The Furnishing of Faith

Faith can furnish, and only faith can furnish, fit and sufficient material for a theology that is proved by the Word of God.  As a operation of man's natural, or carnal nature, though distinct from eye vision or from reasoning, faith is not only a kind of, but a higher kind of knowing.  Faith gives us understanding of realities which are inaccessible through our natural senses.  Our senses, in and of themselves, cannot validate God's existence, and the relationship between God and His creation. The religious Christian can only talk about it, but the power of faith allows us to live it.  Faith is the joint act of the intellect and will.  Faith consists in the verification of things that matter, which others think unattainable.

If a right state of heart be indispensable to faith and so to the knowledge of God, can there be any theology of the unregenerate? The unregenerate man can know God as power and justice, and can fear Him. However, this is not knowledge of God's inner most character. It furnishes some material for a defective and ill-proportioned theology, but not so for a correct theology. For instance, in order to make his theory of optics satisfactory and complete, the blind man must have the cataract removed from his eyes by some competent eye doctor. For any theology to be complete or satisfactory, the veil must be taken away from the heart by God Himself (2 Corinthians 3:15-16).

Faith, then, is not to be pictured as a blind girl clinging to a cross--faith is not blind-- else the cross may just as well be a crucifix or a picture of grandma. Blind unbelief, not blind faith, is sure true error, and watches for this works in vain.  As in conscience, we recognize an invisible authority, and know the truth just in proportion to our willingness to "do the truth". In Christianity, only holiness can understand holiness, and only love can understand love (John 3:21).  So faith in the believer can only be accomplished by gaining, and pruning continuously through hard work making no excuses, for the process must continue until the end.

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Pastor James P. Norman Jr.

Artesian Well Church
6031 Linden Avenue
Long Beach, Ca.