During the time of my public teaching/preaching ministry I sought to use biblical terms in the same way in which the Holy Spirit uses them in God's Word. When teaching classes on becoming a true messenger of God, I laid significant emphasis on the matter, because it is more significant than we are inclined to think. In these posts I want to examine a number of examples of this concern taken from real life.
The first one I want to consider is the term "Faith." Perhaps the most profound definition of Faith in the Bible is found in Hebrews 11:1.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
When I read verses such as this one, I find myself wanting to describe what I have read using a term commonly used by the Puritan writers and other older expositors: sublime. We rarely encounter such words when doing serious reading regarding the Bible these days. We are far too 'trendy' for that. But I cannot think of a better word to identify the impact of this staggering truth regarding Faith. Reading and contemplating this verse with any degree of focus and thought literally transports the Bible believer into realms of Truth beyond just 'ordinary' Bible reading. Reading it, we are fully conscious of just how mundane our perspectives are on nearly everything. Faith is clearly far more than it is often depicted as being.
Consider, for example, the oft-used illustration of Faith in which the speaker compares biblical Faith with the mental perspective of a person preparing to sit on a chair. "Faith," he tells us, "is something every one of us practices all the time. We see the chair and we believe that it will support us when we sit upon it. That is Faith." But is that really the essence of biblical Faith? Is biblical Faith really nothing more than a conditioned response? Is it something we embrace simply because we have seen it so many times in our lives?
Then, there is the well-meaning Bible teacher that tells us, "Faith is not all that uncommon. After all, even the Mormons, the Hindus, the Buddhists, etc. all exercise Faith. They simply have faith in something other than the God of the Bible." But is this true? If so, then how are we to align that theory with Romans 10:17?
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
If real Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, then how is it Faith for the Mormon to hear and believe the Book of Mormon, or the Muslim to hear and believe the Quran? THINGS THAT ARE VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER ARE NOT THE SAME! We must use biblical words biblically or we endanger God's revelation of absolute Truth!
Comentários