Jonathan Gross on Faith

This last Saturday several of us gathered together for the apologetics Bible study that Lisa has been facilitating this semester. For this meeting we spent some time studying how the word "faith" is used in the Bible. Unsurprisingly, "faith" is found in a large number of verses, so we restricted ourselves to passages from Genesis up through Judges 5:15. Even with a relatively small cross-section of scripture, we found many underlying concepts regarding faith becoming clear from context. To give you a flavor of our time, let me briefly describe some of the concepts that stood out to me.

Faith is frequently talked about as an important component in a marital relationship. Breaking faith in this kind of a relationship is a serious thing (Exodus 21:8, Numbers 5:12, 27). This picture of faith in a marriage is extended to Israel's relationship to God in Joshua 24:14, where faithfully serving God requires putting away other gods just like marriage requires putting away other men/women.

There is also a legal sense of faith described several times in Leviticus (5:15, 6:2). Although we don't often use faith in a secular sense, there is still a legal concept of acting in good (or bad) faith that can help give us a more complete understanding of the word. Throughout the Law, breaking faith with God seems tied to breaking the covenant He established with His people.

The marital and legal aspects of faith have reciprocity in common. Both husband and wife are expected to remain faithful to one-another, and the covenant God established with His people lays down expectations for the behavior of both God and the people. While His people constantly break faith with Him, we have a perfect example of faithfulness in God Himself (Genesis 24:27, Deuteronomy 7:9).

There are certainly many more qualities of faith to be explored, so we plan to continue our study at the final meeting of this semester. I encourage you to come and learn about faith with us so we can all more faithfully answer others regarding the hope we possess (1 Peter 3:15)!

Theology 101: Thanksgiving

Hi Ya'll.  This is your IV Blog.  Yes, I have been MIA for quite a while.  Since the past is in the past, I thought it good to start writing again.  This month is November.  We often think about the major holiday at the end of the month, Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving, as you may know, started when the first pilgrims from across the ocean came to live in America and stopped to give thanks to God for helping them get through their first year in a new land.  Imagine coming to a new land across the ocean.  The ocean possibly does not have a name.  The land has no comforts.  There are no societies, clubs, universities, malls, and plowed lands.  There is no promise of food.  There are no freinds to welcome them to this new land.  As far as they know, they might be the only ones there.  The winter is cold, the summer is hot.  There is no air conditioning or heater.  They won't be able to run to the store or back to England if they forgot something.  In many ways, you as college students have left every comfort of family, home cooked food, and all things familiar to come get an education.  Some of us have not.  It is because of hard work by our families that we are able to enjoy comforts where ever we are.  Some of us, do not have any support, we are pulling ourselves along by our own efforts.  Whatever circumstance we find ourselves in, the Lord God says to give thanks.  

I Thessalonians 5:18 says "give thanks in all circumstances."

This is among a list of other commands.  Thanks means "an expression of gratitude" from Google's definition.  From the Webster 1828 dictionary, gratitude means

An emotion of the heart, excited by a favor or benefit received; a sentiment of kindness or good will towards a benefactor; thankfulness. Gratitude is an agreeable emotion, consisting in or accompanied with good will to a benefactor,and a disposition to make a suitable return of benefits or services, or when no return can be made, with a desire to see the benefactor prosperous and happy. Gratitude is a virtue of the highest excellence, as it implies a feeling and generous heart, and a proper sense of duty.

God wants us to realize what He has done for us.  We really do have reason to be thankful to Him for providing for us.  We have many comforts in life.  There is always food nearby.  We have His help in every trouble.  We can ask Him for anything.  Jesus gave thanks when He broke bread and established the practice of communion with His disciples.  He gave thanks before multiplying the 5 loaves and two fish.  In the Old Testament, God commanded a sacrifice of thanksgiving with real animals.  God deserves our praise, but we must accept this and understand it for ourselves.  We must understand what God has done for us as individuals, and also as families, peoples, countries etc.  It is good to give thanks for it moves our eyes off ourselves and onto God who is to be Lord of our lives.  Thanks.  Thanksgiving.  Gratitude.  What has God done in your life?  Have you thanked him for it?  It is right to give thanks and praise.