Faith; The Foundation Of The Human Experience

Faith, the foundation of the Human experience. By F. Martin

Such a broad statement to begin discussion, yet one that is worthy of much explanation. Since my word is of ill effect, let us join spirits and intertwine with the Holy Spirit who will provide wisdom and insight to this text. He will hear us if we beckon earnestly and honestly and will provide much needed clarity for our days ahead.

As I did in times past, and perhaps many of you share this thought. We are products part and parcel of Love. Love being the most important and sustaining element in our lives. This seems and appears to be sound reasoning. Yet my discussion revolves around this thought being in error. The word tells us that;

1 John 4

6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

So first and foremost God instructs us through John that we must love. It is a requirement for the children of God. It seems germane to the entire product of Christianity that this would be so. If I could indulge in an analogy, prior to our senses becoming manifest to the things around us, we grow in our love by the love shown towards us by our family. Brethren, there is probably one or more of you who can remember the way they loved upon their younger siblings, or received love from the elder siblings. So God instructs us for our growth to love one another. Jesus came to explain, that besides the 10 commandments (not suggestions) given to Moses, Jesus added two that would be the foundation of His ministry with us.

Matthew 22

35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets

Jesus said to hang all the law and the prophets on these two commandments. This very statement keeps the other ten intact and as potent as ever, yet increases the responsibility to the hearer and the faithful. You must love to grow in the Kingdom of God. This discussion shall take a turn here. To love, you must first believe that He is. As the word states;

Hebrews 11

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

God made it quite plain over and over again that we must be founded on faith. Which is this discussion’s text. Faith is the foundation of the Human experience. It is the strength and the bond in which we link ourselves to the very things we hold dear. Our hearts imagine many things, yet through faith do we act on those imaginations. Faith can be perverted, yet when operating in the manner in which God intended, you would rather rely on a young man with an emptied skull portion of an ass, then a thousand armed soldiers of a king. You would be better suited to trust in the feeble staff of an aged stuttering murderer, than the chariots of an Egyptian prince. It is faith that has put lions to sleep, and caused flames to neither burn nor devour the clothes of three young boys, or the stems of a mountain bush.

When Jesus walked, He routinely made notice of the faith of those in His ministry. A notation that God wanted us to rely upon. God wanted us to be stern caretakers of the faith He provides.

Matthew 8

9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

Jesus did not marvel at the soldiers leadership, or courage. He did not condemn Israel for their lack of love, or strength.