The Pursuit of Faith

I.  The Gift of Spiritual Life

As we’ve already discussed, when we consider the phrase, “The Pursuit of Faith,” we are referring to the pursuit of a gift . . . a gift from God.

Again, this means that the very capacity to believe the gospel is a gift from God. If He never grants you this gift, we’ve already studied that you will regard the Word of God as “foolishness.” This gift of faith is central to all of Christianity, prerequisite to salvation and to eternal life:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph 2:8-9)

Again, this tells us that our “good deeds” (or “works) will not gain us access to heaven:

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags . . .” (Isa 64:6)

This tells us that all our good works (“righteousnesses”) – when compared to God’s infinite virtue – are actually repulsive in the eyes of God. How then, could we possibly hope to ‘earn our way’ into heaven?  Yet we seem hard-wired to try to do just that. We judge each other (and ourselves) by our outward actions . . . and we invent elaborate religions with cumbersome lists of moral standards and rules which . . . as sinners . . . no one successfully complies with, in the end. Consider this exchange with Jesus:

“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” (Joh 6:28-29)

Man’s invented religions tell us to “do.” God simply says, “believe.” That’s all there is to it . . . the only real requirement. To our way of thinking, it’s just too simple . . . it seems so easy. And to a degree, Jesus agrees with us on this point:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30)

But if faith – and the salvation it conveys – is a gift, isn’t this only logical? Shouldn’t it be easy? After all, how hard is it to receive a gift . . . especially a really, really good gift?

The reason why we have such difficulty with the simplicity of salvation is that . . . it doesn’t square with our limited sense of justice. To our way of thinking, offenders must pay for their offenses. This requires the offender’s active involvement . . . it requires action on their part. Certainly human law attempts to apply justice in this fashion, to one degree or another. To really understand the good news of the gospel, we have to see justice with a better set of eyes than this . . . with God-given, spiritual “sight.”

God tells us that we are utterly unable to pay for our sins through actions or temporary punishment because a single offense against an infinitely-holy God is . . . infinitely punishable. On the scale of the infinite – God’s scale – punishment for sin necessarily takes on infinite dimensions. As we’ve already seen in Revelation 20:10, punishment in the lake of fire is “forever and ever.”

Yet many Christians – and even Christian pastors – revert back to their worldly sense of justice and attempt to apply their short-sighted paradigm to God . . . to essentially bring Him down to their level of thinking . . . to make Him easier to understand. This false thinking insidiously leads to the development of ‘to-do’ lists of good works in order to achieve salvation. Many professing Christian churches teach that one must “make a decision” to “accept Jesus into their heart” in order to be saved. They acknowledge that salvation is a gift from God, but then add their own philosophies to the simplicity of the gospel by immediately declaring, “but a gift is not a gift unless the intended recipient chooses to receive it.” This idea is FLATLY refuted by Jesus himself:

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life . . .” (Joh 6:37-40, emphasis added)

Notice that Jesus does NOT say, “All that choose to believe in me shall come to me . . .” He clearly points to God the Father as the determiner of who “shall” come to Christ for salvation. A few verses later, Jesus states:

“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (Joh 6:44, emphasis added)

This is consistent with 1 Cor 2:14, where God tells us that the “natural man” – the man whom God has not spiritually “draw(n)” to His Son – cannot “know” the things of God. Where in God’s declarations above is there room for human choice or human action? It simply isn’t there.

When Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was, Peter correctly identified Him as the Son of God. Jesus replied by saying:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” (Joh 16:17, emphasis added)

Peter’s belief that Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be – God in the flesh – wasn’t something Peter “decided” to believe . . . Jesus tells us it was “revealed” to him by God himself. This revelation from God is the “gift” we’ve been reading about in Eph. 2:8-9. Now let’s look a bit more closely at that passage . . . at the verses immediately preceding it:

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph 2:1-9, emphasis added)

This passage tells us that each of us enter this world spiritually “dead in trespasses and sins.” It tells us that Christians were brought to life, spiritually, by God himself (i.e. “quickened”) – not because we “chose” Him as our “personal Savior” – but by God’s “grace” . . . by His unmerited favor. With this new spiritual life come spiritual senses . . . the capacity to sense spiritual things. It is then – and only then – that a person can “see” God for who He really is . . . that he or she will suddenly realize they are the recipient of the saving gift of faith.  Jesus confirms this concept of spiritual “sight” repeatedly:

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  (Joh 3:3, emphasis added) 

Saving faith is not “blind” faith, according to Jesus: it requires the spiritual eyesight that only God can give.  

II.  Spiritual Senses and Spiritual Corpses

Jesus speaks very clearly about those who have been quickened . . . who have been given spiritual senses, and those who have not. Jesus’ parables – and His explanation as to why He taught in parables – further established the concept of spiritual “senses:”

“And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.” (Mt. 13:10-16)

Jesus ended many of His parables and admonitions by declaring: “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (He utters this phrase 16 times in the New Testament alone) In quoting from it, Jesus is also illustrating how Old Testament predictions are also being fulfilled by this spiritual “blindness” and “deafness.” (See Jer. 5:21, Eze 12:2, Ps 115:6 and Ps 135:17)

Let’s draw on a simple analogy:

Does a corpse hear anything? Does a corpse see anything? Does a corpse give the first indication of “understanding” anything? Does a corpse “decide” or “accept” anything?   Obviously not!

God tells us we were born spiritual corpses! That means that . . . in the spiritual realm we hear nothing, see nothing, understand nothing, and “accept” nothing . . . until after God gives us spiritual life . . . until after He “quickens” our spiritual senses and gives us spiritual “ears to hear.”

No un-saved person has EVER heard the spiritual things of God and decided for themselves to “accept Jesus as their personal Savior.” God’s Word plainly tells us that this is no more possible than a dead body “choosing” to bring itself to life!

Understanding the concept of spiritual “hearing” is absolutely critical to anyone who is earnestly seeking the truth about the Bible . . . about Jesus . . . or about Heaven.

Here’s why: we already understand that salvation is by faith, and that faith is a gift from God . . . but how is this gift of faith given by God?

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Ro 10:17, emphasis added)

Did you catch that?!  (yes, we’ve briefly touched on this topic – previously)

At this point, you may be saying to yourself . . .

“Ahem . . . excuse me . . . but I think you just tried to tell me that I can come to believe in the words of the Bible . . . from the words of the Bible?!”

Brace yourself . . . that’s exactly what you just read . . . only we didn’t say it – God did:

“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” (Ps 19:7, emphasis added)

“Converting the soul” in the verse above is a clear reference to salvation . . . the clear turning point from unbelief to belief – because God’s Word (i.e. “Law”) describes salvation as the only “conversion” a soul can experience. Moreover:

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb 4:12)

This kind of power in the heart and soul of a human being is nothing less than supernatural, according to the verse above. God also claims that His Word is sent forth with specific purposes – and being omnipotent, His purposes are always fulfilled:

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Is 55:11, emphasis added)

To our way of thinking, we seek to establish something as true or false through some type of separate, independent validation — an outside source of confirming “proof.”  Using the words of the Bible to “prove” that the words of the Bible are true strikes as . . . circular reasoning.  Yet if God alone is the founder of all things that are true – as we have previously studied – then anything He has to say is self-validating: 

The issue at hand is not “proof:” the issue at hand is . . . how do we receive the spiritual senses to perceive that which is spiritually self-evident?  The answer is, “by the Word of God.” 

If you started at the beginning of this website, you have been exposed to God’s Word 216 times thus far. (200+ Bible verses)  If heaven (and hope) are attained by faith, and faith by “hearing,” and hearing “by the word of God” . . . given the goal of this web site . . . is it really so surprising that we would put this many Bible verses in front of you?

