Faith Retained in Christ

Placing your faith in the wrong things can lead to devastating consequences.  All the time we hear about trusted people who were exposed as frauds, like an investor that secretly ran a Ponzi scheme and stole the money or the friendly neighbour later exposed as a molester.  It recently was huge news when a small group of people died aboard a submersible they believed would safely allow them to tour the wreck of the Titanic in the crushing depths.  Some place faith in themselves they ought to be reserved only for the almighty God.  Misplaced faith is a dangerous thing, and the disastrous evidence of this is all around.

I have witnessed this misplaced faith in people who look to a priest or minister for hope and assurance of salvation rather than Christ and His word.  People can give credence to feelings or experiences to confirm what is true and real instead of what God has plainly spoken in the scripture.  Today I read a quote from a Christian organisation that said, "...We will never stop believing in our young generation."  I cannot imagine Jesus ever saying such a thing.  Generations young or old are not worthy of our faith which ought to be placed in Jesus Christ alone because He is our Saviour and Redeemer; He is our Strength and living Hope.  It may be a common tactic to pump up a crowd or congregation by telling them how wonderful and worthy they are, yet this runs counter to the Gospel of Jesus Christ that points to Him as the only One worthy of faith and trust.

In a world full of flawed people, there is nothing easier than finding fault with others.  But it can be very difficult to honestly examine our own hearts and repent of our misplaced faith.  Considering this quote prompts me to see if I am guilty of misplaced faith or presenting a message that leads people away from faith in Jesus Christ alone.  If the Galatian church could be swayed from the Gospel to the beggarly elements of the Law and labour to put themselves under the curse Jesus redeemed them from, so can we (Gal. 4:19).  Judging ourselves righteously and responding with repentance and obedience to Jesus is something we can do before it is too late to change course.  Praise the LORD the indwelling Holy Spirit convicts of sin, teaches, guides and comforts us as we look to Jesus and trust in Him.

Having our faith built upon Jesus as revealed in scripture is a key factor in finishing our pilgrimage of faith strong.  The wisdom of the world (which is foolishness to God) is like a lion at the door waiting for an opportunity to pounce.  Worldly messages, tactics and emotional appeals can be convincing and  seem to provide results we are looking for.  A rock-solid biblical foundation and the lens of the Gospel help us establish a worldview that is resistant to the wisdom of the world and yields to the wisdom of God--and Jesus Who is our life and wisdom for us.  People place their faith in all sorts of things, but blessed are the people whose God is the LORD Jesus.