By Mike Banta
Hebrews 11:6 – And without faith it is impossible to please [God], for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
This verse has always been unsettling to me. I must ask myself the question, “Do I have faith or not?” The thought that I may not be pleasing to God is frankly terrifying.
But as I read this verse more closely, it almost becomes a “Duh!” statement. First, how can you have any kind of relationship with Someone when you believe He does not exist? It would be as ludicrous as me trying to talk to my wife while believing that she is nowhere to be found! Secondly, my faith in God must assume that He is a good God. Yes, He does reward our efforts to seek Him out. I would not want to have a relationship with a capricious and cruel Supreme Being who continually plays “hide and seek” when I reach out to Him in need. There are, of course, many times in our lives when God does seem absent. That is exactly when the second half of this verse becomes so important – when we rely by faith that He rewards those who seek Him.
And there is yet more wonderful news – EVERYONE has faith! It is part of the makeup of every human. We all can please God. I think this is what Jesus is saying to his disciples in Luke 17:5-6
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’, and it would obey you.”
In other words, our efforts do not need to be directed at increasing faith. Tiny amounts of faith are effective. The writer of Hebrews defines faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” All of us have some measure of this. There is always something we believe that we have not seen for ourselves.
What then becomes most important in our exercise of faith? I believe it is defining for ourselves the object of our faith – what or who do we believe in? I am currently reading a biography of the great German pastor and martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and his history illustrates this very well.
Bonhoeffer lived in Germany during the rise to power of Hitler and the Nazi party. He decried the complicity of some of the German church with the new regime, and his opposition to Hitler eventually led to his death.
Bonhoeffer studied theology in the 1920’s in Berlin, at a time when some of his teachers were disciples of Friedrich Schleiermacher.
Schleiermacher is known as the father of hermeneutics – the study of scripture in a way to bridge the gap between the original writer and us. This methodology (known as “higher criticism”) applied analysis to scripture based on the historical environment of the writer, as well as the construction of the document itself and its relation to other scripture. Critically, however, Schleiermacher and his disciples began their analysis from the stance that God either did not exist or did not participate in human life. (Schleiermacher famously wrote his pious father proclaiming his inability to have faith in Christ.) Therefore, some startling conclusions became obvious to them:
· The Bible cannot be from God
· Supernatural events do not happen, therefore events such as the resurrection of Christ could not have occurred
· Jesus was a man – a good man, a great teacher perhaps – if he even existed
This type of thinking was rampant in the German church in the early 20th century, and I believe helped give rise to the Nazi movement, as much of the German church supported Hitler and his ideas, including anti-Semitism.
Bonhoeffer was also exposed to a radically different theological movement – Karl Barth’s reliance on God’s revelation, mercy, and grace. Bonhoeffer met and became friends with Barth. Sometimes called neo orthodoxy, Barth’s theology assumed the opposite of Schleiermacher and his followers – that God exists and is very present and active in human life. The conclusions Barth and other such thinkers came to are the inverse of the higher criticism movement:
· The Bible is revealed truth from God
· The supernatural is not only possible, but certain, therefore Christ certainly was raised from the dead
· Jesus is the incarnate Son of God
As a remarkably brilliant young theologian, Bonhoeffer could effectively speak with both camps. He effectively yet respectfully would counter his teachers’ conclusions. He often confounded them with his outlook and wisdom. It was no secret to anyone that he chose Barth’s outlook rather than Schleiermacher’s. He had faith that God exists and that He has always been active with humanity. This helped set the course of his life to oppose the Nazified church of the Germans, and to actively fight Hitler. His faithful and indomitable stance eventually led to his execution at the hands of the Nazis in the final days of World War II.
Bonhoeffer could have placed his faith in the presupposition of Schleiermacher’s approach to hermeneutics: a belief that God does not exist in a relatable way. This may seem to be a decision that does not require “conviction of things not seen.” But believing God does not exist requires at least as much faith (if not more!) than believing He does. There has never been a science experiment that negates the existence of God.
The choice to believe that God exists, and rewards those who seek, changes everything. It makes nature come alive, as the hand-signed artwork of our Creator. The Bible becomes deeply meaningful to us as we seek out truths from its pages. The Holy Spirit within us can speak revelation to us, for we know He is there. We find strength far beyond ourselves, whence we endure the greatest trials of life. We are empowered to do that which is otherwise impossible.
Lord, rather than asking for more faith, I ask You to reveal to me where my faith is placed. If my faith is not directed toward You in any way, I ask You to teach me to focus my belief on You. I invite You to reveal Yourself to me in Your Scripture, in nature, and by Your Holy Spirit. May Your precious presence give me love and strength in new measure. Amen.
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