The Bible Provides the Source for a Christian's Faith (#5)

So, if we are going to accept the premise that all people have some sort of faith, what is the origin or basis of that faith? For instance, we all place a certain measure of faith in scientists, politicians, news reporters and our friends.
The Christian's faith has the Bible as its source. We quote Romans 10:17 to support this claim - "Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of Christ." The Bible is a book of books, 66 to be exact - 39 in the Old testament (covenant, agreement) and 27 in the New testament. Approximately 40 authors over 1,000 years had a hand in its inception. 2 Peter 1:21 claims that "men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."
Is the Bible a perfect book? I'd like to think it is, especially if we are going to say that it came from God. However, perhaps we can at least agree that it is "inerrant in all that it asserts." One thing is for sure - the Bible is a human book. It reports sin and holiness, joy and sorrow, life and death. It doesn't present perfect examples for us to follow. The men and women on its pages are frail, sinful people like us. But this fact in no way detracts from the fact that it also presents to us a holy God whose plan includes us.
Now I know that if an unbeliever is reading these words he is saying, "You have jumped too far ahead. You are assuming way too much agreement." Fair enough. Let's at least agree, so far, that

1. all people have some sort of faith in something
2. the Christian's faith is in God as revealed in the Bible
3. the Bible is at least a human book about God (or, to be fair, about man's attempt to find God)

I think anyone would be hard pressed to disagree with these points. Le tme think for a while and we will continue these thoughts.

Faith is a Belief of the Heart (#4)

If you accept my following definition and depiction of what faith is and how it is exercised, you will come to the conclusion that everyone (Christian and otherwise) has faith. What is different is the object of that faith. Even an alleged agnostic or atheist has faith of sorts.
Let me explain. Faith in this sense is when we believe that a certain assertion is true and then proceed on that belief. You could even call it an assumption, upon which we then base conclusions. Here is a silly example - we take it by faith that there is an organ within our skulls called a brain. I have never seen my brain. I believe I have one. I proceed on that belief by faith.
I have never been to the Taj Mahal. I have seen alleged pictures of it. I have even talked to people who allegedly have been there and whose testimony I accept. I accept the existence of the Taj Mahal by faith.
As asserted in my previous post, you do not have to have all of your questions answered before you can exercise some measure of faith. Back to my illustration - I do not remember exactly which city houses the Taj Mahal, how big it is, how many rooms it has, and so on. But such ignorance does not negate the possibility that I can still believe in its existence based on what little evidence I currently have.
Such is faith - in realms of Christianity, it is a belief of the heart. As we walk with God and read His Word, our faith in the truth is strengthened.

You Don't Have to Understand In Order to Believe (#3)

It is funny how some folks seem to think that they first have to have all of their questions answered before they will commit their faith to God and the Bible. They want every theological t crossed and i dotted. It reminds me of the person who refuses to get in the car and begin their trip until every light is green.
This of course will never happen. And, what's more, we do not submit other areas of our life to this same scrutiny. We board airplanes all of the time without fully understanding the laws that propel that plane into the sky, and trust our lives to it We drive automobiles without fully understanding how an engine works, and trust our lives to it. A complete understanding is not a necessary prerequisite for doing these and numerous other things.
I submit that the same principle applies to God and the Bible. A complete understanding is not a required prerequisite. In fact, it is an impossibility. The finite can never comprehend the infinite.
Even though I do not understand how electricity flows from somewhere far away to my house, and even though I do not understand how that electricity powers a light bulb; and even though I also do not understand how that light bulb's filaments heat up and produce this miracle of artificial light, I still believe that when I flip the switch, light will appear. I do not have to understand in order to believe.
Do you understand? Do you believe?

Howver, Sometimes Christians ARE Ignorant (and that's okay) (#2)

Some intellectual humility is in order here. We do not know everything. In fact, we know so little. Yet, in the words of poet Alexander Pope in his Essay on Criticism, "A little learning is a dangerous thing."
The #1 question of Bible study (to me) is - "What else does the Bible have to say?" Whatever topic, issue or doctrine we are examining, we should keep both our Bible and our heart open for a continuously increasing infusion of God's truth.
Christians are not purposely ignorant (ideally). We "buy the truth and do not sell it"(Proverbs 23:23). However we must also confess that "we know in part" (1 Corinthians 13:9). There are "secret things" known only to God (Deuteronomy 29:29).
The climax of the book of Job comes when God turns the tables and asks Job a few questions that seem to underscore his total and thorough ignorance. If we cannot know the lesser things, how can we demand to know the greater?
After Jesus' death and resurrection His disciples asked Him if the time had come for the kingdom and jesus replied, "It is not for you to know..."(Acts 1:7).
Ignorance? Yes it's part of our reality. Too large a part, if you ask me. And willful ignorance has no place, especially among those who profess a love for and desire to know and live in the Truth. We should never be afraid of the Truth. We should also never be afraid of any ignorance that results from an honest search for the truth.
The search continues....

Christians Do Not Have To Be Ignorant (#1)

The common belief seemingly touted by much of the world is that a Christian is someone who has checked their brain at the door. To this way of thinking, Christian = ignorant; non-believer=intelligent. Many of us Christians have given much evidence to support such a presupposition, but it actually isn't true.
The apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthains 5:7, "We walk by faith, not by sight." He did NOT say, "We walk by faith, not by reason." Elsewhere he said, "I would not have you ignorant..."(1 Corinthians 10:1).
The purpose of these words and the ones to follow is to help dispel the notion that a Christian is necessarily ignorant. We aren't. We believe it is possible to love the Lord with all of our mind as well as our heart. Being a Christian doesn't immunize you from stupidity; being a Christian doesn't mean you can hide illogical ideas behind the curtain of "belief." In fact, we believe that "God makes sense."
I hope to engage you in this ongoing discussion as we walk with God toward a clearer understanding of the truth.
Thanks for reading,
Tom