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STUDY #4:    FAITH: DIVINE DELUSION OR POINTLESS PLATITUDE

As we pass the half way mark in this mini-series, you may have noticed that I tend to use quirky titles to arouse interest in the study material.   Some of these include "Parallel Parking, The Missing Piece of Peace and Putting a Smile on God's Face".   But none of them, I think, will be more provocative than today's rubric.   I'm pointing this out early on in order to avoid any misunderstanding on the subject of "faith", which we all recognize as foundational to Christianity.   So when I talk about "faith" in the context of a "delusion", please reserve judgment until you've read through the entire study.   After all, we've already seen how important it is to understand the true meaning of a word to grasp what the author is really trying to say.   (See Facts About Word Studies)   The biblical doctrine of "faith", is a complex yet critical element in man's relationship with God and, in today's study, I want to give you a perspective on it that you may have never seen before.   So please pay close attention as we move cautiously into our study for today.

Just to refresh our memory, in the previous study we discovered that the practice of "thanksgiving" should become an integral part of every one of our prayers if we are to expect results.  When we compared several other Scriptures on "thanksgiving", it became very clear that the "giving of thanks" is, somehow, the key to getting those prayers answered.   But why?   Well, at the conclusion of the previous study, I asked you to try and come up with your own answer.   How did you do? Let's compare answers now and see.

Now if you based your answer on those verses I gave you last time, your answer was probably "because it's God's will".   That very phrase, in fact, is used by Paul in I Thessalonians 5:16:  "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."   That alone should be reason enough to include the "giving of thanks" in all our prayers.   However, it does not tell us why God views "thanksgiving" as the essential component of answerable prayer. (notice the distinction I made between prayer which is "answerable" and those which are not.. but that's a topic we'll reserve for another time. )

So to discover the rather inconspicuous reason for God's interest in the element of "thanksgiving", we must turn to other Scriptures and take a closer look at the character and desires of our Heavenly Father.   If time and space permitted, we would do well to digress at this point, and do a study on "the will of God", to find out more about what it is that He desires, what he wants for us and for all of mankind.   I will, in fact, be adding such a study to the page entitled: Insights in New Testament Treasures very soon.

But it suffices here to simply say that, in general usage, the word "will" is a synonym for "want, desire or intention".   This is, for example, its meaning as found in common usage in such documents as: "Last Will and Testament".   Such a document is drawn up to express the last wishes of the deceased and spells out the intentions he has for the benefits left behind.   Similarly, God has a "last Will and Testament" too and by reading through it, we can discover the intentions He has for us as benefactors.   Obviously, the testament I speak of is the New Testament and the Will of our Heavenly Father is expressed throughout it's pages.   So let's turn now to a few of those pages and find out what He wills for us and all mankind in the confines of today's study.   It goes without saying that there are many, many different aspects of God's Will found throughout the New Testament but for now, we'll only look at one: FAITH.

FAITH; WHAT IS IT AND HOW DO WE GET IT?

First let's review a few well known verses about faith to lay down a foundation for what I'm about to say.   In all of Scripture, there's no more informative passage on the topic of "faith" than Hebrews 11.   Here it is both defined and illustrated, as we see in the following excerpt:

Hebrews 11:1-6 "(1) Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (2) This is what the ancients were commended for. (3) By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (4) By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. (5) By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”a For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. (6) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

Among the rich, deep spiritual treasures embedded in these verses, I'm going to pull out only three important facts:
1. Faith reifies (makes real) those yet imagined things we hope for in the future.  It is the confidence (substance) of things hoped for.  As I've already mentioned previously, to best understand the words of this verse, let's turn to the original language.   The word "confidence" is also translated "substance" and comes from the Greek word (hupostasis) which means to "place or set under (like a foundation).   In general, it means "that which underlies the apparent", i.e. a reality, essence, substance; that which is the basis of something in the future; an assurance, guarantee, confidence".   Look at this verse in Romans 8:24-25. "For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

2. Faith is the assurance of what we do not see.... it is the proof, internal conviction or persuasion that, even thought we don't see it, we still believe it's there; it is that by which invisible things are proved and we are convinced of their reality.

3. Faith is absolutely necessary to please God because it (1) affirms that he actually exists and (2) He will reward those who pursue a relationship with Him.

Having defined "faith" in biblical terms, this might be a good time revisit the definition of faith as alluded to in today's title: "Faith: Divine Delusion or Pointless Platitude?".   It should come as no surprise to you that the answer is: neither!   At least it should be "neither".   Sadly, however, for all too many in today's world, "faith" seems to be merely a platitude, a familiar word on a plaque, or a beautiful sentiment in some hymn.   But for us, those who have placed that same faith in Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, it must be much, much more.   Of all the truths we've discussed today, I hope you've been most impressed with the fact that without the demonstration of a dynamic, living faith, we will fail in any attempt to please our Heavenly Father.  Thus, the faith we hold in Christ, must be demonstrated by exercising it daily in each and every act we perform, especially, when it comes to prayer.

