Sunday's Message: Easter in Seven Words - Faith

There are many words and images that we associate with Easter, both secular and sacred. During the Sundays leading up to Easter, we'll focus on seven words that the Apostle Paul used when he described the importance of the crucifixion and resurrection. We'll consider the following:

• February 26 – Grace (Romans 5:12-19)
• March 5 – Faith (Romans 4:1-5)
• March 12 – Peace (Romans 5:1-11)
• March 19 – Light (Ephesians 5:8-14)
• March 26 – Spirit (Romans 8:6-11)
• April 2 – Humility (Philippians 2:5-11)
• April 9 – Life (Colossians 3:1-4)

During the second message, we used Romans 4:1-5 to consider the word FAITH. Below is a copy and a recording of the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel at 10:00 a.m.

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As you can see in the bulletin, today is Debbie’s birthday, and this year is really special, because on this day, she turns forty, again. But you know, regardless of her actual age, I have absolutely no doubt that the next time we’re out together, somebody will probably assume that I’m her father. But be-that-as-it-may, today is a special day. And I’ll tell you, that’s the reason Maggie is with us this morning.

But of course, we’re not here for just birthdays. I mean, this morning we’re on the second message in a series we started last week entitled Easter in Seven Words. You see, in these Sundays leading up to the cross and the empty tomb, we’re looking at seven different passages from the Apostle Paul that deal with a word that he considered important. And last week, we started this by looking at some scripture from his letter to the Romans that focused on the word grace. And during our discussion, we talked about how we can experience grace when we understand the human condition and the divine response and the end result, and I’m talking about our sin and God’s gift and the reconciliation that we’ve received. Now that’s what we did last Sunday. 

And this morning, we’re going to use another passage from Romans to discuss another word that Paul considered important, namely faith. And I’ll tell you, if most Christians consider grace important, faith is sort of like grace on steroids. Man, it’s huge. But you know, just because it reflects something that most believers consider important, that doesn’t mean it’s not confusing, even for folks who’ve been around the church for a while. And you know, I think a lot of that confusion comes down to some assumptions that a lot of believers tend to make. For example, I think a whole bunch of people assume that, when it comes to God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit, faith is actually the same thing as certainty. In other words, they are faithful only when they have absolutely no doubts ever. And I’ll tell you, maybe that assumption explains why they also assume that their faith is grounded in stuff that they’ve done. I mean, for many, faithfulness is really based on words said and promises made and actions taken. Now that’s another assumption. And all of this is crucially important because these same very sincere and dedicated believers seem to assume that their faith will determine where they spend eternity. They really do control their destinies. And for that reason, the stakes couldn’t be higher, and so, as they look at themselves, they had better do everything they’ve been told to do so they can be certain. And as they go out into the world, well, they tend to assume that those they may meet along the way are going to Hell in a handbasket, man, they’re eternally lost, unless they can prove that they’re not. Now for a lot of Christians, that sure seems to be what faith is all about.

But I’ll tell you, I don’t believe that was what the Apostle Paul believed, not based on what he wrote to the Romans. And so, that’s what we’re going to look at this morning; we’re going to focus on faith. In fact, we’re going to talk about three aspects of faith that I think Paul explained to the Romans using the example of Abraham. I mean, just listen to what Paul wrote: 

Well then, what can we say about our ancestor Abraham? If he became acceptable to God because of what he did, then he would have something to brag about. But he would never be able to brag about it to God. The Scriptures say, “God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith in him.”

Money paid to workers isn’t a gift. It is something they earn by working. But you cannot make God accept you because of something you do. God accepts sinners only because they have faith in him. [Romans 4:1-5, CEV]

Now that’s what Paul wrote about the person that Jews back in the day considered the father of their people. And like I said, in this example, I believe Paul pointed to three things that folks need to know if they want to understand faith. 

For example, first, for Paul and Abraham, faith means trust. But that shouldn’t be a surprise, especially since that’s the preferred definition for the Greek word that’s generally translated faith, πίστις. You see, based on the word Paul chose to use, faith isn’t the same as certainty at all. As a matter of fact, if you’re certain, you really don’t need to trust, do you? No, faith is more like stepping into a room that’s pitch black. Of course, when you open that door, it’s natural to assume that this particular room is like every other, right? But I’ll tell you, even if that’s the assumption you make, you can’t be certain, and I’m talking about 100% sure that there’ll be a floor on the other side. And yet you still go in, trusting that, when you take a step, something solid will be under your foot. Now, I think that’s exactly what faith is, and Paul knew it. And I’ll tell you something else, I also think that same thing was reflected by our ancestor Abraham; he trusted God. And if you have any doubts, just listen to what it says in Genesis:

The Lord said to Abram:

Leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you. I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you, but I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. Everyone on earth will be blessed because of you. 

Abram was 75 years old when the Lord told him to leave the city of Haran. He obeyed and left with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and slaves they had acquired while in Haran. [Genesis 12:1-5, CEV]

You see, for Abram, whose name will be changed to Abraham a little later, faith meant trust.

And you know, because that’s the case with both him and us, faith demands a decision, but I think that runs counter what a lot of folks seem to assume about faith. I mean, think about it; we don’t decide to be certain, and we don’t decide to know something. We’re either certain or we’re not. We either know it or we don’t. But I’ll tell you, trust is different, because it’s always a decision. I mean, whether it’s about your twenty-one year-old daughter in Morgantown or a politician running for office or the Almighty Lord of Universe, somewhere down the line, we’re going to have to make the decision to trust or not. I mean, that’s just the way it is, and even though information may make that decision easier, a decision still has to be made. In other words, like Abraham, if we want to be faithful, we need to decide whether or not we’re going to trust God; because, faith means trust. And that’s one thing we need to know if we want to understand what faith is all about.

