Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

What does it mean when a person says, I have faith or I’m a person of faith?

There are many things that I have faith in every day.  When I’m sick with an infection, I have faith in doctors who prescribe an antibiotic for me. I don’t lean too far over the railings of 20-story balconies because of my faith in the work of a scientist back in the 1600s by the name of Isaac Newton.

Today, after generations and generations of secularism and atheism, 31-year-old Kyle says, “My generation is longing for meaning, for spirituality.  We want to be spiritual people.” Kyle’s generation now cries out for moral values like justice.

But moral values require faith in something. Why should we work for justice? “There is no scientific backing for the principles of equal human rights or universal benevolence. These are moral values that are matters of faith”,[1] contends Tim Keller.

What, then, is your faith in?

There is a faith that rests in the wisdom of men. The Apostle Paul said that he didn’t explain the gospel using “lofty words and impressive wisdom” so that the faith of those he addressed, “might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2,5)

Your faith, or your spirituality, rests in an object—a system or a person. Jesus Christ claims that He is the only sure object of a faith that saves and gives eternal meaning to life. In contrast to “spiritual living,” living by faith in Jesus is a process in which the object of your faith saves, not the quality or purity of your own efforts.

[1] Keller, T. (2022, May 3) Faith and Proof (No. 1) [Audio podcast episode]. In Questioning Christianity. Gospel in Life. https://qcpodcast.podbean.com