48, Matthew 24:45-51; 25:14-30, John 13:1-17, Hebrews 12:5-11, Philippians 2:12)
If Jesus Christ is indeed the Lord of our lives, obedience and /or service will no longer pose a problem for us as it might otherwise; as instead of forcibly being controlled we will control ourselves because of what he has done for us, instead of having conformity imposed on us, we will willingly seek to conform to his will because of the promise of his continued presence and blessing in our lives. As we choose to follow and obey, we will reap the benefit of that choice, our faith growing and blossoming as we learn to, “…just believe…”
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Fred Price - married (50 years), father of two grown children, grandfather of six.
Fred retired earlier this year after 42 years as a factory worker. He has always had a heart for young people and the challenges they face today. Over the years Fred has taught Discipleship Groups for High School and college students.
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