Faith
I am a Christian. Many people have strange ideas about what a Christian is - some think it is someone who goes to church reasonably regularly, some think that it is a good person from the western world. Others would call themselves Christians without really thinking what it means. For some it is the religion they were baptised or christened into. I would like to suggest that what a Christian is is self-evident from the name. A Christian is someone who follows Christ.

Faith is a word that for most people has very little tangible meaning. It is light and fluffy, full of airy-fairy hope - hope that is not based on anything in particular. People say, 'I wish I had your faith' - without considering what or who the faith is in. I have faith in my chair that it will keep me up. If I just sit in 'faith' I will just hit the floor - faith must be in someone or something. 

As a Christian, my faith is in Christ. I believe all that he has said and I trust him for the future. My chair has never yet failed me and so, when I sit down tonight, I trust that it will perform its role again. It, however, may very well fail one day. Christ never fails his people.

My faith is not based on my goodness - that somehow that will see me right with God. I'm not a good person because I have bad thoughts, say bad things and do bad things. Maybe not very much, maybe not very often (though that's a matter for debate!) - but they're there. God, who made me, is entirely perfect. He defines what 'goodness' is. He cannot abide the presence of anything tainted by sin. Even my goodness - cutting the garden for an elderly neighbour, helping a colleague who's having a rough time, whatever it may be - is tainted. I become proud that I'm helping my neighbour - maybe I don't voice the pride...but it's there. Maybe I get a quiet sense of superiority and ability from helping my colleague. I can even manage to get proud about being 'humble' enough to write all of this. This is why I say that I am not a good person. God defines goodness and I don't measure up.

When our bodies die, our souls go into eternity. They will either be in God's presence (commonly called Heaven) or outside God's presence (commonly called Hell). Some people reckon that, if true, this is no big deal - and that it probably sounds much more fun to be outside God's presence. Think about this for a moment. God created all that is good. Not just the big stuff - but the commonplace everyday things too. The smile of a friend, the wonderful taste of peanut butter, a rainbow in the clouds...all of these are blessings from God that he allows us to enjoy whether we love him or not. Hell is a place where there aren't even such small pleasures to make things bearable.

People have been known to say that as God is a God of love and mercy, how is it possible that he could condemn people to such a terrible eternity. Such people are asking the wrong question - consider that God is perfect and cannot abide sin in any form or any amount. How is it possible that he hasn't already dealt with us? It is precisely because of his love and mercy that he doesn't destroy us now.

Knowing that we couldn't rescue ourselves - and being full of love towards us - he sent his only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life and then to die, taking the full punishment for our sin. He didn't have to die for his own sin - so he was able to take our sin upon his shoulders.

However, if we don't want this precious gift then we don't have to have it. He will not force us to accept his love. 

 

This brief summary of my faith is just that - very brief. It leaves many things unanswered. There are some things that I don't have answers for. I do not claim to know the mind of God perfectly - he is much bigger than me! But I know that as he makes me more like Jesus Christ, I shall understand him more. One day, when I stand before him, I shall know him as he knows me. What a day!