The Will to Believe
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4 NASB
Walk – I got an email. “It is certainly not your responsibility to help me but I still struggle with some crippling doubt. I still have trouble seeing, at times anyway, not always, the difference between what we believe and the power of positive thinking. Yes, the disciples all died horrible deaths for what they believed. But no one can prove to me that they walked the earth, much less that what they ‘witnessed’ happened.”
How would you respond to this cry for help? Would you quickly run to your apologetics texts and haul out arguments and evidence for the resurrection? Would you regurgitate Aquinas’ five proofs for the existence of God? Would you tell your story? Do you think any of those efforts would do any good?
Buried in this email is a thoroughly modern epistemology. That epistemology (how we know things) asks for something that the Western worldview cannot deliver – proof! What we want is absolute certainty before we will believe. We will never get it. This Greek-based worldview wants evidence about the world to have the same characteristics as mathematics. In mathematics I can have proof. But that simply can’t happen in the external world because the world is not circumscribed with strictly-held rules like the game of mathematics. At best, the world is filled with fuzzy logic. At worst, it is stuffed with paradox.
There is another crucial reason why the expectation of proof is focused in the wrong direction. Proof makes trust unnecessary. No one has to exercise willpower to believe 2 + 2 = 4. There is no possibility of doubt about this. Therefore, there is no need to make a willful decision to trust that 2 + 2 = 4. Anyone who doubts this would be considered insane.
Contemporary conviction about beliefs requires justification before conviction. But this isn’t the biblical (Semitic) approach. In the Bible, I make a commitment and then I discover (perhaps) its justification. “But wait,” you object, “that means I could make a commitment to anything. To Islam, for example. What keeps me from following just any view?”
The answer is found in the radical difference between our idea of commitment and the Hebrew idea of commitment. Our idea of commitment is that we embrace a way of thinking. That’s what we call commitment – to vouch that something is true. So, we believe that Jesus is God or that lying is wrong, etc. We can believe these statements without any real impact on how we act. But the Hebrew view is very different. To make a commitment is to live a certain kind of life. To commit is to walk according to God’s instructions. It doesn’t really matter what I think about these instructions. If I commit myself to them, then I do them, regardless of my current thinking. I am not asked, or expected, to justify them. I am asked to obey them – to make them my way of living. I am asked to put my trust in these instructions about life even if I don’t have proof.*
That doesn’t mean the biblical instructions are unreasonable. Upon examination, they are very reasonable. I need to follow the Ten Commandments. I need to love my neighbor. I need to honor my parents. I need to worship. I need to be careful about what I eat. These codes of conduct make life workable. But I don’t have absolute certainty about any of these things. I decide to make them my code of conduct. I put my trust in them. This is what it means to have faith – to rely on the trustworthiness of the instructions. And the only way I can do that is to live by them. Any other claim of faith – without the code of conduct – is a Western view of justified statements. It isn’t the biblical view of faith.
Over time we discover that this is the way life on this planet really works anyway. All the really important decisions in life are trust decisions, not proof decisions. That means there is always the presence of doubt at some level, but it doesn’t matter. Doubt is the other side of trust. What matters is how I walk, and by walking I discover that my trust is sufficient, just like His grace.
“A Jew is asked to take a leap of action rather than a leap of thought. He is asked to surpass his needs, to do more than he understands in order to understand more than he does. In carrying out the word of the Torah he is ushered into the presence of spiritual meaning. Through the ecstasy of deeds he learns to be certain of the hereness of God. Right living is a way to right thinking.”[1]
Doubt all you want. Doubt is crucial for the development of spiritual growth. But don’t stop doing! Failure to obey isn’t a lack of sufficient evidence. It is a lack of oxygen. Without obedience we die.
Topical Index: doubt, walk, justification, evidence, Romans 6:4
*This is the reason why negotiating with true followers of Islam is hopelessly misguided. True followers are committed to a way of life, not a set of rational propositions.
[1] Abraham Heschel, I Asked for Wonder: A Spiritual Anthology, p. 120.
Today’s article on “walking” caused me to connect it with 1 Peter 3:1-6. That passage is about ACTION, not TALK.
I heard this quote from Dorothy Day: “I only love God as much as I love the person I love the least.”
(see http://scottsdale.cityofgrace.com/mediasort/series/the-art-of-relationships/) 35 MIN video
If we are not “walking” in “newness of life” then we have not been baptized together with Him. Right here is one “proof.”
“Prove” that I do not exist. Prove that water does not exist, neither oxygen, nor food. All these things are only figments of my over-active imagination. Right? Oh, and the word of G-d,- Skip has been making all this “stuff and nonsense” up for the past how many years now?
And all those poor deluded sheeple.. (including myself..) who believe this (fairy tale?) lol!-
Prove to me cherry pie exists! And love! And music! And laughter! You can’t “see” laughter can you?
