Faith is "the courage to accept acceptance." - Paul Tillich
That definition is pretty simple and, in fact, too simple I think. It needs a little more context. We are not talking about acceptance from just any source, whether human or supernatural. The acceptance we are talking about comes from God.
The standard Gospel presentation goes like this:
- I am a sinner and sin separates me from God.
- The spiritual price for my sin is death and there is no way for me to change this dynamic on my own power.
- Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross paid the price for my sin. By grace He offers to forgive all my sin, erasing its eternal consequences.
- I receive this grace by faith, trusting that Jesus did what He said and that I am now at peace with God.
- I then pledge my life to follow Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit that now lives inside me.
Now back to the faith definition. The "courage to accept acceptance" means that I have to REALLY trust God, that this Gospel thing is for real, that this salvation I am claiming is for real, that this change He is working in me is for real.
If I don't REALLY trust it doesn't make God and His Gospel less real, but it does make it NOT present in me. But if I do REALLY trust, then it is real for me too, despite all my failures and shortcomings and even though I am not as good as the other guy. It's real because I can have the courage to accept my own acceptance from God.
But in the midst of all this, be honest with yourself and with God. Remember the line that the scared father gave Jesus while asking Him to help His son. He said, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24)
I love that line . . . I have used it many times!
What do you think?
Accept Acceptance? What do you think? Very simply put, it doesn't matter how sinful you have been, or, how sinful you consider yourself, God loves you, and welcomes you into His kingdom, accept. Yesteryear is history, the "present" is now, be appreciative. God loves appreciation.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a part of life, the "help my unbelief" part of scripture. Thing is, never do I doubt god or His word. I do doubt that what I ask will actually happen because of 1John5 14 and 15.Always know that prayer, for the christian will be taken care of, in His own time, but just seems to cause doubt because it does not happen when I want it to. Then I think, well, maybe it is not in God's will...scripture above...so do I get the answer or not? When all is well I have no problem, but when things are not and I need my faith the most,not so sure. Real ding-bat, aren't I? I hear this from others but they aren't so open about it.Oh, well!
ReplyDeleteI draw great comfort and insight from Paul's words in Corinthians 13:12, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." I don't know all the ins and outs, but I believe God does. I endeavor to trust Him, but I also try to be honest in that trust, with Him and with others, and not try to speak in pious platitudes and trite phrases. I would rather say I don't know than throw out some churchy line that isn't honest.
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