Author: STEVE
To: Bob and John
Whoa! Plenty to respond to in your questions. I’ll take it in bite-sized pieces, starting with John’s first
question. Responses to others will
follow (but not necessarily in order).
My Path
What’s my faith background? Generally, I’m not a fan of “personal
testimony.” To me, it seems to draw
attention to oneself, not to God. But
as I thought about your question, it helped me to take a broader view.
Have I ever doubted? I wonder, does this really ask, “If you have
never doubted, can you appreciate the views of the skeptic? (Believe me, I take no offense at any of
your questions, and trust that you will take no offense at my responses or questions.) I have often wondered at another twist of
this question from other quarters, “Are you truly a ‘Christian’ if you have
never had a single defining event or ‘born again’ experience in your life?”
Ever doubted . . . no. Ever raptured . . . no. I would characterize my faith as a growing
appreciation of God’s love, much as a child learns of a parent’s love from a
lifetime of experiences. Those
experiences – from my childhood to today -- would fill volumes, but for the
sake of illustration, I will briefly share two.
(1) Motorcycle Accident. Dazed, sharp pains in my back, left leg and
right hand. Lying on a blood-soaked
gurney, doctors and nurses scrambling around me. “Don’t give him morphine, he might not come out of it.” Cutting my stomach and inserting a probe,
“Hurry, we need to find out how bad his internal injuries are.” My thoughts? Am I dying? My wife, my
daughters -- I will miss them dearly. Is this the end? Will I be
paralyzed? Tennis, surfing, cycling,
and all the physical activities I enjoy. Will I never enjoy these again?
Surprisingly, none of these were my
thoughts at the time, when I assumed I was so close to death or severe
disability. (Admittedly, I thought
about the “what ifs” later.) But at
that moment, I had an overwhelming sense of peace, “I’m in Good Hands.” The verses I shared with you before came to
mind:
“For I am convinced that nothing can
ever separate us from God’s love. Death
can’t, and life can’t. The angels
won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away. Our fears for today, our worries about
tomorrow, or where we are – high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean –
nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by
our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us.” (Romans 8: 38, 39)
God’s grace and love demonstrated – in
an overpowering and comforting way. Yes, I knew that in the next few minutes I could slip into
unconsciousness and very soon leave this earth, but I also knew that God would
never leave me.
(2) Today. Recently, I’ve been in a spiritual and intellectual
“trough.” Then, along come two friends
with a desire to discuss faith. God’s
grace and love demonstrated – in a timely way.
A Relationship, Not a Religion
I would further characterize my faith
as a relationship with God. That seems
to be his intent. “Christianity,” as a
label for a religion, has so many negative connotations – and so many human
distortions down through the ages.
Two key elements of this
relationship: (1) God’s love
(demonstrated in both a universal and in a personal way), and (2) man’s faith
(which must also be demonstrated).
(1) God’s Love. Simply stated, he demonstrates his love for
mankind through the sacrifice of his Son. Or, from a different vantage point,
the suffering Jesus endures on our behalf. As Jesus said, “No greater love is shown than when a man lays down his
life for his friends.” (John 15:13) Elsewhere, Jesus steps this up to any even higher standard, “You must
love even your enemies.” Jesus died,
loving even those hating him. This is
God’s most poignant universal demonstration of his love. (Why was the sacrifice of Jesus
necessary? We’ll save that topic for
discussion in the near future, when I get a little farther along in my
research.)
On a daily basis, God also
demonstrates his love and providence in a personal way. I’ve given you a couple of examples from my
life. Upon reflection, I’m sure you
could point to examples in your life as well.
(2) Man’s Faith. How can we ever thank God for all he has
done for us? How can we respond in this relationship with the Almighty? What do we have that is of any value to God,
who has it all?
As I noted previously, we are not
capable of perfection. What we bring to
this relationship is faith – a trust that He is who is said he is, and an
understanding and appreciation for the sacrifice he has made for us.
But we must demonstrate our faith,
just as God demonstrates his love.
“What’s the use of saying that you
have faith and are Christians if you aren’t proving it by helping others? Will that kind of faith save anyone? If you have a friend who is in need of food
and clothing, and you say to him, ‘Well, goodbye and God bless you; stay warm
and eat hearty,’ and then don’t give him clothes or food, what good does that do?”
(James 2:14-16)
And, as Jesus said to his followers,
“When I was hungry, you fed me; when I was thirsty, you gave me water; when I
was a stranger, you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me; sick
and in prison, and you visited me.” They reply, “When did we do that for you?” Jesus, “Even as you have done unto the least of these, so have
you done unto me.”
Different Paths
As I said at the outset, I’m reluctant
to share my experiences because there are so many different paths to
faith. Read the Gospels, you’ll see
plenty of other examples.
Expectations fulfilled: an Old Testament scholar, Simeon, who
trusted God’s promise that a Messiah would come, and actually held Jesus as a
baby. Healing bestowed: parents, whose sick and dying children are
restored. Curiosity satisfied: Zachaeus, who climbs a tree to see this
Jesus fellow, and ends up vowing to relinquish his dishonest tax
collecting. Doubts erased: Thomas, who sees Jesus work miracles but will
not believe until he sticks his hands in Jesus’ wounds.
And, yes, faith also comes through
intellectual inquiry, as seen in some of the Pharisees and religious leaders,
who conclude that Jesus must be uttering the truth rather than blasphemy.
Signing Off for Today
For me, our discussions will be an
opportunity for spiritual growth, not just an intellectual exercise. Hopefully, you too (two) will find the
same. As we proceed, I encourage you to
consult two sources: (1) the Bible (imperfect
as you believe it to be), and (2) God himself. (You might not call it prayer, but simply ask that He will help us
better understand his ways.)
Based on the depth and breadth of your
questions, this could be a lengthy journey – but a stimulating one I’m eager to
embark on. Fire off thoughts and
questions whenever you’re inclined.
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