The Boundaries of Faith – Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

We set boundaries to our faith.  From our perspective we limit God.  We ask God to prove himself to us.  We will follow in “faith” if we have this evidence or that sign.  We put God to the test by our standards and then find him wanting.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that “Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see.”  Paul told us that the just must live by faith.  Faith is the prerequisite for following Christ.  Again I would echo the words of the letter to the Hebrews, “No one can please God without faith. Whoever goes to God must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

It is we that set boundaries on our willingness to seek God.  We gather evidence or circumstances as our boundaries to belief.   We decide that God has not met our test and dismiss with a polite “no, thank you.”    We even teach others not to have faith. 

God requires me to approach him with simple and innocent faith.  He requires me to believe so that I might actually see.  I realize that it is difficult for some people to have faith.  God, however, explains that he will reward the smallest amount of faith with more faith.  It is not a leap.  It is a step.

The long journey home begins with a moment of faith.  It starts with a single step toward Christ.  The beauty is that no matter how far you have run in any other direction, the journey back is always a single step in faith.  The boundaries are crushed by the willingness to believe. 

It is by grace that we are redeemed through faith.  It is faith that moves me down the path.  It is faith that has brought me through my darkest times and faith that will eventually get me to the clearing at the end.  It is faith that keeps from despair over my children that do not walk in faith.  It is faith that is the spring of my hope and love for others.  Without faith I would not bother, full stop.  I cannot, therefore, afford to set boundaries on it.

That’s What Faith Must Be – Michael Card

To hear with my heart

To see with my soul

To be guided by a hand I cannot hold

To trust in a way that I cannot see

That's what faith must be

When the universe fell from His fingertips

He decided He wanted some fellowship

But the man and the woman would not submit

So He made a better way

When the moment was right He sent His own son

And He opened the way so that everyone

Could have hope and believe that when time was done

He'd be able to make us one

To hear with my heart

To see with my soul

To be guided by a hand I cannot hold

To trust in a way that I cannot see

That's what faith must be

Now I understand that there is a key

It's Jesus in me, a reality

That God is in Christ and that Christ's in me

That with faith I see what is unseen

To hear with my heart

To see with my soul

To be guided by a hand I cannot hold

To trust in a way that I cannot see

That's what faith must be

That's what faith must be

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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The Boundaries of Faith - Money

Greetings Dear Reader,

I hate money.  Now you will not often see me use the word “hate”.  I hate that we put so much of our lives into the getting of money.  I do not mind work.  I do not mind that we have to have commerce of some kind.  I do hate that we spend the bulk of our waking hours pursuing the money to do the things we love.

The way in which Christ followers are to handle money is very important.  Jesus was very clear that we are not to pursue wealth.  He was clear that we are to be generous with what we have.  We seem to so easily forget that we are to trust God for all of our provision.

Our lack of money and belief can become a boundary to our faith.  It is not possible to pursue money and follow Christ.  Christ promises us that we will not want if we pursue him.  He also promises that we cannot serve God and money. 

When we take on too much debt we are unable to take on more faith.  When we pursue meeting out own needs we do not allow God to meet them and become less attuned to the needs of others.  Paul said it so clearly, “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” 

If we remove the barrier from our faith we will see that God can and will provide.  I realize that it sounds simplistic and perhaps even puerile.   Then again the faith Christ asks us to have is the faith of a child.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Boundaries of Faith - Relationships

Greetings Dear Reader,

I often ponder the way in which friendships edge and flow.  It troubles me greatly that lasting relationships are harder to forge.  It frightens me that marriage vows have become transitory so easily abandoned.

Faith is to be the suture that binds our relationships.   In faith we bind ourselves together depending upon God to give us the unity we need.  That is how it should be for us as Christ followers.  Instead we set boundaries on our faith in relationships. 

We forge friendships but do not trust our faith to help be a true friend.  We take marriage vows and walk away from them when things do not unfold as we planned.  We fail to have faith that God will work things as he knows are best.  Our boundaries in faith keep us from seeing through the hard times so that we can see God’s work.

I must be good to others.  I must keep my part of a relationship centered on my faith in Christ.  I must deal with others in love, grace, and forgiveness even when they wrong me.  By faith I can find the power and strength to crush the barriers that others raise.  By faith and following I can love beyond the boundaries that I am naturally inclined to erect. 

