Speaker: Dr. Harold J. Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living | And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

If Christianity or faith in God is more than wishing there were a God or hoping that there is one, there must be some objective criteria for faith. One of the three objective facts or realities upon which the Christian faith is based is the way God reveals Himself to man. Through nature, God gave witness to the existence of a Creator and His great power. But nature does not tell me anything more about God. The second way that God revealed Himself is through the Bible. Here God tells us that He is interested in our lives. But the surest revelation of God to man is in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. He is like a photograph of God Himself.

The facts of Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection are three of the best-substantiated facts of all history! Secular historians blend their voices with Christians down through the centuries in telling us of the impact of Christ on the world. In some cases, those historians did not like what happened. Sometimes men such as Frederick Neitzsche and Karl Marx were strongly opposed to what Christ said and did, yet they acknowledged His existence and the importance of the institution He founded, namely, the Church. These three truths, (1) God’s power revealed in nature, (2) His concern for you revealed in the Bible, and (3) the death and resurrection of Christ, make up the foundation of Christianity. But acknowledging them as true no more makes you a Christian than accepting Einstein’s theory of relativity as true makes you a scientist.

The bridge that you cross in becoming a Christian is called FAITH. It rests upon these three truths on one side, and the other side is linked to eternity. When I was teaching college students, I found that they wanted to know whether or not faith makes sense. You have that right to know, and Christ Himself said that you will know, as you come seeking the truth in sincerity. Paul wrote to the church at Rome, and said that faith is reasonable. This was the verdict of one of the best educated men of his time. Paul had a great deal to say about faith and its nature. He said that every person‑‑believer and non‑believer alike‑‑exercises faith in life. But Paul said that faith in God is accepting the revelation of God and then acting upon it. It is believing something to the point of commitment, of doing something about it.

As you read the New Testament, I think you will agree that the story of God’s sending His Son into our world makes sense. It makes sense to me because of the condition of human nature. Five thousand years of human history gives one monotonous picture of war, hatred, lust, murder, envy and bloodshed. History tells me that there must be endemic in human nature, something that keeps us from achieving a heaven of happiness on earth. That something is called sin in the Bible. The Bible says that when you accept what Christ did at Calvary, you become a new person, as Christ indwells your heart. That is faith that makes sense‑‑faith that erases guilt and brings peace. Placing your personal faith in Jesus Christ relates you to God.

In the final analysis, it is not the foundation of Christianity that is shaky. It is our willingness to let God take over the reins. Faith is no blind step in the dark, misty unknown. It is clasping the hand of God and walking with Him in the light of His Word. That is faith that makes sense.

Resource reading: 1 Corinthians15.