Everyone these days is using (or abusing!) the word “faith.” You know something is off when people as diverse as Oprah, Dr. Laura, George Bush, Barak Obama Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn and John MacArthur are all using this word—obviously it cannot mean the same thing to each of them. In our post-modern era, “faith” has been redefined to mean a “CONNECTION” to the immaterial, spiritual realm. This ‘new’ spiritual realm or “faith realm” includes person of any religious persuasion: Christians, Jews, Moslems, Hindus and Buddhists, turning it into a “universal principle.” They all are referred to as ‘people of faith.’ Even people who believe in no god at all, can use the word “faith,” this universal principle of “connecting,” if they believe there is some kind of ‘positive energy’ inside (or outside) of themselves to which they can connect. Kind of creepy, isn’t it!?
How do we explain to people what’s wrong with this!
The word “faith” has been stolen from us! Faith is not a universal principle of connecting. Faith is a biblical concept, and can only be defined by the Bible. Faith defined as a universal principle by these post-modernists makes God and the Bible to be irrelevant. The Bible says we grow in faith by hearing (obeying) the Word of God. There is no other way. Great experiences in the Lord are not going to grow your faith. The Lord Jehovah demonstrated His power through many miracles to the Israelites, but it did not make them people of great faith! They were still afraid to enter the Promised Land and ended up in the desert for 40 years.
Faith grows by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). True faith is founded in the finished work of God through Jesus Christ. Faith that does not originate from Jesus and His work of redemption is no faith at all. Be careful how you use the word “faith.” And the next time you hear Oprah, or even Joel Osteen, speak of faith, remember it may not be “faith” as the Bible defines it.
Greg,
ReplyDeleteIt seems that the enemy of our spiritual growth is fond of using the strategy of "re-defining truth" in our American culture. All the more reason for us to be "DEFINING theologians" (in the words of Francis Schaeffer)so that our enemy has to respond to the "truth as it is IN JESUS!" In doing so we are giving the unsaved something to react to--to either embrace or reject. Either they see themselves as sinners in need of a Savior...or they have to harden themselves to being content with living in sin.
We are also giving believers something to react to--are we willing to die to our flesh and embrace the pain of death so that we might walk in newness of life? Or are we willing to nurse our flesh and try to keep it down just so it doesn't embarrass us too much? In other words, do we obey and embrace the disciplines of God's family life so that we might reign in life with Him, or do we just content ourselves in trying to impress others with our ability to "name-drop" that we are Christians and identify to a greater or lesser degree with Jesus' work, as long as it doesn't cost us too much?
Stan
Yes, and these are all "defining moments", aren't they!!
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