Dumb with a capital D. It is much harder not to believe than it is to believe.
The “evidence” is overwhelming. Not only am I “whelmed,” but I am “overwhelmed.” lol! Prove the existence of G-d. What a hoot! Thank you for this today!
My apologies to all, but I’m going to keep my mind and I am going to keep on thinking and using the grey stuff within my skull. Oh how Greek! -“Balderdash!..” I will think before I do. I don’t just go out and mow the lawn- I think about it first- then I do. Mercy. What’s for breakfast? Uh.. let me think.- No..-just “do.” Blather.
G-d doesn’t want us to think- right? “Just do it.” Jump off the front porch wearing roller skates. What were you thinking? er… I wasn’t. Is thinking Greek? Have I lost my mind? I know it’s here somewhere.. at least I believe it’s here somewhere.. looking..looking.. Ah.. here it is. I’m good. -lol!
Does G-d exist? lol! Puh-lease people.. Does my watch “prove” the existence of a watch factory or a watch designer somewhere? Or did this watch just “happen?” OY! I’m “thinking” (everyone RUN!!..) -I’m going to go fix some breakfast.. (and then I’m going to “do!”) May I enjoy my coffee now? May I pray and thank G-d for the gift of this new day?
I think 🙂 ! that’s the point. Westerners want to leave off at the mental ascent of a thing, In other words, that’s as far as it goes. God declares that it’s BOTH the mental ascent and the activity that determines faith. I think we as christians often make a gross mistake in only partaking of half (?) of God’s word. But that isn’t anything new, Jesus told the pharisees that they should have done the tithe AND mercy. They are parts of the same whole. Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is ECHAD! All the different parts of the temple were echad as well. Different parts, same unit!
Yes, that is what Yeshua said in the verse quoted above, “Love God with everything.” “And your neighbor as yourself.”
It seems to me, that the emphasis of Scripture is not so much in our understanding of God and His word, but in our active obedience to His revealed Word. The journey of obedience leads to a place of true rest and understanding.
Yes, YHWH is not divided. He is ONE! And neither should we divide our lives as His image bearers to this world.
Thanks for sharing, especially your words about the temple.
Robert, what does G-d’s written word say? “Be doers of the word and not hearers only.” (I heard that!) “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1.22)
What did the mother of Yeshua say unto the servants? – Whatever He says – “do it.” Do whatever He tells you. (John 2.5) What words were directly from the mouth of the Living Word, -our Master? (should we listen to Him?) “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed (happy) if you do them.” (John 13.17)
No, there are too many admonitions in scripture to effectively list concerning obedience. But my favorite of all is the “shema.” “Listen and obey.” One word. Shema. Now is a good time for a “Selah!” The pause that refreshes!
Obedience is our only “right-response” to the word of the LORD. G-d spoke to Abraham and the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey and “busted a move” to carry out G-d’s request.. He did what G-d said to do. G-d spoke to Moses. Grab the snake by the tail. What did Moses do? He grabbed the snake by the tail. Jesus said throw your nets on the other side of the boat. What did the talmudim do? The cast their nets on the other side of the boat. And the consequences of obedience? Blessing, without fail, – every time. Well, what do you know?- This “stuff” works! Obey G-d, do what He says and live a full, joyous, love-filled life. Problem free? Not a chance. We are being transformed and conformed into the image of the Son. Gotta have those problems if we want to grow. No pain- no gain or the “investment” of short-term pain for long-term gain. It’s all good! G-d (we can rest assured) knows what He is doing. Iron sharpens iron through heat and pressure. Add a drop of oil for a lubricant and the instrument (us) is sharpened.
We are “discussing’ the very same point, just from different sides of the same coin. Yes, I agree faith is action and (again) as G-d’s book says (we do believe His words, right?) faith without works is dead (non-productive). I dare not give “mental ascent” as you call it to the ONE to whom I own my next breath and heartbeat. No way Hose’. I am “p-owned” and bought (redeemed) with a very high price. Friends, this American Westernized Christian (should I throw in a YeeHahhhh?) Gentile/Jew is a new creation in Christ! Sins forgiven, heaven-born and heaven-bound, blood-washed, prayed up, looking up, listening intently, loving and living intentionally and finding out what a great adventure it is to live “by faith!”
To all (whether Jew or Gentile) the central issue at stake here is the cross of Christ. Everyone regardless of social status, or political background, regardless of skin color or sex must come to the Father through the shed blood of Yeshua the son. Our focused attention should be given to spreading the good news of the Lamb who was slain for the sins of all the world (including my own). When the Bible says “all have sinned” this includes me. When the Bible says “whosoever will” I am (Hallelujah!) included as well. This is the mandate of our Messiah: “that He might in Himself create the two into one new man, making peace and might reconcile both in one body to G-d” (Ephesians 2:11)
“All” are reconciled to G-d through the blood of the cross. G-d excludes no one. His invitation “come unto me” is universal.
Oh, and here we are talking about the “existence” of G-d. Was the cross of Christ “real?” Did He really suffer, bleed and die and then three days later-did He conquer death, sin and the grave? Yes, yes, He did. Because G-d so loved the world..
“Teacher, what is the greatest commmandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:36-40
Mental ascent will not get you a cent with God. It is enagement with and doing what He says with everything in us, (love) that we discover His purpose for our lives.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us! Fleshing out or obedience is the only way to experience and come to know the depths of His love for us. His word must become flesh to us.
We are not called to figure it out, but to walk it out!
His Father is always working. It is in His movement and our joining to that movement. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Doing His commandments is our oppurtunity to move where the Ruack HaKodesh is moving.
SKip,
Couple of questions come to mind form your comment today:
1. “True followers are committed to a way of life, not a set of rational propositions.”
“and you are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your understanding and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). This seems to indicate we are to love God comprehensively – no loose edges. Is it possible, then, to exclude “rational propositions” out of the the phrase “whole of life” if we to love God with our heart, soul, mind, strength?
2. “But I don’t have absolute certainty about any of these things.”
Can we be absolutely certain that we cannot have absolute certainty? Are you suggesting that faith is an “upper story” leap that is beyond rationality?
It’s quite the delimna, the very “rational” commands of God only seem rational in a world where everybody plays by those rules. In our sin infested world, “love your neighbor” seems to be a risky, rather than rational deed. That’s what really makes obedience to His word an act of “second story faith”. Do we really believe God will DELIVER us from all evil!? And just how is He gonna go about that anyway!?
I’d like to show you a passage of scripture that I missed for years, that speaks to this very issue. In Matthew’s account of the passion,Yeshua says that He is, “sorrowful even unto death” and when he goes out to pray, He asks that the cup be taken from Him if it’s the Father’s will. What I missed was the next part, the 2nd prayer isn’t the same. What He says is, “if this cup can’t be taken from me UNLESS I DRINK IT”. When did the Messiah’s sorrow turn to joy? In the DRINKING of the cup! Even God in the flesh wasn’t “delivered from His sorrow” until obedience was practised.
Fully God-fully man
Wow, Robert – thanks for that. I had never seen (or noticed) that point in Yeshua’s prayer in Matthew. That ties in very nicely with what Skip was saying in part 3 of this series.. Shalom.
I quick reply.
1. Proposition may be derived from lived faith but they are completely insufficient without it.
2. Not having absolute certainty does not presuppose that I can’t have it. It just acknowledges that I don’t have it.
3. The Greek metaphysics, based as it in in mathematics, expects certainty in answers to life’s questions. Hebrew metaphysics acknowledges that even certainty exists it can only be revealed (not derived) by a sovereign God. Therefore, a quest for certainty without the input of revelation (which cannot be show to be certain) will always lead to epistemological bankruptcy.
Faith is our right-response to what G-d says. It is not something we wish for or conjour up with our over-active imaginations. We respond to the word(s) of G-d. G-d speaks (through His written word)- we respond in obedience. Obedience is the right response when G-d speaks- that is if we “shema” (listen and obey) the word(s) of G-d.
Faith comes through hearing. The word of G-d enters through our ability to hear. “If any man (that’s me!) have ears to hear. I’m listening. How about you? Are you receptive to the word of the LORD? Do you want to know what G-d has said (and is saying?) Is the desire of your heart to obey what you hear? If G-d were to reveal His will to us (what He desires) would we obey? The choice is ours. To do or not to do -that is the question! But first we must “welcome the word”. We must be receptive, we must be surrendered and we must be willing. To give, to go or to stay and pray. To love, to embrace, to shun- all activities of life are centered around Him. Christ is the center of every area of our lives. “In Him” we live and move and have our being. How can we possibly “run away” from G-d when everywhere we are- He is there already! Yes, Jonah- even in the belly of a great fish!
We walk by faith NOT by sight. We all need more “faith-walking” (listening/responding in obedience to His words) and less “sight-seeing.” “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4.18) Yeah, that’s right! We can’t see G-d. Immortal, invisible, G-d only wise. “Things not seen.” I can see where people think we’re a bit “squirrelly.”
In order to walk by faith we need to know what G-d says. How can we know? “It is written.” The will of G-d, the wisdom of G-d and the ways of G-d are all contained and revealed for every man within the words of G-d. We must become people of the Book. “If you abide in me and my words abide in you..” Where do we find His words? In His book! The Lamb’s book of life! All of G-d’s instructions for abundant living. “It’s in there!” “We do err not knowing the scriptures nor the power of G-d.” (Helpful household hint..)- He spoke the world into existence! Amen!