Belief and Faith

Dr. Richard J. Henderson September 11, 2005

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Psalm 114
Matthew 8:5-13

Introduction

A high school girl in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is having a one-to one conversation with her minister. At one point she says that she doesn't really believe in the virgin birth. Her pastor says, "But you have to! That's part of what it means to be a Christian. You have to believe it." She looks up front the floor and says, "I just can't imagine it to be true. What am I supposed to do? Can I force myself to believe something? Can I make myself believe?"

The Christian faith is built on beliefs. What are we to do if we can't bring ourselves to think what we are supposed to think? If, like that high school girl, you can't imagine some part of our faith to be true, can you make yourself believe?

I

There is a difference between belief and faith. To think is not the same thing as to trust.

Belief is what we think about our faith. It is what we say we believe. Belief is saying the Apostles' Creed. Belief involves doctrine. When it is the accepted doctrine, it's called orthodoxy.

Faith, however, is trust. Faith is what we rely on and depend on. I have faith that the sun will come up every day. I have faith that my family cares. I have faith that God loves me. Faith is not only believing, but also trusting - counting on that truth. Faith is the child who jumps from the play structure into her father's arms - trusting that he will catch her no matter what.

Here's the difference between belief and faith: belief says, "I believe people are very careful when they pack parachutes," while faith jumps out of the airplane with the parachute on.

II

Obviously, belief and faith are related. You wouldn't jump from a plane if you didn't believe the parachute was carefully packed. A person who really believes usually acts on his belief.

Belief can lead to faith, but it doesn't always. I mean, I believe that parachutes are carefully put together, but you won't catch me jumping out of a plane.

For Christians, beliefs often lead to faith. I believe that Jesus wants us to forgive each other. Often I don't feel like forgiving, but because of my belief, I forgive. Belief leads to faith, and thinking leads to action. Belief thinks; faith trusts.

III

Jesus seems to find faith more important than belief. He responds to the people who trust in him without asking them first what their beliefs are. Remember the woman who has been suffering with a hemorrhage for 12 years who came to Jesus and just wanting to touch the edge of his robe?

She trusted that if she could touch his robe, he would heal her. She makes her way through the crowd and stretches out her hand. When she does, she's healed. Jesus turns to her and says, "Your faith has made you well." We don't know anything about what she believed, and neither did Jesus. Jesus didn't ask her what she believed; she trusted that Jesus could heal her, and he did.

In our New Testament reading, a gentile centurion asks Jesus to heal his paralyzed servant. Jesus says yes and begins to walk toward his home. But the centurion trusts that Jesus can heal even without physically going to his house. He says, I know what it is to have authority; I say to my soldiers, "go," and they go. "You can order my servant to be healed by just saying so."

Jesus is impressed with his faith, and immediately heals his servant. The centurion doesn't hold orthodox beliefs. He is a gentile. And yet Jesus praises him by saying, "I haven't found this kind of faith in anyone in all of Israel." It was the man's faith that impressed Jesus, not his beliefs.

IV

So, does this mean we can throw away all our beliefs? No, of course not. Some beliefs are so critical that we can't really have faith without them. I mean how can we trust Jesus if we don't believe he is God's Word to us? If Jesus were only a wise teacher, we aren't going to entrust our whole lives to him. Jesus tells us to be radically committed to him; we could hardly do that if we didn't know him to be God's son.

Who would make a 10 percent tithe for Christ's cause if they didn't believe him to be God's Word to us?

The major beliefs of Christianity are critical. But not all beliefs are equally important. Whether we believe Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary or not is probably not as critical. Paul knew nothing of a virgin birth and it certainly didn't diminish his faith in the least. The gospel of Mark says nothing about a virgin birth.

Imagine a person coming to the final judgment who has given himself for other people, trusted Christ as God's son, attended church every week, given generously for Christ's cause, and lived a life of faith. Jesus looks at him and says, "You have lived an exemplary life, so I'm sad to say you can't enter heaven because you didn't believe in my pre-existence with God before I was born." Can you imagine such a thing happening? Everything we know about Jesus tells us that wouldn't happen.

In the life of Jesus, it seems he valued trust in God more than adherence to specific orthodox beliefs.

Conclusion

Our Christian beliefs are important; our trust in God is more important. Beliefs tell us how we understand our religion, and we have to have them. But faith puts our beliefs into action. We can't make ourselves believe, but we can push ourselves to be more trusting.

We have to have both belief and faith. But faith is harder, and therefore more valuable.

Amen

©Richard J. Henderson 2005