Faith Realized

I think all Christians would agree with me if I said that though Christianity seems at the first to be all about morality, all about duties and rules and guilt and virtue, it leads you on, out of all that, into something beyond. (Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis “Faith”)

James 2:14-20 4 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe- and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

Faith is realized, not explained. That is why there has been so much debate over the passage from James shown above – the two (faith and works) are inseparable. Faith can’t be defined, only shown. Faith can’t be produced, only experienced and then informed, but informed by experience (faith is never blind). Testimony of faith can only give affirmation to another faith already realized.

For me, I know faith is not mine to claim because I did not produce it. It is an in between place, where knowledge meets experience, where knowing about God becomes knowing God. It is that place where I have flapped my arms so hard and so long I can no longer lift them, but try anyway, then find that I’m flying. I don’t stay in the air, but having been there, I know I’ll be lifted up again. I also believe beyond all doubt the promise that one day falling and doubting will stop and I’ll fly forever, higher than I can see or even dream. I am assured of this when I see others who are flying higher than I am and higher than I thought anyone could go. Having flown, though, I know how far I had to fall to get as high as I have and I’ve seen how much further those above me had to fall to get where they are. I’m not sure I want to fall that far but I do want to be that high. I’m especially not sure when I’m falling, but sure enough to know that falling only lasts a while – flying is forever. You know what I mean?

Hebrews 10:35 - 11:1 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For, "Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him." 39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. 1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Send Me
My heart is ablaze
My mind is on fire
My altitude is high
My burden is heavy
My soul has awakened
My eyes are now seeing
My light is now shining
Lord, send me into the darkness
(Lee Johnson, 6-13-08)