Archive for February, 2009

I have to say up front that I am by no means an expert on the topic of faith, merely someone writing what I have come to understand through studying and what God has revealed to me. There are many ways to approach a discussion on faith that can be pulled from many examples, both scriptural and not. However, I find the best way to research anything of a Christian spiritual matter to be through scripture, so that is where I will base most of my thoughts. That said, I will begin.

For the sake of this specific entry I will start by saying that faith is not just a method by which we trust God to take care of us. It is also, the way in which we, as believers, are saved.

“⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
- Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV

So, the grace of God was not just tossed about carelessly to all who hear of it. Only to those who hear and, take that next step of faith. The step of believing in the Son of God, Jesus, The Christ.

As mentioned in my last entry; faith is one of the three things said specifically to carry out for all of eternity. [1 Corinthians 13:13] The primary reason for this is because faith happens to be the very basis for our eternal life. Even before the incarnation of Christ it was the only way in which to gain eternal life, one must first believe. (See any number of Old Testament Examples)

The way God provides for us through our faith.

Having explained my basis for faith continuing throughout eternity, there are other ways in which it will be different. As I said at the beginning, faith is not just a method by which we trust God to take care of us. God will take care of the faithful. However, the word faith implies that there is some amount of unseen. We have to trust God, even though we cannot see him, physically. It is through this type faith that we shall not worry on earth.

²²And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. ²³For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ²⁴Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! ²⁵And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁶If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? ²⁷Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
– Luke 12:22-25 ESV

Again, the faith here implies an amount of unseen. As mentioned in Ephesians 13:10 when the perfect comes (Heaven) we will know as we are known – as in, we will have all knowledge. In that, faith will be different. There will be no unseen characteristics of God. Our faith will take on a whole new level, one which I cannot even begin to understand in this world.

Doing Kingdom work through faith.

Another element to faith is how our faith can enable The Holy Spirit to work through us. Through this anything can be achieved, even the impossible. We’ve all heard stories or perhaps even been present when a miracle of God has taken place, through faith, for example: a medically unexplainable healing. Jesus said himself that even with faith the size of a mustard seed we could move mountains, that’s right, mountains – or- also with the faith the size of a mustard seed, you could tell a tree to be uprooted and plant itself in the sea, and it would… I’m no horticulturist but something tells me this would typically be impossible.

However, once again, this element of faith would seem to not be as necessary in Heaven. There will be no sickness or disease or a reason to move a mountain, for that matter. So, all in all, it would appear as though eternal faith, as opposed to earthly faith is a whole different animal. Again, one that I cannot begin to comprehend.

It is through faith, that we find hope.

In talking about faith hope and love I can’t think of a better place to start than scripture:

“8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

– 1 Corinthians 13:8-13

So, basically, in verses eight through eleven Paul is saying that when perfection (Heaven) comes then none of these will exist. They will not be needed. In verse twelve he explains that in Heaven we will “know fully” as we are known. Now, assuming God’s omniscience, he knows everything about us. If we are to know even as we are known then we, too, will know everything (once in heaven). Hence, the reason why these things will no longer exist. (Prophecy, partial-knowledge, tongues)

This brings us to the main point that grips me any time I read this passage of scripture: verse thirteen. He goes through saying that there are all these things that will pass away in Heaven but, then he sets aside three things: faith, hope and love. This wasn’t the result of a formatting accident or poor proofreading skills, Paul wanted to set the three apart from everything else. He wanted to make sure the readers knew – faith, hope and love will not pass away… ever.

Knowing that faith, hope and love will continue throughout eternity makes them worth studying… at least to me it does. Consider this post more of an introduction to an individual post about each individual one. Following those I will post one more that details how, I believe, all three of these are codependent upon one another.

Picture them like a tripod if you will, take one leg out and the others fall… except love, but I’ll go more into that later I guess.