I have found that ‘faith’ is one of the most misunderstood ideas at church even though it is the only thing God requires of those He saves to Himself for eternity. The Bible makes it clear that it is our faith in the gospel of Jesus by which we are saved, and not by works. Doesn’t it make sense to have a clear understanding of what faith is, how to get it, how to be sure you have it?
I remember so well, all the times I asked questions about faith. The only answer I ever got is that it is something I just had to have…followed by nothing. There was no clear directions on how to attain it. In fact as far as I could tell it is just something church members had but could not tell me how, where, when, by who, or any tangible proof about it.
This made no sense to me at all. What I have come to realize is that most people at churches have had Christian upbringings were their ‘faith’ was inherited from birth in much the same way as a child inherits their parents language. ‘Faith’ became something Christian upbringing produced in a child, just something they were told they had.
I did not grow up in a Christian home but with the average secular upbringing as all my friends at school. The word ‘faith’ was simply not in my vocabulary, and in fact I can only remember ‘faith’ being used as a bit of a dig on someone…”just have faith” I would hear from time to time but it meant nothing to me.
I cannot remember a time in my childhood that I did not wonder about church and God. Some of my friends went to church and it was always a different experience to visit their homes and see their customs, specially praying? I did a lot of wondering. At the young age of about 16 years I met a girl that attended a local catholic church. I decided to try going with her and her family. After a few times I was so shocked and confused by what I had heard I just couldn’t believe a word of it. This was the start of my desire to know what Christians seemed to know, but I couldn’t understand.
My desire to know ‘faith’ along with the same confusing attempts at going to church, continued throughout life up to my 66th year. It seemed like forever that I had been searching for some sort proof. I wanted to believe. I wanted ‘faith’! One day while driving to Calgary God showed me the proof.
That proof was life changing. It was not being born again, or a visit from an angel, or even anything detectable by my five senses. But, it was proof!
That proof was like the proof I got when I knew for the first time I could ride a bike, when I knew for the first time I could start a car engine, or like when I knew for the first time I did anything in life. Those first times grew into my most trusted people and all the knowledge I have accumulated since birth.
Recognizing that proof led me to another ‘first time’. It was the first time I trusted His Word. The Bible tells us that ‘trust’ is the beginning of understanding and of knowledge.
Looking back on my search for understanding of faith in God’s Word, it is now obvious that I was never taught ‘how’ to trust His Word. Without trusting it I could not understand it.
Trust, truly is the beginning of all I know and understand today. I was never shown how to trust His Word, and it is the reason it took me a life time to develop faith in His Word.
Christians have learned to trust His Word through their upbringing, the rest of us need to learn it somehow else. That somehow else is KOOTENAY UNCHURCH, (KU).
Following this blog will explain why you were so confused and unbelieving at what you see and hear on TV or locally at a church. Until you discover for yourself that you can trust His Word you will not be able to understand it. It is through the process of trusting His Word that we develop faith in it along with intense joy and piece of mind.
KU
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