Two Men Seek Faith    
 

by Bill Hall

 

Two men seek faith. The first man's approach is to try to find solutions to all the problems. He has delved deeply into the difficult questions relating to the Genesis account of creation. He has read volumes on the flood. He finds the story of Jonah particularly challenging. He relies heavily on archaeology and secular history for confirmation of his solutions. He believes because he is satisfied with his own answers to the problems of faith. The second man's approach centers upon Jesus Christ. He too has had to consider evidences and struggle with certain problems, but he is fully persuaded that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and has confessed that he believes that fact with all his heart. Believing in Jesus as the infallible Son of God, he does not question anything Jesus believed, anything Jesus said, or anything Jesus authorized to be said. He, too, wondered about the Genesis account of creation, but his questions ceased when he read the words of Jesus: "Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?" (Matt. 19:4,5). If Jesus' stamp of approval was on the creation story, that was good enough for him. He didn't have the solution to all the problems, but he believed because Jesus believed it, and he believed in Jesus. His faith   in other Old Testament accounts was similarly established. He found Jesus' stamp of approval on the flood (Matthew 24:37-39) and the story of Jonah (Matt. 12:40), and, in fact, on all the Old Testament record in one sweeping statement recorded in Luke 24:44: "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. " Since the New Testament contains what Jesus said combined with what He authorized to be said, he had no trouble believing the New Testament. His faith in the whole Bible simply rests upon his faith in Christ as the in-fallible Son of God. He too finds the study of the problems of faith intriguing and challenging, but his own personal faith is not dependent on finding solutions to all the problems. The first man's faith stands on shaky ground, for it is founded on human wisdom. Should some later archaeological discovery or other bit of evidence not now known prove his solutions to be false, the very foundation of his faith would be gone. He would have to seek new solutions or lose his faith entirely. The second man's faith may not appeal to the highly sophisticated, but it   is founded   on the  rock - on the One who is   "the same yesterday,   and today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) "So then faith   cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom 10:17)    .  Other Articles by Bill Hall Self-Control By Grace Through Faith ... but When? Good Leadership Christians With No Denominational Ties Two Men Can't Agree on Religion Two Men Know They Are Saved The Church's Purpose Attitudes Towards the Weak The Booing Spectators Two Men Disagree With the Preacher       For Past Auburn Beacons go to: www.aubeacon.com/Bulletins.htm   Anyone can join the mailing list for the Auburn Beacon! Send your request to: larryrouse@aubeacon.com