The Christian Faith

I’m interrupting my postings on the “Jesus Way” because I felt it was necessary to speak to something I heard recently regarding the nature of Christian faith.

I was watching a video on Fox News a few days ago. Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis was being interviewed, along with a women (I forget her name) who had organized a protest against AIG’s Creation Museum, on the grounds that it wasn’t really a museum but a means of indoctrination (as if secular museums don’t try to indoctrinate their patrons in the “truth” of evolution!). In the course of the interview, the woman made the outrageous statement that trying to “prove” creation was a violation of Christian principles (as if she knew anything about Christianity!) because Christianity was a “faith,” and so didn’t need any proof. In other words, Christianity (like all religions) is irrational because it is taken on “faith” and therefore doesn’t need any proof. Science, in contrast, is rational, because it is based on proof (don’t get me started on that one!).

But, of course, she had her terminology all wrong. First of all, faith in Christ is not an irrational belief without proof. Paul said that if Christ weren’t raised, our faith was in vain. In fact, the Apostles went around telling everyone that there were eyewitnesses to all that they preached (Jesus’ death and resurrection), and so new converts didn’t have to take their word just on faith! Our faith is not an unprovable belief in some doctrines, as the secularists would have you believe. Our faith is in a person. A person we know to have lived a sinless life, was executed by crucifixion, and rose from the dead. If we don’t have proof of this, we have faith in nothing.

No, Christian faith is really trust in the person of God: in His Word, His promises. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:6).” The history recorded in the Bible, the facts of Jesus life, death, and resurrection, the existence of miracles — these are not items of “faith”: these are historical facts — facts that can be researched and verified, just like any other historical occurrences. Christianity, unlike any other “religion,” is based on fact.

Secondly, our faith is measured by our obedience to God: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8).” We walk with God by and in faith. But we don’t have to take His word just “on faith.” We have proof of what we “believe.”

Which is why, whenever someone accuses you of having an irrational faith, or says that trying to prove the historicity of the Bible is silly, because religion is taken on faith, don’t let them get away with defining the terms and the context of the conversation. Our faith is trust in the character and promises of the Living God: ” For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith (1 John 5:4).”