Faith

Dear brothers and sisters, In popular culture we hear talk of the importance of faith. Faith in exactly what is not clear, but the concept of believing in something is touted as important. A phrase I feel like I have heard a lot in recent years is the need to believe in yourself. “If you believe in yourself”, we are told, “you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to”. I’m not sure what you think of that phrase, but it seems to be the vain rallying call of a world that needs something to actually believe in! When we think about what it is that we ought to put our faith in, our minds may wander to the Scriptures, where we are told of the importance of having faith. Faith is not a feeling, but rather trust in something reliable. Faith is not a foolish hope, rather it is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen (Hebrews 11). And faith isn’t something that just springs into our hearts, rather it comes from hearing. We hear the word of our Lord, and on believing it we are able to declare that Jesus is Lord, and that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10). There is a wonderful interchange in Romans 10:8-15, exhorting us to hear the word, believe it in our hearts, and therefore declare it with our mouths. Faith is not something personal to hide, rather, it is the triumphant message of the risen Lord, Christ Jesus, who conquered sin and death and brings healing in his wings. As we hear this message, it renews our hearts, and surging up inside will burst forth as we declare the excellencies of him who calls us into his marvellous light. In Christ’s Love, Craig Olliffe