“For so many in our nation, this is a dark, dark time. So where do we turn? Faith.” This quote could have come from any Bible believing pulpit this past Sunday, but it didn’t. It came from the newly established President of our nation – Joe Biden. He was speaking at the 2021 national prayer breakfast. For nearly seventy years, every president has addressed this gathering and as most other presidents have done, President Biden quoted scripture, praised our nation’s heritage of faith, and spoke about his own faith journey.

Now, let’s be clear from the start – I am not judging our president’s faith. God is the judge of the faith in a person’s heart (whether they be a President or a pauper), but this quote brought to mind the question – just what is the nature of faith? Most people would admit they “have the faith” or “keep the faith” or are “people of faith” – but can’t define what that really means.

Faith requires an OBJECT – For faith to mean anything, it must be placed in something or someone that is greater than yourself. Faith that has no object is only a belief in FATE. It says “I have faith that my lottery number will win” or “I have faith that today will be my lucky day”. There is no reason to believe these things. It is a faith in whimsy, chance or optimism, but there is no rationale for the belief because the faith is not in a superior being that is controlling this fate. By contrast, faith for the Christian is placed in a God that created the universe and continues to control each detail of its operation. It was the central message of the gospel that Paul described this way, “Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:21). So, the object of our faith must be in the work of Jesus Christ. Namely, it is His death, burial and resurrection on our behalf that allows us to have hope in this life as well as the life to come.

Faith implies an OBLIGATION – If faith has as its object a being greater than yourself, it naturally follows that there should be an allegiance to that being. We have an obligation to adopt His values as our own, agree with His judgments, and argue against those that would oppose Him. For the Christian whose faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible is our source where God’s mind is revealed to us. Yes, this includes things like the sanctity of human life and the division of the sexes, but it also includes things like personal integrity and love for God and our neighbors. It is how faith has change our way of life that makes it evident to other people. James said, “a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” (James 2:18). As “people of faith” we are often quick to point out the hypocrisy of our leadership while excusing our own points of failure to walk with the Lord in all things.

Faith nurtures OPTIMISM – Finally, faith would be devoid of meaning if it did not contain an inherent hope. It carries us through this “dark, dark time” in our nation because for the Christian, our hope is not in this world but in the world to come. Our hope is contained in the optimism that one day all wickedness in this world will be destroyed, our bodies will be resurrected and we shall be able to commune directly with God himself. This faith is not some blind hope in an uncharted future. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ has already charted the way. “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus” (Hebrews 6:19-20). When your hope is found in Jesus Christ, there is good reason to be optimistic about the future.

While we aren’t supposed to “judge” whether a person possesses faith, it is something that we should be able to make a judgment about. It should be readily identified in that person’s life. Faith must not be some non-descript, blind hope that fate will be kind to us. Faith must not be some kind of religious lip service that we use to placate our restless souls without obligating us to change our values and behavior. Faith must be something that renews, transforms, and gives us hope because it is grounded in God’s truth. The Bible tells us that this is the difference between a “dead faith” and a “living faith”. Do you have a living faith? If not, place your faith in Jesus Christ today. Contact me and I’ll be glad to share with you how a faith in Christ can change your life forever. If you have put your faith in Christ, have you been transformed by it? Have your values aligned with those found in Scripture? Have you begun to put your walk with the Lord before all else? While a living faith begins on the inside, it is supposed to be seen on the outside. It should change your way of life. Then, when you are going through a “dark, dark time” you will know where to turn – FAITH!