But, what about the second part of that title, the notion that faith is nothing more than just a divine delusion?   Tragically, the idea of having "faith" in a living Savior is nothing more than a religious delusion for an increasing number of people in our country today.   As Secular Humanism continues to creep into every facet of our culture, the prevailing opinion regarding "fundamental Christianity" becomes increasingly disdainful, often even asserting that "born again Christians" are delusional in their beliefs.   I personally believe that this trend will eventually become so prevalent, that believers will find it more convenient to hide their faith than to risk the consequences of openly confessing Jesus Christ as Savior.   But we'll talk more about this next time when we study about the purpose of "prayer for those in authority".

Now, if the trend described above is troublesome to you, let me assure you it need not be.   Because, you see, it is the very trend itself that provides us with the greatest opportunity to demonstrate its falsity by showing mankind the difference between a delusional belief in some supernatural entity and a vital faith in a living Savior.   "How", you ask, "can we do that?"   Through faith, prayer and thanksgiving we are assured that God's hand will move openly in answer to those prayers, thus displaying irrefutable proof that "He is and that He is the rewarder of those who seek Him." And to what end? So that those who doubt may believe and be saved... but more of that in the next study.

For now, I can only hope that our discussion of the word "faith" has given you a fresh perspective on prayer and has impressed you with the fact that it's absolutely impossible to please God without it.   I don't know about you, but a statement like that only makes me more curious about God's remarkable emphasis on "faith" as His source of pleasure.   Why would the element of "faith" bring God so much delight?   Maybe, if we substituted a synonym for the word "faith", it would clear things up a bit.   So, let's use the word "trust" instead of "faith" and see if it makes more sense.   Now it reads like this: "It's impossible to please God without trust".

Now, using the word "trust", we're talking about "relationships".   Can you imagine the quality of a close intimate relationship without trust?   It would be doomed before it began.   From many years of clinical practice, I think "trust" probably ranks as number one in importance to a successful marriage, wouldn't you agree? And, since we were made in God's image, it's no surprise that He too wants to have a close, personal relationship with us built on trust.   If you agree, then we have all the facts needed to conclude that our ability to please our Heavenly Father depends on having absolute trust in Him and His promises.   But now, comes the big question: how do we go about exercising our faith?  Answer: "thanksgiving".

That answer may have left you scratching your head and asking: "How in the world does the act of thanksgiving express trust in my Heavenly Father?"   The answer lies, once again, in our definition of faith.   From our discussion above, we concluded that faith is the absolute belief that God exists, and that He is there, somewhere listening to our prayers and that He will, without doubt, reward us with an answer.   What better way is to express that trust and belief than to thank Him, before the fact, that the answer is on the way.

Let's stop right here for a moment and, with your indulgence, I want to share with you a few insights from my years working as a clinical psychologist. As far as I know, one of the few universal psychological traits of mankind is that of reciprocity.   By that I mean, the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit.   As used in this study, reciprocity is a social rule that says people should repay, in kind, what another person has provided for them.   Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but in general, when someone gives something to another, most folks feel an obligation to give something back.... even if it's only a sincere "thank you".   Conversely, if you say "thank you" to someone who has yet to give you something, your action of thanksgiving usually evokes a reciprocal feeling that "I should giving you something in return".   It's used today in such expressions as: "Thank you for not smoking", or "Thanking you in advance for your kind attention to this matter."

Thus, in a somewhat convoluted manner, saying "thanks" before you receive a gift or favor from God in prayer, conveys an attitude of confidence or trust that you'll eventually get what you asked for in return.   That's exactly what's going on here in our relationship with God.   By adding the element of thanksgiving to our prayers, we are expressing confidence (faith and trust) that He's listening and that He will, without doubt, answer our petition.

This is demonstrated in Hebrews 11, which cites example after example of Old Testament saints achieving great things for God through their faith in promises He had not yet fulfilled.   Some of these Old Testament heroes did not live long enough to see the results of their faith, but we have that privilege today.   Here's one example in Heb. 11:11 "And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore."

Neither Abraham nor Sarah lived to see that promise fulfilled but today, thousands of years later, we have that privilege. The nation of Israel, recognized in 1948 with a population of just 800 thousand, now numbers over 8 million and counting.   I wonder what Abraham would say today if he walked through the streets of Jerusalem and saw all that Israel has become.   Probably, "thank you God for fulfilling your amazing promise".   Today, we, instead, can thank God for the nation of Israel, not by faith but by sight because it's actually there to see.   But back in Abraham's day, it was only a dim vision promised by God in the distant future.   Yet through faith, Abraham trusted God to fulfill his hopes of many descents as well as the assurance that a great nation, not as yet in existence, would one day become a reality.

I hope and pray, with thanksgiving of course, that these simple truths will greatly impact your prayer life as we intercede for our country.   As we join daily in our prayer group to pray for our Nation's leadership, let's do so with faith by thanking God beforehand for the blessing He has in store for us in the days ahead.

Next time.. THE MISSING PIECE OF PEACE.

LESSON 5: