This I recall to my mind,
therefore I have hope.
Through the LORD's mercies
we are not consumed,
because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:21-23
In our examination of faith and its definitions it has been discovered that some of the definitions are founded on its subjective nature, those things that exist in the mind, and other on its objects. There are some who would found the definition(s) or its distinguishing characteristics on the ground that their conviction rests. In other words, they make faith to be a feeling, or persuasion of truth that is founded on feeling. Many regard that feelings are the characteristic of faith. Faith does include feelings of persuasion and those feelings are generated by means of faith and its object, especially when defining saving faith. Unfortunately, too many people and churches feeling defines their faith, in fact is the method in which faith is disclosed to them, and has led many into practices that are unbiblical, and more of an euphoric knee jerk reaction, one that is too be expected, or needed to be part of a person's "faith practice." Faith is generally received as one grounded in feelings. Karl August von Hase (1800–1890), German protestant theologian and Church historian, states in Dogmatic, 3d edit. Leipzig, 1842, p 307; "Every cultivated language has a word for that form of conviction, which, in opposition to the self-evident and demonstrable, rests on moral and emotional grounds." That word faith is found in the English word and πίστις in the Greek language. The Greek word for faith πίστις, transliterated pistis, means as its first meaning, a conviction of the truth of anything, belief; of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God with the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler or all things, the provider and bestows eternal salvation through Christ. Hase further stated in his sixth edit. Leipiz, 1845,p. 4, "The common idea of faith is a persuasion of the truth, without the intervention of argument, determined by inclination and inward necessity." In other words, faith is a persuasion or conviction of truth produced by feeling. That definitions is admitted by philosophers as is the philosopher accredited with the term, that God is dead; Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) who was a German philosopher of the late 19th century who challenged the foundations of Christianity and traditional morality, that "faith is the unity of knowledge and feeling." David Friedrich Strauss (1808 – 1874) was a German theologian and writer. He scandalized Christian Europe with his portrayal of the "historical Jesus whose divine nature he denied in his Dogmatik, Sect. 20, edit. Tubingen and Stuttgart, 1840, vol. 1, p. 282 states: "The way in which a man appropriates the contents of a revelation, the inward assent which eh yields to the contents of the Scriptures and the doctrine of the Church, not because of critical or philosophical research, but often in opposition to them, overpowered by a feeling which the Evangelical Church calls the testimony of the Spirit, but which in fact is only the perception of the identity of his own that portrayed in the Scriptures and prevailing in the Church, -- this assent determined by feeling -- in ecclesiastical language, is called Faith." How often we see in churches that feeling is the driving force for one's faith, it is preached, taught, and experienced in some fashion by the congregants, not based upon Scripture rather upon one's feelings. It is that the pious man receives religious truth because he feels its reality, and because it satisfies his religious wants." If it feels good it must be right seems to be the word of faith today. This is misleading and has no basis on the truth of Scripture. People are doing and acting in ways that are satisfying their craving for something that feels real and their participation in such actions, such as giving revelations, sometimes right out of the blue, as has happened to me while studying in Barnes and Nobles, or giving some revelation that has popped into their minds to others as though God is revealing something special for a person(s) but has no Scriptural basis; in fact no Scripture at all. Unfortunately this form of faith is being taught to young children in Sunday Schools, and in youth groups, making the euphoric demonstrations as being of faith. When was the last time a preacher attempted to propagate Christianity by means of argument or has addressed the understanding, or the use of historical and philosophical proofs; to many preachers have lowered their preaching to storytelling or methods that raise the emotions or feelings of the congregants. His determined desire is to reach the congregants unsatisfied necessity, a necessity they have and must be met and to do that the preacher has to make the congregants feel good and that the necessity has been met by the very religion being preached and taught, those things which he proposes.
Now the opponents to Christianity such as: Celsus a 2nd century Greek philosopher and opponent of Early Christianity propounded that Christians are to be reproached because they believe blindly and that they could not justify the doctrines that they held at the bar of reason. How many times has that objection to our faith been slammed into our faces, so to speak, and we were left speechless. Yet this is not what Peter taught us; we are to be ready to give a defense, a reason for the hope we have, but to do it in meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15). Origen (185-254) scholar and theologian stated that only the educated had the faith that was elevated into knowledge and that Christianity had transformed into philosophy. This divided the church into the "knowers" and "believers." That division seems to be found in some churches today, in fact, the "knowers" in one camp hold that if you don't have this special baptism of the Spirit you may not really be a Christian after all, and others in opposition give their credence to some Scriptural facts that have no basis in the truth of Scripture yet resides in some forms of tradition, etc. Some do teach that there is a direct conflict between faith and knowledge, in other words, what the Christian hold or believes to be true can be shown by the philosopher to be false.
Strauss says: "That human nature has one excellent characteristic what any man feels is for him a spiritual necessity, he allows no man to take it from him." (Dogmatic, edit, Tubingen and Stuttgard, 1849. vol 1, p. 298). Is not that statement so true, you may have tried to witness to a person of strong conviction and find that the path of understanding is clouded with presuppositions developed to such a point that it is not the conviction itself that must be overcome, rather the person's spiritual necessity. Do not despair over such a situation, your job and mine is to proclaim Jesus Christ crucified, risen on the third day, ascended into heaven and makes intercession for all those the Father has given to Him (John 17:9). In fact, we do not save anyone, that is not our purpose, our faith is grounded in the authority of God as revealed to us in the Scriptures. It is God who saves, it is by the oblation and passion of Jesus that paid the debt we owe and it is the Father who decides who will be with Him in heaven for He says: "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44). We preach the Word, by our life and our words, and actions, God Saves through His Son.
"...that you would walk worthy of God
who calls you into His own
kingdom and glory.
For this reason we also thank God without ceasing
becasue when you received the word of God
which you heard from us,
you welcomed it not as the word of men,
but as it is in truth,
the word of God
Which also effectively works
in you who believe" 1 Thessalonians 2:12:13.
The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Grace be with you. Amen
Richard L. Crumb
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