Categories: uncategorized
Date: 07 February 2006 12:51:02
I'm starting to write my next sermon ready for the 26th. I had decided that it would be on faith and what it means to us. I'd not mentioned this to FW but she chose Hebrews 11 for our bible study on Saturday morning. Coincidence?
As we were ready I looked in the back of my study bible and found that prior to the New Testament faith is only mentioned twice. Well in the NIV anyway. Then I thought about this.
Does this mean that faith was not required previously? Was it just taken for granted that God was there? Did things change so much when Jesus arrived that the old ways were completely changed?
We definitely went from a more corporate belief system to one that was far more personal. Jesus did show that personal faith was far more important than following the rituals and old laws. This has brought us to a more personal relationship with our God. One that is both unique to us but also just as relevant to the wider body of the faithful.
The new belief in God means something different to each of us. None of us has the same journey through life and therefore none of us can have the same experiences with God.
As a younger person I was always confused that people talked about coming to God through a personal vision or event. Yes, they were unique but also seemed to be universal. As someone who was brought up as a Christian from the cradle, I felt cheated that I had not experienced this. I felt that maybe my faith wasn't as valid as their's.
Then I realised that they came from a different background. Their lives were different to mine. Their conversions were no more valid than my own.
That's when I started to stop worrying about others and began to look at my own life. I have tried, as Lanark is doing, to root out what is wrong and to embrace what's good. It takes time. Well, a lifetime really. We'll never achieve perfection, and need to learn to accept this, but strive to achieve it anyway.