UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF FAITH BY GABRIEL CHIDERA ONYEMA (PART 2a)

                    Faith understands how the creation was formed

So, faith assists us to really understand the unverifiable. In other words, understanding concerning the beginning of the universe need not be a matter of speculation or personal opinion. No, faith allows for, and brings about, real understanding because faith accepts the testimony of God’s Word. And the Scriptures clearly state that God is the agent of creation. Notice Job 38:1-7, “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you instruct Me! Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, who set its measurements, since you know? Or who stretched the line on it? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars [the angels] sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?'” (cf. Is. 40:12ff.). For that matter, where was anybody to bear witness to how God actually brought about the creation? How often could this word of indictment and judgement be leveled against those who would speculate out of their own fallen reason and dark understanding. Remember, the uniqueness of Biblical faith is that it responds to, and acquiesces in, the truth of God. The Word of God gives birth to faith, and in that experience of faith, one knows, understands, and is convinced about the truth in view.

So, by faith in the truth of God’s Word, we may understand not only that God made the universe, but also how He made it. God’s Word tells us that God made the universe by Hisspoken word (that is the more accurate translation of the original Greek) – “that the worlds were prepared by the word of God.” It is by a divinely spoken word that the universe came to be, and faith by its very nature accepts this Scriptural testimony without question and without doubt. For instance, Psalm 33:6,9 reads, “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host…For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” The Word of God emphatically states that by the spoken word the universe came to be.

How do you view the Word of God? Ask yourself that question. How do you understand the Bible? Is it simply a collection of legends and myths? What is your attitude towards the Scriptures? That will determine the reality and quality of your faith. If you believe that the Bible is fallible, that it consists of errors; if you believe that the Bible simply consists of myths, folklore, and legends, then you will have a weak faith. Maybe that is why many Christians struggle in their faith; they do not have a high view of the Scriptures, but rather have a very low one. Again, it is the Word of God that brings forth faith and gives power to it. Faith stands or falls, depending upon how you view the Word of God and the impact that that Word makes on your heart. The reality of faith is rooted in the Word of God. I think of a young man who was wrestling with his faith, to the point where he began to doubt the teachings of God’s Word, and began to question the infallibility and authority of God’s Word. It is sad to report that he no longer professes faith in Jesus Christ. I am not surprised. You cannot question the truth of God’s Word without also having serious spiritual repercussions, and also a weak faith.

Let me ask you again (and this is a critical question), what is your view of the Scriptures? Do you see the Bible as the very Word of God, and that every word given in the original manuscripts was inspired by God; that when this revelation was originally given, God so moved and worked in the human beings, who were the instruments of recording that revelation, that what they recorded was indeed the inerrant, infallible word of God? If you do not believe this, I suspect that you often have a struggle with your faith; you probably have little spiritual power.