The foundation for faith in Christ

It seems that many people think the Christian faith is built on a “It is true because I believe it is” foundation. This appears to be especially true of those who reject the faith. Is the entire Christian faith built on a foundation of “just believe hard enough”? As in an objection I used to hear, “If you believe hard enough in this door knob it will do the same thing.” Is this true?

Absolutely, positively, No!

This immediately raises two very important questions:

1) What is the Christian faith based on?
2) What is the role of faith?

I’m sure one could write a book on this, but I only plan two brief posts! Yesterday I considered the first question, What is faith in Christ based on? You can read it here. Today, What is the role of faith?

I said yesterday the foundation for faith in Christ is fulfilled prophecy and the resurrection. How does faith fit in with this? Why do we need faith? The simple answer is, because we can’t see God and we were not eyewitnesses of the resurrection.

What is the role of faith? Faith is the key to a relationship with God:

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

Hebrews 11 says a lot about faith. The chapter opens with a definition of faith:

Faith is the confidence of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen

“Faith deals with things we cannot see. Faith relates to the invisible.

Two verses later, the writer again stressed faith’s relationship to the invisible:

"By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible." (Hebrews 11:3)

The writer here pointed out a contrast between the things that are seen and the things that are not seen, between the visible and invisible. Our senses connect us to the visible world, to “what is seen.” But faith takes us behind the visible to the invisible.

Thus faith relates to two eternal, invisible realities: to God Himself and to His Word.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

This is contrary to our natural way of thinking. The world says, “Seeing is believing.” But the Bible reverses the order: First we must believe, then we will see.” (Derek Prince, Faith to Live By)

Actually we exercise faith all the time without thinking about it. A few examples:
(1) We see a video on the news of an event that happened somewhere else. We were not there; we did not see it in person; they tell us it happened at such and such a place and date, we don’t really know that; we don’t know if it has been edited or not, yet we accept the explanation. That’s faith.
(2) Someone offers to drive you to the store. You trust that they will safely maneuver the car through traffic. I know, that may take more faith with some people!
(3) Speaking of the store, Google says they open at 9 am, we don’t show up at 8 because we believe they open at 9.

I could offer a bucket full of examples, but the point is, we routinely exercise faith in every day life. So why is faith in Christ so difficult?

First, we can’t see Him, nor were we eyewitnesses of the resurrection. We are funny like that when it comes to the things of God. Second, faith in Christ is a wee bit different. Why? Because at its root it requires the admission that we have sinned. Oh not just a couple of mischievous things along the way, but rebelled against God and are now separated from Him; AND that we cannot rescue ourselves. The objection is often heard, “Why should I have to believe in Jesus to be saved (or forgiven or have eternal life)? Why can’t I just try to be a better person? This is so stupid.” The root of this is, “Why can’t I do this thing my own way?” This is the essence of sin – All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way. Faith in Christ demands that we turn from 'doing it our own way' and trust Jesus to be our Savior.

What is the foundation for faith in Christ? Is it, “It is true because I believe it is?” No. Faith in Christ is founded upon fulfilled prophecy and his resurrection from the dead. I invite you to search the Scriptures, see what it says about Jesus. Ask God to reveal the truth to your heart. Find a Christian and ask him to explain it to you. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.


And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This is the Christ - Jesus whom I proclaim to you." (Acts 17:2-3)

The foundation for faith in Christ

It seems that many people think the Christian faith is built on a It is true because I believe it is foundation. This appears to be especially true of those who reject the faith. Does my faith make it true? Or true for me? Is the entire Christian faith built on a foundation of just believe hard enough? As in an objection I used to hear, “If you believe hard enough in this door knob it will do the same thing.” Is this true?

Absolutely, positively, No!

This immediately raises two very important questions:

1) What is the Christian faith based on?
2) What is the role of faith?

I’m sure one could write a book on this, but I only plan two brief posts!

#1 What is faith in Christ based on?

The Christian faith says God had a plan, an eternal purpose, namely, to rescue and redeem sinners. The Old Testament speaks of this rescue as salvation and the kingdom of God through a coming Savior, the Messiah or Christ. The Jews of old understood this and had great expectation of the Coming One. The New Testament says Jesus is this Christ. This is the essence of the gospel: Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Christ, the One who was to come and bring salvation. Why does it say this? What is the basis, the foundation, for this claim?

At its simplest it is two-fold:

(1) FULFILLED PROPHECY

Let me briefly trace the promise of Christ through the Old Testament

+ Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
He will be a human being, one of us. Not an angel, an alien, or an animal - a human being.

+ Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
He will come from Abraham’s family. This promise is repeated to Isaac and Jacob. Christ will be a Hebrew.

+ Genesis 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
Jacob had 12 sons (the 12 tribes of Israel): He will be of the tribe of Judah.

+ 2 Samuel 7:12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
He will be of the house of David.

+ Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
He will be born in Bethlehem.

+ Isaiah 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
His ministry.

+ Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
He will die for transgressors - he hath poured out his soul unto death
He will be raised from the dead - I will divide him a portion with the great

There are many more prophecies and details of the life and ministry of the coming Christ. And here’s the kicker – Jesus must fulfill them all or he is disqualified from being the Christ. If Jesus had been born in Gibeah, he could not be the Christ. If he was Chinese, he could not be the Christ. These are just a few of the prophecies - if he did not fulfill them all he could not be the Christ. No matter how good believing in him might make me feel, or what comfort I derive from believing in him, no matter how sincerely I believed, if he did not fulfill the prophecies he is not the Christ, he is not the Savior. Our faith is based on objective truth.

(2) THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS FROM THE DEAD

Psalm 16:8 I foresaw the Lord always before my face; for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart rejoiced an my tongue exulted; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
10 because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou wilt fill me with joy with thy countenance: at thy right hand there are delights for ever.

How is this even relevant? What is David talking about? The apostle Peter, quoting this very passage on the day of Pentecost explains:

Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

The gospel tells us Jesus was literally crucified, died, and was buried. The third day he really, literally, bodily, physically, historically rose from the dead. If he did not rise from the dead our goose is cooked; our ship is sunk; we are still in our sins; we are without hope; the entirety of the Christian faith is a sham. No matter how hard I believe, how sincerely I believe, how good it makes me feel to believe, no matter what supposed comfort I derive from believing it, if Jesus did not rise from the dead, it ain’t true.

If you can prove that Jesus did not fulfill the prophecies, or that he did not rise from the dead, you have undone the faith. You see, faith in Christ is most definitely NOT 'true because I believe it is'. We believe in Jesus because he is the promised Christ, who died for our sins and rose again.

ΙΧΘΥΣ is an acronym or acrostic for Iēsous Christos, Theou Yios, Sōtēr; which translates into English as 'Jesus Christ, Son of God, [Our] Savior'.


Next: #2 What is the role of faith?