The Trial Of Faith

Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, 

that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest 

see the glory of God?

John 11:40 

     The last series of blogs being all about Authentic Christian Faith we need to examine what it means to have Authentic Christian Faith a little bit more. Have you noticed that every time you venture out in life that your faith meets all sorts of obstacles? Generally when this occurs we attempt to meet those obstacles with common sense, those contradictions to our faith. This is an important point: COMMON SENSE IS NOT FAITH, AND FAITH IS NOT COMMON SENSE: they stand in opposition with the natural and the spiritual. This is where the "rubber" meets the road: can you trust Jesus Christ when your common sense cannot trust Him? When things tell you that it is a lie, those statements made by Jesus and recorded for us by the inspired writers, will you trust Him? Will you be one that looks back to the times that your trust in Him was fulfilled and then in the present circumstance not trust Him. Is your life only living in the past? It is so good to remember those good times like the apostles on the Mount of Transfiguration and want to stay on that mount, but you cannot for you must  come down from the mount into the valley and face the facts that want to destroy your Mount-of-Transfiguration experience. What is your Mount-of-Transfiguration, the one you want to stay on? When you find that your life is doing well, your faith is doing well it is then that you begin to lose sight of Authentic Christian Faith and attempt to "fix" things by common sense. During those good times you will say that you believe that God will supply everything but then life takes a turn, a bad turn, and your living faith is tested because you do not see how this situation can be corrected. This is when your faith faces trial and whether or not you will sink back to the old way of life or will allow God to take you through this trial. 

     Faith is not faith unless it is tested! How is faith tested? By conflict; you can only be faithful if you have internalized your faith and it is not just some external expression either by word or by action. How is your confidence in Jesus Christ? You must have total confidence in Him if you are to face the continual conflicts that come against your faith. Faith is not dead unless it is not used, it must be fed for your faith is a living faith and all living things need nourishment. Faith, then, is unutterable trust in God, a trust that does not believe, at any time, that God will stand by you through all things in this life.    

     God loves His children so much that He gave His Only Begotten Son to die for you and then applies that death on the cross to you so that you can have salvation and have Him with you, in you, so that this world cannot destroy you, and your faith. Faith grows, and this growth is sanctification and only you can walk that path whereby your sanctification, and your faith grows deeper and deeper until God alone has complete control over you. This is the work that our loving God will do for you, that is, if you allow Him to do so. My prayer for you and me that we will grow into complete trust in Him and have faith that is completely faithful in all things. 

As for God, His way is perfect:

     the word of the LORD is tried:

He is a buckler to all those who 

    trust in Him.

For who is God save the LORD?

   of who is a rock save our God?

              Psalms 18:30-31

Your faith will have success

Richard L. Crumb