My personal desires do not matter when it comes to honoring my relationships with others.  It is love through faith that must guide me.  I must move toward Christ.  I must follow and be faithful to my friends.  After all if my benchmark as a Christ follower is love then cannot lovingly abandon my friends and family.    

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Boundaries of Faith – What God Cannot Do

Greetings Dear Reader,

Close your eyes for a moment Dear Reader and finish this sentence in your head: “I will not believe in a God who would…”

I have heard this often and it always perplexes me.  We set up a standard for God.  It is a predetermined failure on his part.  In most cases it is something for which man not God is responsible.  It is more likely a justification to set a boundary on faith that we have already abandoned.

If I do not take an honest view of who God is then I will limit my trust in him.  If I proceed from the assumption that this or that event precludes the existence of God then I have not taken an on honest look at who God is.  The other factor in this statement is that it is an act of will. 

We choose what we believe.  We determine what we believe about God.  We assign him blame much more often that we give him credit.  God gave us free will so he cannot force us to believe.  He wants us to believe because he knows that life is better if we follow in faith.

Dishonesty in our presumptions leads to false conclusions.  By making a condition on which we will believe we create a space in which we feel free to deny faith.  That is always a dangerous thing when dealing with time and eternity. 

If I am to have real faith that grows deeper and richer I must abandon barriers and boundaries.  I must not set up false limitations based on my private preferences.  Faith requires honesty.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Boundaries of Faith – Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

Whether we care to admit it or not we all believe in something.  Even atheists “believe” that there is no God.  I do not say this in a pejorative manner.  I respect that many people come to this belief through reason.  It is still, however, a belief; an act of faith.

As a Christ follower my beliefs are basic and sometimes confounding.  From God’s perspective the only boundary to faith is fulfillment of that faith.  Humans, however, set boundaries to their faith.  We determine the tests and limits of what we are willing to believe. We demand proof and when that proof is not to our liking we change the rules.

When life tests our faith those boundaries begin to matter.  I have thought through my faith.  I have listened, read, discussed, and sought.  My faith is based on reason but not on conclusive evidence.  The latter would preclude the need for faith.

So what are the limits of faith?  Where are the boundaries of faith?  I must assure that my faith in Christ is reasonably limitless.  I realize that sounds like an oxymoron.  I need to explore the boundaries of my faith.  I need to examine them so that I push them, test them, and expand them.  My faith needs to be both deeper and larger.

For me this is a first step in preparation for Holy Week.  After all, celebrating the resurrection of Christ is a large act of faith.  It is also reasonable.  It a belief I cherish.  It is an event that is the bedrock of many other things I believe.  It is by faith that I approach God and in faith that I follow. 

It makes sense, therefore, to want larger and deeper faith.  I will examine the boundaries that I set for my faith and seek to push them outward.  I will plumb the depth of my faith and seek to increase it.  Please feel free to join in the discussion as we journey. 

By Faith – Michael Card

By faith one was commended

For the sacrifice he made

Another out of holy fear

Built an ark the world to save

Another left his homeland

and as a stranger he'd reside

But none received the promise then

And so, in faith, they died.

Others conquered kingdoms

Quenched the fury of the flames

Some made strong in battle

Some were raised to life again

But many more were martyred

Midst the crowds loud clamoring

By faith they would not bow the knee

Nor kiss the emperor's ring

Faith understands and offers

It assures and calms our fears

It can shut the mouths of lions

And make sense of scars and tears

We persevere in hope

And with conscience clean and clear

We walk this fallen wilderness

With Salvation's Pioneer

Being sure of what we hope for

Seeing what is yet unseen

A universe from nothingness

New life where none had been

The known made from unknowable

And hope for the comfortless

Who hear and hold on firmly to

The faith that they possess

So fix your eyes upon the Champion

As you seek to run the race

Understanding that He cheers you on

As you long for His embrace

So hold on and do not grow weary

Of the faith that you profess

Remembering that you are ringed around

By this cloud of witnesses

Faith understands and offers

It assures and calms our fears

It can shut the mouths of lions

And make sense of scars and tears

We persevere in hope

And with conscience clean and clear

We walk this fallen wilderness

With Salvation's Pioneer     

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)