The Object of Our Faith
Faith is dependent upon its object. To say that one should walk by faith, begs the question; faith in what? You cannot have faith in faith. Jesus Christ is the only legitimate object of our faith for two reasons. First, we can trust in Jesus because of the witness of those who have chosen to believe in Him. The writer of Hebrews says, “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Heb. 13:7). He doesn’t say that we should imitate what they do or say. If their life demonstrates what they believe then imitate what they believe, because what we do or say is just a product of what we believe. People don’t always live according to what they profess, but they always live according to what they really believe.
The second and primary reason Jesus is the ultimate object of our faith is that He never changes. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (vs. 8). We learn to trust people who are true to their word and things that have proven to be consistent. The most universally accepted faith object is the fixed order of the universe. We set our clocks and make plans according to the calendars. The world would be thrown into chaos if the rotation of the sun and moon suddenly changed. If we have that much confidence in the sun, why not the Son who spoke the universe into existence and sustains all things by His powerful word (Heb. 1:3)?
It takes time to establish trust in something or someone because it requires consistent and continuous behavior demonstrated over time. That is why our relationships are so fragile. It may take months or years to establish a high level of trust, but one act of unfaithfulness can destroy it. We can choose to forgive those who betray us, but it would take a long time to regain the trust that was lost.
If God were to change or His word proved to be false, then He would no longer be a legitimate object for our faith. Centuries of human history have proven that the nature of God is eternally consistent, and so is His Word. “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever” (Is. 40:8). Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the law until everything is accomplished” (Matt. 5:18). In other words, heaven and earth will pass away before the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet will disappear from God’s word or be altered in any way. Critics have hammered on this anvil for centuries, but the hammers and those who wield them have fallen away, but the anvil of God’s word remains the same.
Dr. Neil
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