Referent Faith

Faith defined by the writer of Hebrews as the assurance of things hoped for and the certainty of what is unseen (Heb. 11:1).  Certainly this definition is true but alone does not convey the necessary theological depth required in any sufficient understanding of faith.  To consider faith merely as a matter of intellectual ascension to doctrine or emotional sentimentality to a relational ideal would be to reduce the requirements of faith until it is too-personal, totally subjective, utterly relative, and, ultimately, incorrigible.

Instead faith is absolute and definable.  It needs to be because of the compulsions that faith cause.  For instance, if a person claims that faith is the hope that carries them through cancer's diagnosis or that faith is the source of their strength at the loss of a loved one or that faith is that which saves, yet if they cannot articulate their faith in a matter that is objective and repeatable, than it calls into question the validity of that faith.

Needless to say, faith is a personal matter but it is not so personal that it becomes either individualistic or relative.  Faith then is closely related to truth in that there is an absolute referent, meaning that there is a faith that all other faith reflects.  Faith is alway as certain as the object of faith, making true faith only true because it is found in the certainty of a holy and perfect God.  Therefore, the referent for faith, the true faith that all faith arises from is faith in the Lord.  All other understandings of faith are but echos.

Additionally, faith is to empower and activate.  The Bible defines faith in the character of a particular person, Abraham.  Abraham's faith is the litmus by which faith is to be measured against and emulated.  Abraham's faith was a matter of empowerment and activation.  He left his home and family to enter a world unknown and was faithful for the Lord to provide for him an heir: faith that activates and empowers.

Similarly, faith should still empower and activate.  Jesus declares that those who have faith in Him have things to do, meaning that faith is the propeller that causes us to do things as well as the source of power to complete them (Matt. 17:20; 28:16-20; John 14:12; Acts 1:8).  James, Jesus' half-brother, also keenly understood that faith and action were so intimately entangled that to have faith that does not activate us to work is not truly faith (James 1-3).

At the final analysis, true faith requires a true source.  The true source of faith is God.  Moreover, faith is not a passive reception or an inner ascension to some higher order but activates and empowers.  Therefore, we should strive to live lives of faith that are rooted in the Lord and activated to work for the Lord!