And second, I think we also need to recognize that faith is grounded in a gift. In other words, faith is not about the words we say or the promises we make or the actions we take. No, our faith is grounded in that wonderful gift we discussed last week, and of course I’m talking about grace. And you know, it’s called a gift, because, as Paul wrote, it’s not like money paid to workers. And it’s not something that we can earn by doing. Man, it’s not even something that we can deserve or expect. Instead grace was and is a gift from God himself, something that really only has meaning if we trust that it’s been given. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s what Paul had in mind, when he wrote this in the a passage that follows the one we read a little while ago:

Everything depends on having faith in God, so that God’s promise is assured by his gift of undeserved grace. This promise isn’t only for Abraham’s descendants who have the Law. It is for all who are Abraham’s descendants because they have faith, just as he did. Abraham is the ancestor of us all. The Scriptures say that Abraham would become the ancestor of many nations. This promise was made to Abraham because he had faith in God, who raises the dead to life and creates new things. [Romans 4:16-17, CEV]

You see, when he trusted in God, I think Abraham understood and appreciated the gift he’d received.

And you know, I think that can also be the case for us. You see, this unearned, undeserved gift of grace can be real to us the minute we decide to trust that it was given. And you know, that just makes sense, doesn’t it? But I’ll tell you what else it’ll do. I think it’ll make us more humble as we look in the mirror and then out into the world. My goodness, if grace really is a gift that’s both unearned and undeserved, do we have any reason to boast and to brag about it or to feel anything other than humility and gratitude? And if it was given to us, why should we assume it hasn’t  been given to others? You know, with respect to the gift of grace, maybe the only difference between them and us is that we’ve been told about it and have decided to trust that it’s real. And if that’s true, maybe God has given us the opportunity to make the gift known so that they can trust too. You see, just like faith means trust, for Paul, it’s also grounded in a gift, something else we might need to know in order to understand faith.

And third, I think we also need to understand that faith leads to acceptance, and I’m talking about our acceptance by God. You see, according to Paul, God wants to be in a relationship with us. That’s actually what he was talking about whenever he used the word righteousness. Now that’s what God wants. But as we all know, a genuine relationship demands two sides. I mean, as I learned many times in high school, you’re not in a relationship unless both sides want it. And that’s the way it is with God. You see, from his side, God has given us this incredible gift of grace, freeing us from sin and cleaning up all the stuff that might get in the way with our relating to him. And that has all been done without our permission or help. And now, well, now we have the chance simply to trust that the gift was given. And when we do, we’ve done our part to make the relationship complete. We have been made righteous. We’ve been accepted by God, something about which Paul wrote in the verses we read as well as in this little passage from his letter to the Philippians:

Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. [Philippians 3:8-9, CEV]

You see, when we trust in what God has already done, our acceptance by him and our relationship with him is complete.

And I’ll tell you, because of that, I think we can feel hope, and I’m talking about hope for both ourselves and for  others. You see, when we decide to trust that the undeserved and unearned gift of grace was given two thousand years before we were born and through that trust, we’re now acceptable to God, if that’s what we’ve done, how would we not look into the future with confidence and peace, knowing that what we didn’t earn and don’t deserve, man, we just can’t lose? And so I believe faith enables us to feel all kinds of hope for ourselves. But I’ll tell you, I think we’ll also feel more hope for others. You see, if we trust that grace isn’t like a wage and it can’t be earned by words or promises or work, instead it’s a gift, when that’s what we believe, then I think our view of those who haven’t decided to trust changes. I mean, even though we know that having the kind of acceptance, the kind of relationship that trust offers is a whole lot better than not, we really can’t say that God withdraws his grace from those who don’t have faith in him. Who knows, maybe they’ll decide to trust tomorrow or next month or next year. And you know, even if they don’t, I mean, even if they never have faith, who knows; although they may have lost the hope that comes from trust and acceptance during their lives here, maybe God can still be gracious, even to them? Who knows; I don’t, because that’s in the hands of God. I’m telling you, just like it means trust and it’s grounded in a gift, faith leads to acceptance, something else we might need to know in order to understand what this word means.

Of course, having said all this, I know that faith will always be challenging. I mean, when Maggie gets in her car tomorrow morning and heads back to Morgantown, I want to have faith that she’ll be safe and happy. And when I go to bed tonight, I want to have faith that Debbie has had a good birthday. And as I get myself ready to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, I certainly want to have a strong and growing faith in God. And even though it’ll probably always be tempting to approach him assuming that faith is the same as certainty and that it’s grounded in what I choose to do and that it gives me the power to determine where I spend eternity, I’m going to resist that temptation. And I’m going to claim the example of faith Paul offered when he wrote about Abraham and I’m going to recognize that faith means trust; therefore, it’s always a decision. And I’m going to recognize that faith is grounded in God’s gift of grace. And I’m going to recognize that faith leads to God’s acceptance of me, which puts me in a right relationship with him. You see, this is really what faith is all about. And next week, as we move toward Easter, we’ll discuss another word Paul considered important, and now I’m talking about peace.