The Mechanics of Faith

So why is God invisible? I'm sure there are a thousand reasons, but the one that strikes me is so that we can exercise faith, or the lack there of. All of us drive slower on the freeway when there's a cop at the side of the road.

Don't you wish God would just give us orders. When you work for someone they give you orders and your job is dependent on obedience. "Hey, Joe, go into the men's room and wipe down the toilet, the urinal and the sink. Then mop the floor." The boss doesn't wait around for someone to be moved by the spirit or to feel responsible. And he doesn't care if Joe "has that gift or passion." An order is an order.

So, what does Jesus command? And aren't you glad He's not here telling us what to do. We have the option, because He's invisible (as good as not being here) to not do stuff. We can take Jesus' commands and work them down to the easiest religious level…morality. We obey in that we don't fornicate or cheat on our taxes or lie (boldly) and go to church. All of this is passive morality and somehow it must make Jesus very, very happy.

What if Jesus just said to us, "Within the next week, I want you to go to one of your neighbors and explain my Gospel?" First, we'd have our medication adjusted. Second, we'd be happy we're not charismatic and therefore don't hear or trust voices. Third, we'd pray that He'd go back to being invisible and silent.

The reality is, the command is there. We don't hear because the obedience is from faith. If He audibly commanded, more of us would do it, but out of compulsion and duty. In this life, we obey from faith and love, that is, worshiping Him in spirit and in truth.

I'm writing this to me, so don't feel the need to be convicted. I do stuff with my neighbors and I led one to Christ last year, but I know I get balled up in indecision and resistance. I would almost be relieved if Jesus just became visible in my office and said, "Dan, next time you see Joe and Mary, ask them if you could come over and talk for an hour on Thursday night. Just lay out a very simple version of what I'm doing." I would love that audible command. Jesus being invisible leaves it too much up to me and my faith and my love and my obedience. But as I was praying, I was thinking (and I "think" He put it there), "If you were an insurance salesman or a missionary raising support, once you had a lead, you'd move in and make an appointment. So why don't you do that here?" I thought (still thinking) that that was a great idea, and then it hit me it might be a command, but then I rationalized, "Hey, that "command" was always there for the last 2 years" and then I got convicted and felt bad and stopped thinking and watched TV. That killed it! But God was waiting for me this morning and started up where He left off last night.

Jesus marveled at the centurion whose slave was dying (Matt 8). "But just say the word…for I am a man set under authority with soldiers under me and I say to one, "Go" and he goes…. This story is actually similar to the official with the dying son who came to Jesus on His second visit to Cana. That man "believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way." But in Matthew 8 Jesus marvels and says, "Not even in Israel have I found such faith." So what was the difference? I think it was because the centurion expressed the essence and mechanics of faith, that is, you are under your master's authority, you hear your master's word, and you just do it. The centurion knew Jesus was a master, that He had servants, He could say the word and it would be done.

Jesus said, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord' and do not do what I tell you?" We say obedience, but I think this is really faith. This explains the story Jesus told the 12 when they said, "increase our faith." Luke 17:5-10  So this is faith?

The command to make disciples and reach out to the perishing are the "hard way" and we are commanded to resist the easy way and choose the narrow gate and hard way. Life here on earth is not for our convenience and comfort. If the Lord wants us to have those, that's His department. We are to labor hard in the fields. If we are happy with a Christianity that makes no waves, that looks like morality and reading an old book, that serves coffee and Christian rock on Sunday, that doesn't get into the way of the perishing with the bold love and sacrifice of Christ, we are fooling ourselves. We deny Him. And sending a check and ignoring our neighbor is still an act of cowardice and a lack of faith.

Jesus is invisible, but will He find faith on earth or just our church culture? I hope that He finds faith in me, today and this week, reaching out, daring to share. I don't want to have to have Him sitting at the side of the road with a radar gun to make me walk in the Spirit and believe His word and commands and that the reality of this life is really, really true. The mechanics of faith take the words of the master and transform them into action. His word becomes our command, just as if He was standing next to us, instead of invisibly living in us.  Why can’t we “see” this?