Simply stated, the pursuit of heaven, the pursuit of faith – and the pursuit of real, lasting hope – are all synonymous with the pursuit of God’s Word.

III.  Practical Pursuit

At this point, perhaps you find that you believe at least some of God’s Word to be true. Perhaps it’s all still “foolishness” to you. Or maybe you’re still not certain. REGARDLESS of where you stand, we believe that you absolutely owe it to yourself to carefully examine and study God’s Word . . . to seriously consider what it has to say. We’ve done only the briefest of introductions at this point – there is much more to learn! On the mere possibility that the verses above are true . . . that exposure to God’s Word is synonymous with exposure to God’s supernatural power to “convert the soul” . . . where such a conversion grants you eternal bliss in a place called “Heaven” . . . shouldn’t you at least try?

Perhaps your heart warns you against trying . . . warns you that following God’s commandments will rob you of your freedom and your sense of enjoyment . . . enjoyment of living life the way you want to live it. But what if God’s Word is true? What if He was sincere when He said this:

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jer. 29:11, emphasis added)

What if God’s commandments are only designed to protect you? What if God loves you as one of His own? Isn’t such love worth pursuing – on the mere possibility that it exists?

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Joh 3:16)

Are you certain that God won’t convey His saving gift of faith to you as He describes – through exposure to His Word? We think that . . . if you’re honest with yourself . . . you already understand that no person can know the answer to this question for certain – until they actually study God’s Word for themselves.

Admittedly, committing a substantial amount of time to study something you may presently regard as “foolishness” presents a bit of an obstacle. But since you’ve gotten this far, perhaps you’ll be willing to come a little farther . . .

1. Read God’s Word daily. If Satan is real, and he is the present ruler of this world as the Bible describes, he most certainly will attempt to steer you away from the truths God presents in His Word. Our fallen Adamic sin nature will always tend to pull us away from the things of God: it is our ‘default condition’. . . to drift away from Him. Learning about God’s Word requires continuous and prolonged exposure. Start with the gospel of John. After that, read the other three gospels. After that, read the rest of the New Testament. Finally, read the Old Testament – paying close attention to how it irrefutably serves as a foundation for the New Testament.
2. If you believe that there is a God, ask Him to reveal himself to you. Ask Him to do this immediately before you read the Bible. Ask Him to reveal to you whether or not what you’re reading is the truth. With many doubts hanging over you, this may feel a bit awkward – at least at first. But again, what if this verse from God’s Word is true?

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb 11:6, emphasis added)

3.  Get exposure to the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. In most communities in the USA, you have a fair chance of finding at least one church that will instruct attendees on God’s Word reasonably accurately. You can learn so much more, so much faster by doing this! We know: there are a lot of stigmas (and even horror stories) associated with churches – especially in recent decades. But remember this key fact about churches: every attendee has a fallen sin nature, inherited from Adam. You will see sin there! You will probably see hypocrisy! But don’t make the foolish mistake of judging the infinitely holy God of the Bible by the behavior of sinful men. Remember that God voluntarily chose to die for such sinners. That may include you! Think of church as a “hospital” for the spiritually sick – because that is exactly what it should be. Properly preached, God’s Word is the medicine! While you may encounter those who seem to behave otherwise, church is not a place where the righteous put their virtue on display! God tells us plainly:

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” (Ro 3:10, emphasis added)

So there is no such thing as being too sinful to go to church! Keep your eyes, ears and heart fixed on learning God’s Word – and make friends there that seem intent on doing the same. You may learn much from them.

4.  Ask questions! Your church’s pastor certainly should be willing to help you find answers. If your church offers Sunday School, Bible Class and/or small-group mid-week Bible studies, these may also provide you a great venue for asking questions. A church friend who has matured in the faith can also be an excellent source in helping you learn God’s Word. You can even ask us questions here.  We will do our best to get you Biblically-accurate answers.

If you’re searching for real, lasting hope in your life, this is a journey worth taking! Let’s take a closer look at why this is so, here.