A Return to Faith (1)

Two threads wind their way through our lives today: doing good (or being good), and hope. Christians are bound up in the idea of living a good life, or being good. We constantly worry about showing the love of God through our actions, or being a good witness, and becoming a better person, or fulfilling our purpose. The world, on the other hand, is wrapped up in a search for hope. Mr. Obama, in fact, based his entire campaign for the Presidency of the US on two simple words, hope and change.

While these two things might seem to be worlds apart, they are really the same thing under the covers. The modern Church seeks the hope of salvation through the works of his mind, heart, and hands, while the world seeks the hope of building a perfect world on Earth through personality and technique (or technology). What we often forget is that hope and faith are intertwined; one relies on the other.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

You cannot have hope without having faith, for hope only results from a belief that there is something that will solve the problems you face—and the problems that the world faces. For we all know we face problems, and we all seek the answer. The primary source of hope is faith in someone or something that will solve those problems.

The atheist sees guilt as the problem, and seeks to get rid of it. He places his faith in science, technology, and political systems to get rid of guilt, and reach what he hopes for, a guiltless world.

The New Ager believes people are essentially good, the problem is the society into which people are born teaches them to be evil. He places his faith in a new form of society, technology, or person, who will make people forget the evil they know, and do the good that is really in their hearts.

The Muslim believes people are essentially good, the problem we face is the society into which people are born teaches them evil. He places his hope in the imposition of a system of law through Jihad of various forms to build a perfect society under the perfect law, at which point his hope of a perfect world will be fulfilled.

What about the Christian? Where should a Christian place his faith?

Today’s church seems to place faith in various things. There is a branch of Christianity that places its faith in acting rightly. If we can live our within God’s ideal rules, then we will either be saved, or prove we are saved. There is another branch of Christianity that places its faith in the building of God’s Kingdom. If we can just build God’s Kingdom on the Earth, then He will return to reign over it. Then there is a branch of Christianity that places its faith in an experience of God, the ability to feel Â ”God’s presence” on a regular basis. To these Christians, their experience of God determines their walk with God, or their spiritual maturity.

All of these branches of Christianity place their faith in doing something or feeling something to validate or build their relationship with God. Â But is the modern church right in what they hope for, and what they place their faith in? Let’s examine the lives of some of the people mentioned in Hebrews 11 along with some other notable instances in the Scriptures, and think about where they placed their faith.

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