On Faith

Last week Lori and I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for our house church and a few of Lori's coworkers. We had a great time, and I think everyone else had fun too. I was also tasked with giving the message for Communion. Historically, the issue of faith has been a struggle for me. Being of analytical mind, the idea of faith was difficult for me to grasp for much of my life. This is (roughly) what I said.

 I've heard a lot of questions about faith recently. How do we know there is a god? How can we trust that the Bible is true? How can we know there is a heaven, what it is like and that we will go there? In the end, the short answer is there is no proof. We cannot scientifically prove the existence of God. We can't see him, feel him with our hands or measure him with instruments. We cannot prove by normal means that he inspired the words of the prophets, disciples and apostles any more than I can prove that he is guiding my thoughts as I write this. We can't find heaven with a telescope, microscope or any other tool. So how do we know?
 
The answer invariably comes back to "you must have faith." But we don't need to have a simple blind faith. Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." So how can we be sure? Faith in God requires no more faith than it takes to believe that my child will be born in the spring or that Lori and I will be in Illinois with my parents for Christmas. Have I seen it? Do I know the future? No. Do I know for sure that everything will go perfectly with this pregnancy? Of course not. But I have a faith in it that is based on my experience and knowledge. Much of which is now scientifically impossible to prove that it ever happened. I have never fathered a child. I cannot predict the weather and circumstances for the next month to say for certain that we will arrive in Peoria late on the 23rd. But I do know other fathers. I have heard tale of their experiences. I know from my own experience that the roads and weather at the end of December are generally ok for traveling.


And that brings us to what faith really is. I am as certain that God created us, this world and universe, that he loves us, came to be with us an die for us, and that he went on to prepare a place for us as I am certain that I will wake up tomorrow in my bed. It's not because someone has told me. Not because I've read it. I have opened myself to the amazing power of God and experienced it firsthand. I have been protected from injury, sickness and death in ways I can't explain. I have been comforted in my grief by forces I can only feel and measure spiritually. I have been given mental clarity in my darkest times — times that saw others around me fall and not be able to get back up. I have been supernaturally protected from death or at the very least severe injury in at least one situation where the physics just don't make sense, no matter how many times I analyze the variables.


So yes. I can say that I know there is a god. I can say that I know God personally. We have a great meal in front of us. We can taste the food and know that it is good. It is the same with God. Psalm 34:8 says "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." I have tasted my God. I am blessed by him, and for that, I am very thankful.

-Adam