I am not a Christian because my faith always “works” for me.
Yes, it works in the spiritual realm, in terms of my standing with God and eternal destiny. I’ve been “saved by grace through faith,” which is a gift of God (Eph. 2:8). But if by “working for me” one means my faith in Christ necessarily makes my day go better and shields me from painful circumstances, it doesn’t always succeed. Not even if the “work” you’re referring to describes a person’s inner state. Christian faith doesn’t always “work” in that sense, either. Even if it did, it wouldn’t be the ultimate evidence of the validity of one’s faith.
Talk to a devout Mormon, non-Messianic Jew, Muslim, or even Buddhist and he may cite the sense of order or serenity that his belief gives him. Yet those belief systems contradict mine, so logically these various faith systems cannot all be true.
If I were a Christian just because believing in Jesus and having my quiet time have utility for me–because me days are more likely to unfold in a smooth, trouble-free manner–I’d be a pragmatist, pure and simple. And I’d be prone to shuck my commitment to Christ the moment a different philosophy or belief system offered me more. My belief would be based on immediate outcomes, not historical veracity.
Don’t get me wrong. Following Christ offers benefits not only for eternity, but in the here and now. Faith in Him has sustained me through trials, provided perspective for decision-making, granted me brothers and sisters (spiritual kin) who enrich my life, and occasionally spawns the ineffable joy of intimate moments with Him through prayer or His Word.
But it doesn’t work for me now all the time. There’s the inevitable warfare with the world, the flesh, and the devil to contend with. In my case, either chronic depression or an emotionally-frail temperament get the best of me. I’ll keep praying for strength in warfare and keep fighting to experience more of His joy. Yet I don’t want to be among the growing number of Christians, who, according to James I. Packer, expect God to give them on earth what He only promised for heaven.
From a theological perspective, I’m a Christian because God chose me and initiated a relationship with me. He opened my heart to the grace of the gospel I sorely needed (Ephesians 2:1-9).
From a human perspective, my faith is in Christ not because it “works,” but because I believe Christianity is true. The Bible’s story of redemption is the most logical way to explain this world and the purpose of its creation. Here’s how C. S. Lewis put it: “I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because of it, I see everything else.”
Truth is objective reality. No matter how I feel on any given day, or what happens to me, truth doesn’t change. Truth just is! This idea is what I try to convey in the following poem.
Nature of Truth
When all hope yields to despair
and I doubt that God is there;
When my heart is cold, unfeeling,
and prayers bounce off the ceiling;
When depression takes its toll
and winter winds assault my soul;
when the race seems all uphill
and dying grows in its appeal;
when things don’t go as expected–
still, God’s truth is unaffected.
The truth of Christianity doesn’t depend on your circumstances or emotional state. How does that make you feel?
Thank our Lord for your Bible, for “The sum of Your Word is truth” (Ps. 119:160).
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