Two kinds of Faith

 

Two kinds of Faith

The Seen and the Unseen

The Scriptures tell us that without Faith it is impossible to please God

 

Hebrews 11:6

 

And Scripture gives us a clear picture of Faith in Hebrews 11:1

 

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

 

The title is two kinds of Faith, the one most common in our culture, and people who have put their faith in Christ are not immune to this type of faith.

 

Let’s talk about the Yellow Line faith

 

I have never met a person who drives a car or truck that does not have yellow line faith.  One day, I was on a narrow two-lane road, and this thought came into my mind, Bob, you sure put a lot of faith in that yellow line. Now that was a strange thing to enter my pea-sized mind, and I began to think about that yellow line down the road.   It is just a yellow painted line, and yet we trust that the trucks and cars that come in the opposite Direction will not cross that line, now that is faith.  Why, because we have seen evidence of people who cross that line, and it did not go well for them or the ones in the other car.

 

When you begin to give thought to the Yellow Line Faith, a painted line, your mind has to go to the many other areas of things you have placed faith in, like your job or career, your bank account, and investment, but one must recall 1930’s when people lost everything, and many who had put their faith in money and wealth, jumped out windows to their deaths.

 

What about how many have put their faith in government, or the military, and found that also to be misplaced faith?  So that brings us to a faith that is not seen but is hoped for. 

What kind of faith is God referring to in Hebrews 11:6, that without this kind of Faith, it is impossible to please God?  I believe most everyone has faith in something, but I’ve discovered it is not faith but the object of your faith that is all important.  Today our Pastor preached on Mark 9:14-29, which is about a boy with an unclean spirit, but it is more about a dad who came to Jesus as a last resort, and we all know Jesus asks, “How long has this been happening  to him?”  Now you need to read the account, but the unclean spirit knew he was in trouble when he saw Jesus and threw the boy to the ground, and this was the dad's reply to Jesus, “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”  

 

You may be where that dad was; he was bankrupt in the faith department. Scripture does not tell us how many places he has taken his son, but it does make clear he ends up finding a fix.  This is Jesus’ reply to his answer and maybe to yours: “If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.”  Dad’s, we need the object of our Faith to be centered in the only one that is Truth, who can touch and change your life forever.

 

This was my encounter with Jesus; it was not in a building where the Church meets, but at a hotel.  I was a Baptist; that was my identity, and God's spirit had been showing me this truth.  It is found in John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  I had been attending a Bible study with a few men on Wednesday, and over the six months, it became clear they knew and had a relationship with the Jesus I knew about.

That night in Victoria, Texas, as I put the key in the door of my room, I heard a voice, it said This is the last night my Spirit will deal with you.  Yes, I was fearful, and I got that hotel Bible by my bed, and it opened to Romans chapter 10, and my eyes went to verses 9-10.  This was what I read and acted on that night.   ^“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes and is justified, and with the mouth, one confesses and is saved.”  That night I needed to understand who was the object of my faith, it was the Lord, Jesus Christ, who paid my sin debt in full, and I confessed my need to not only believe but to put my life in His hands, for He is a Promise Keeper, and my God and Master.

From our Back Porch,

Bob Rice