(This post is a long-overdue reply to Aaron’s tag over on The Colorful Journey. My apologies for the delay… as Robin Williams used to say, “better latent than never”. This is a meme started over on Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit.)
Good question! I’m tempted to begin by defining the terms (simple = straightforward, not complex; faith = the assurance of things hoped for; Christ = the Messiah, Jesus the only begotten Son of God). Therefore by semantic definition, simple faith in Christ is a straightforward certainty that Jesus — who we have never seen — truly exists and can be trusted with our eternal destiny.
But I find that definition unsatisfying on an emotional and spiritual level. On an emotional level, simple faith in Christ is the kind of trust a child has in a loving parent. It would never even enter the mind of a child raised in a loving home to ask if he or she will be fed, clothed, cared for, protected, comforted, forgiven… a child simply knows this and lives accordingly.
And yet simple faith in Christ requires a more adult definition in order to satisfy the spirit. In the words of the old Don Francisco song, “it’s not your food or drink, it’s not the way you dress… it’s to hear the Lord and to answer ‘yes'”. Obedience is the key. Everything in us cringes at the mere word obey and it immediately sparks an attitude of rebellion. Such is our fallen nature. But seen through the eyes of simple faith… to obey is the single greatest expression of trust. And it’s an expression of love towards the only One truly worthy of it, the only One who ever died to show us how much He loves us.
And the amazing thing about obedience is: the more you do it, the more faith grows, because every time, every time, this kind of simple faith is rewarded… directly, unmistakably, from His hand.
(I don’t have anyone to tag who I know is available to respond at the moment, so I’ll just say: if anyone reading would like to jump in, here’s how the game is played: (1) Answer the question on your blog. (2) Link back to me. (3) Link back to the original (Blessed’s blog). (4) Post these rules on your blog. (5) Tag people at the end of your post. (6) Let each person you tag know that they have been tagged.)
Oh yeah — and for your listening pleasure (and for folks my age, a stroll down memory lane) here’s the Don Francisco song I quoted: “Holiness”. 🙂
Hi Peg!
I hope you had a good holidays. Thanks for responding to the Meme. I had an extreme case of blogburn and have been dealing with alot since the holidays so I’m just now getting back.
Obedience really is the key isn’t it? the evidence that we even have simple faith in Christ? I hate to admit how often God has clearly impressed upon me to do something and I consciously disobeyed, or at least thought that my way was better. Oh yeah, I moved blogs, so if you want you can update it on your blogroll
God Bless!
Glad I found this on Norton Safe Search. Sme theme as a poem I’m proposing to write, doing a better job of developing simple faith than a limerick might do—I may still write the limerick. Nobody LIKED this—not even the guy who left a big comment? People don’t know Spirit-filled wisdom when it’s right in front of them, do they? I’m LIKING and reblogging, by your leave, to fit perfectly into the scheme of things on my main blog. A blessed Christmas Eve to you and yours!
I’m so glad you found it, and that it’s been a good find. May it bless your readers. A very Happy Christmas to you and yours!
And a blessed one to you!
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