No Risk in Biblical Faith


The expression "risk of faith" applies to only the world of human dealings; in the divine economy of things, faith is absolutely risk-free. It is perfectly safe to trust in Jesus.

"You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." (Isaiah 26:3)



From "Between the Axle and the Rim", Basileia, 2010. Reprinted in Beyond the Shadows.

Faith is substance; it is never a vague idea in which some confidence is placed, as some modern dictionaries define“belief” to be. It is solid and divinely grounded truth that demands not a blind risk-involved, wager kind of response; but, absolute trust and surrender. In other words, faith is rational, faith is knowledge. When the Word is preached as it is, it allows no excuse; it needs no evidence, for it itself is the evidence; to deny it would be self-defeating. [7]

[7] “Faith is…the evidence of things not seen” (Heb.11:1).



Note (April 1, 2014)
* The idea of risk as applied to faith can only regard the test of faith. It doesn't become a blind leap as such; but, the test of a heart that is fully confident about God's purposes, a heart that truly and fully believes and walks by faith. It will need nothing else. "The just shall live by faith" (Rom.1:17)

The More I Seek You (जितना तुझे ढ़ूढूं)




English

The more I seek you, the more I find you
The more I find you, the more I love you.

I wanna sit at your feet, drink from the cup in your hand
Lay down against you and breath, feel your heartbeat
This love is so deep, it's more than I can stand
I melt in your peace, it's overwhelming.

Hindi

*Not exact rendition
जितना तुझे ढ़ूंढूं, उतना तुझे पाउं
जितना तुझे पाउं, उतना तुझे चाहूं

तेरे चरणों तले बैठूं मै
तेरे नैनों को तरसूं मै
तू ही मेरा खुदा, तू सर्वशक्तिमान
तेरा प्‍यार है गहन
तू ही मेरा अमन
तू ही मेरा पिता, तू सर्वशक्तिमान

Explorations of Faith II - Introduction

In the former book, written in 2009, I began by giving an in-depth theological analysis of the subject of faith. In this volume, I would like to re-present the same thoughts in the form of aphorisms; however, spiced with truths that I have also learnt thereafter.

INTRODUCTION
  1. Faith is the building block of life. One has to be grounded in the foundation of faith, covered with the shield or walls of faith, and build himself up in faith.
  2. If faith is the brick of our life, then love is the cement. Faith works by love.
  3. Life looks meaningless and empty when there is no faith. Even love cannot fill the infinite hollow within; because love cannot be quenched by many waters. However, a little bit of faith, just the size of a mustard seed, is enough to dash life with meaning.
  4. But, faith is not blind; even as love is also not blind. God commanded us to love Him with our mind, not just with our heart. Likewise, faith does not throw away the mind. A mindless faith is what God detests. Worship of idols as if they were living is an instance of mindless faith. God calls us to reason.
  5. Faith and Truth go together. People can believe in something that is false and that false belief can even be dangerous. For instance, some people blow up planes because they believe that doing that will earn them spiritual merit. That is an example of false belief that is dangerous to both self and society.
  6. Faith is when a person accepts the truth and applies it to his life.
  7. In the same way that truth cannot be self-contradictory, faith is also not self-contradictory.
  8. Truth that is not believed in is useless; belief that is not true can be dangerous!
  9. If somebody says that he doesn’t believe in God anymore, he either means that God doesn’t exist or that he can’t believe in what he thinks is God. Perhaps, his idea of God is wrong; because, once he has the right idea of God, he won’t be able to deny God. But, one can only say something like something doesn’t exist in the whole universe if someone has total knowledge of the entire universe – in other words, is omniscient, is God himself (which, by the way, is not the case here).

14 Qualities of True Friendship According to Jesus (John 15: 9-17)

  1. Friendship is God-ordained. It proceeds from God the Father - "as the Father loved me, I also loved you" (9)
  2. Friendship is Christ-patterned. He is the one true example of a True Friend - "as I have loved you..." (9)
  3. Friendship is a Sacred Tie/Bond - "keep my commandments" (10)
  4. Friendship is a Choice to Love despite everything - "abide in My love... love one another as I have loved you." (9,12)
  5. Friendship is a Cup brimming with Divine Joy.. "that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." (11)
  6. Friendship is Self-less and Sacrificial - "to lay down one's life for his friends" (13).
  7. Friendship is Transparent and not diplomatic or formal - "No longer do I call you servants,... but,... friends..." (15)
  8. Friendship is Sharing - "all things I have made known to you" (15)
  9. Friendship is Proactive. "I chose you" (16) (cf. Prov. 18:24)
  10. Friendship is Benevolent and Good Intentional. It wants friends to grow and prosper. "that you should go and bear fruit" (16).
  11. Friendship is Fruitful. It brings friendly consequences and contributes to the friendship constructively - "that you should go and bear fruit" (16)
  12. Friendship is Lasting. "that your fruit should remain" (16)
  13. Friendship is Mutually Responsive. "You do whatever I command... Whatever you ask... He may give you." (14,16)
  14. Friendship is Mutually Caring.  "that you love one another" (17)

Dissatisfaction-->Perdition: Gratitude-->Salvation

Carnality-->Dissatisfaction-->Distrust-->Complaint-->Perdition (1Cor 10)

Spirituality-->Gratitude-->Trust-->Praise-->Salvation (Acts 16)