Isaiah also cries out
concerning Israel;
“Though the number of
the children of Israel
be as the sand of the
sea, the remnant will be saved.
For He will finish
the work and cut it short in
righteousness,
because the LORD will make it
short work upon the
earth.”
And as Isaiah said before:
And as Isaiah said before:
“Unless the LORD of
the Sabaoth had left
us a seed, we would
have become like Sodom,
and we would have
been made like Gomorrah.”
Romans 9:27–29;
Isaiah 10:22–23
Paul in
recording the words of Isaiah makes clear, very clear in fact that God will
save a remnant out of the thousands in Israel, and also that if not that God
leave a seed all men would become like Sodom and Gomorrah: destroyed. Why us?
Because Paul is writing to not only those Jews of dispersion, but also, and mostly
in this case because he is writing to those Christians in Rome who would be
either Romans, or of some other nation other than Israel. If then, Israel being
a nation chosen by God, a people according to His will and have His law, why
are then not in total saved? Why is that those who are not Israel are saved
when those of the Gentiles did not have the Law, or be of a nation chosen by
God: “What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue
righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith;
but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of
righteousness” (Romans 9:30–31)? That is a great question: Why? Paul gives
the answer: “Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by
the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is
written: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and
whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame’” (Romans 9:32–33; Isaiah
I:14; 28:16). Why? Faith; or a lack of faith; or faith that is based on
other than truth; or even a lack of knowledge as to what is the definition of
faith, and this is true of many Christians today: a lack of the knowledge of
faith; its definition. This is the thrust of this blog; “Consider Faith…..”.
The world,
and maybe even you, have a definition of faith that follows the words of many
philosophers, that faith has its base upon feelings. This seems to be the faith
that many so–called Christian Churches follow for they elevate feelings, and
supernaturalism, and if you have faith then you will have some ecstatic
emotional feeling, leading to bodily movements that are erratic; much like
those at the Woodstock Music event, in 1969, a monumental music
festival changed our world. This is contrary to truth faith for true faith does
not have as its base irrational feelings, and irrational feeling that makes for
a leap rooted in those feelings that lead to the heart. If, feelings, a faith
based upon feelings, then any religion that makes cause for such a burning of
feelings in their very soul, would have validation as being true, that their
belief system(s) is true. Feelings do not determine what is true and what is
not true. Faith is simply a logical reasoned determination; that is, determined by knowledge, by what must be and this, based upon
demonstrable evidence.[1]
Does this mean that we must have empirical evidence to have faith? NO! Does
this mean that we simply believe? NO! Faith is not a thing and it is not a
simple one–sided thing for it has several facets. Faith has as its base a
confidence or a truth in a person or thing. Example: You are driving down the
road at, let us say, high speed. Your car, supported by four tires, it may be
that they are new, in good shape, at least according to the eye. Possible, you
looked to see that this is true. Traveling on those tires is a form of faith,
that those who built those tires did so properly, and that they do not have
some hidden flaw, and you do so in faith because there are others doing the
same and they are not causing some form of harm: so you travel along in
confidence. You have this confidence, a form of faith even though you did not
see that these tires were safe, and you had faith in those who are making the
tires, even though you do not know them. Your faith, based upon empirical
evidence, but not necessarily in truth. On the other hand there is a faith, Semper
Fi, became the Marine Corps motto in 1883, always
faithful. Your faith, or faithfulness, based upon history, and a belief that
others will do what is right in any situation. Yet, not based upon actual
truth, rather upon history, and that others will keep their obligation. So
then, faith may have its basis upon a code of ethics, or some standard of
merit. Faith is not true because we believe it to be true. Here is an important
fact: It is what we believe about truth, for this belief affects everything we
believe, this belief determines our theology, and our theology determines our
character, and our character determines our actions. There is a faith, moral
faith, and this morality of faith to have within us an established character
based upon our theology, then our theology by reason be based upon our beliefs,
and this belief must be based upon truth. Therefore, it is then, truth, upon that
which we base our faith. Question: How do we know what we know? Did not God
Himself give us instruction to be able to defend our faith, that which we know
and believe to be true (1Peter 3:15)? Then this is important to know truth for
that is the basis for our faith, for true faith. If then, we are to be ready to
defend our faith, that hope that is within us, when asked, we are not to just
defend our emotional feelings, as though this is the basis for our faith, no,
we are to be able to give truth, reasons based upon truth, not feelings. Everyone
has feelings. Everyone and every religion have some association with feelings,
but as stated: feelings are not faith.
This
then will be the thrust for the next blogs, faith, as this is what this blog is
all about, our faith, to consider our faith and if necessary to make changes
from the inside out.
How can a young man cleanse his way?
By
taking heed according to Your word.
With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh,
let me not wander from Your
Commandments!
Psalm 119: 9–10
Your are a witness for God
Richard L. Crumb
No comments:
Post a Comment