Are we getting faith all wrong?
For most Christians of Western culture, faith is a bit of an enigma.
I mean, it is such an important concept in Christianity. It lies at the very foundation of our belief system, yet very few of us can explain it properly.
The question is, if I ask you to explain the meaning of the word faith to someone who is searching for God, will you get it right? And this is so critical.
- When you understand faith wrong, you will think wrong.
- And when you think wrong, you will behave wrong.
- And when you behave wrong, you won’t please God.
- And when you don’t please God, you miss out on His blessings—and then you look for your happiness elsewhere.
It is therefore no wonder that the Western world is sinking deeper and deeper into apostasy. One misunderstood word is all it takes.
Now let me get to the gist of the matter. There is simply no single word in the English language or culture today that properly conveys the meaning of the original word, whether in Aramaic, Hebrew, or Greek, that we now find translated as ‘faith’. Today, we tend to think of faith as a way of thinking or feeling, but in the original cultures, it was understood as being relational, reciprocal, exclusive, purposeful, and enduring. Did you get that?
Remember those five words. Relational, reciprocal, exclusive, purposeful, and enduring.
To put it differently. Saving faith is not a once-off thing of inviting Jesus into your heart, and then you are saved. It has to do with walking with God in an exclusive relationship of mutual trust on a covenant journey towards a specific destination. And it’s not about how you start your journey that counts; it’s about how you finish it. Inviting Jesus into your life is just the starting point of the journey. In this journey, you have to put your trust in Him and only in Him.
And He must also be able to trust you to stay true to Him in return. It’s not only about trusting Him, it is also about being trustworthy. And when you fail, repent and get back into harmony with Him. As such, it works just like it does in a marriage since it is a covenant journey. It’s about trusting God to get you to your destiny, no matter the circumstances. The original concept of faith includes both the journey and the destination.
There you have it. Relational, reciprocal, exclusive, purposeful, and enduring.
Maybe you can be the one who finds a single new English word that will explain all of this in one go. Just give it a try.
Talking of tries. After God had explained all of this and proved it to me from the original language and cultural contexts, it just so happened that the 2024 Rugby World Cup tournament was coming up. So He said to me in my heart. “Let me give you an example. If you trust the Springboks to win the World Cup, you cannot stop supporting them when things are going badly, you have to continue to believe in them and to support them until the moment they lift the cup.”
This was a good example, so I just filed it on a shelf for later use. So when South Africa beat France with one point in the quarter-final, I didn’t make much of it, except that it was a tough game. But in the semi-final, when South Africa had to score at least twice against England in just about 10 minutes, my faith hit rock bottom.
That was when Jesus reminded me of His faith lesson.
He wasn’t being hypothetical after all. This was for real! But I still very much doubted. Yet I knew that Jesus was testing me. I had to put my faith into action. But looking around me, I saw everyone around me looking as gloomy as I felt. So it was pretty tough to come up with the right action. Eventually, all I could get out was, “Watch now how we’re going to win this game.” I felt like an idiot. But then the game started to turn around. And we won. Once again, with only one point. Now that was a real test of my faith.
All that remained was the final against New Zealand.
I must confess that I didn’t feel very positive. This wasn’t the same New Zealand that the Springboks had beaten at Twickenham. But then, right before the game started, my wife noted that the Springbok captain Siya Kolisi was praying while the All Blacks did the haka. At that moment, my faith returned. If you honour God, He will honour you. Do the math.
So when we reached the point where South Africa was leading by one point, I realised that it was going to be the final score. And it was.
Now, for those who don’t understand rugby. This is not soccer. To win with one point is quite rare. To do it in three consecutive knock-out games is nearly impossible. It suggests a higher hand.
God was just making a point.
He was emphasising the truth He taught me about faith. But He didn’t do it just for me. And that is why I’m sharing it with you now. His word says that the truth will stand on the testimony of two or three witnesses. So, winning three consecutive knock-out games with 1 point each constitutes the first witness. For the second witness, let’s look at the total points scored in those three knock-out games.
Quarter-final: South Africa 29 – France 28
Semi-final: South Africa 16 – England 15
Final: South Africa 12 – New Zealand 11
Add them all together: 29+28+16+15+12+11 = 111. Three ones again. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
But there is a third witness.
Only four countries have ever won the Rugby World Cup. Firstly, there is England, with one trophy. Australia is next with +1. They have two trophies. Then New Zealand with +1, they have three trophies. And finally, South Africa with +1. They have four trophies. Once again, the +1 is repeated three times.
It just so happened that at the same time the Rugby World Cup was taking place, my church congregation, along with a few others across the country, was presenting a series of sermons, called the +1 series. (And I have the fridge magnets to prove it.)
Do you believe in coincidence? I don’t.
So, to wrap it all up, let us see what God has to say about three ones.
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. [1Jn 5:7-8 KJV]
The results that we saw in the Rugby World Cup would not have been possible without God orchestrating it in heaven and without man playing into His hands on earth. Jesus is calling you to faith. If you honour Him, he will honour you. His two witnesses are waiting to hear your answer.
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, [Deu 30:19 ESV]
You can only answer yes or no. The choice is yours.