Hopefully, this discussion of faith will be beneficial to each of you in some way. I can state that faith has never been an issue for me, but many years ago I wrestled with the whole concept of “what is faith”? Certainly Paul’s definition that “now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrew 11:1) must be the premise and foundation for any discourse on the subject of faith. Yet, as an individual who requires an intellectual component in identifying concepts, I knew that I needed to understand faith more fully. Finally, I came to the conclusion that there were three levels of faith and eventually identified them as types of faith. Before proceeding, let me state emphatically that no one type of faith is better than the other and for me, all three types of faith have personal meaning.
The first type of faith is what I identify as “blind faith”. I assume that it has been with us since the beginning of time. As humans, regardless of what we think we know, there is and always has been the unknown or unexplainable. There are those that will state that is why man created God. Beliefs that God is a “man made product” can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans and even earlier. The philosopher Karl Marx did, in fact, argue that capitalism utilized faith in a supreme being as a method of maintaining public submissiveness and control. To Marx, the belief that one’s righteousness would ultimately produce a reward of eternal life was a theory produced by state and society. Modern day atheists and some agnostics further argue that the belief in a God is simply a “crutch” for the weak. Yet for those with faith, we have an assurance that there has to be something greater than humans. The belief in God provides us with a base that ensures logic, meaning and order to the universe and to our lives. It is this conviction that drives “blind faith” for so many of us.
The second type of faith is what I call “event driven faith”. Very simply, an event in our life required some divine intervention as the only logical conclusion in understanding the resolution of that event. Some may call them miracles, but the individual knows with absolute certainty something greater than natural causes interceded. This strong conviction leads to a belief in a supreme being. If the individual had “blind faith” already, the event will have solidified their faith even more.
Finally, the third type of faith is what I call “intellectual faith”. This type of faith certainly isn’t for everyone, nor need it be. In my case, with a background in the classics, philosophy and religion, I needed to intellectually understand as much as I could about God and in that quest I found another type of faith. From an intellectual perspective there has to be ultimate truths and goodness in the universe. After years of dedicated study, I came to the conclusion that the teachings of Jesus possessed the most wisdom that existed and that humans could find utopia in this world if we only followed His teachings. In that pursuit, years ago, I came to a conclusion that no matter what scientific finding took place, it would not or could not ever shake my faith.
Thirty years have now passed, and I still maintain that those three types of faith are valid. But also through those years, I found that I really don’t seem to understand much about the world I live in and unfortunately, have also found I no longer possess the knowledge that I thought I had to solve all the problems in life that I have encountered since. What did become apparent to me was that there really is another type of faith. That faith is called “perfect faith”.
“Perfect faith” is the reality that you do not have all the answers but it really doesn’t matter. “Perfect faith” is a new way of seeing life. Aging allows you to appreciate the beauty of the world in a different way. It is a manner in which you now see the world around you that you never took the time to look at or truly understand before. It is the emotions — the satisfaction and love you feel when you look at your loved ones; the happiness you see in people’s eyes, or going out of your way to make someone feel appreciated or special. Science cannot truly define those emotions or explain them; the marketplace cannot determine a dollar value, they are truly a gift from God. “Perfect faith”, therefore, allows you to accept each day for what it is, enjoy as much as you can from the little things in life and not let the monumental things destroy you. “Perfect faith” permits you to accept the unknown because you have found peace, comfort, and trust in God, which gives meaning and purpose in life and the assurance that you never walk alone.
In essence, faith is having a personal relationship with God and confidence that He does hear our prayers. Through His power we can find the strength to overcome all obstacles and find happiness in our lives. Of course, most importantly, faith also guarantees that we will be saved and share eternal life with our God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Mr. Williams has degrees in Accounting and Economics with a minor in Classical Studies. He has spent 35 years in the business world, 15 years in education teaching Economics, Accounting and Business. He has been a student of the Bible his entire life. He has also been a leader in Bible Study Class and has done numerous sermons and meditations.
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