Category Archives: Faith

Fideism

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Some early Christian teachers, such as Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen, believed that God could been known through a consideration of philosophical arguments.  Tertullian, on the other hand, maintained an extreme fideism, believing that Christian faith is actually contradicted by human philosophy.

Luther emphasised the fallenness of human reason, and the necessity of faith in overcoming reason’s impotence.

Calvin followed closely the Pauline outline sketched above.  He held that a seed of knowledge of the divine has been planted in each human heart. …

Faith

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What do people mean by ‘faith’?

The word ‘faith’ is used in a bewildering variety of ways at the present day:-

  1. The sceptical view is that it is ‘blind trust’.  According to Dawkins, ‘faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence.  Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence…Faith is not allowed to justify itself by argument.’
  2. The popular view is that it is ‘a certain obstinate optimism’ (Packer, God’s Words, p129). 
…

Faith and assurance

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In his celebrated book Holiness, J.C. Ryle writes:-

Bare simple faith in Christ shall save a man, though he may never attain to assurance; but will it bring him to heaven with strong and abounding consolations? I will concede that it shall land him safe in harbor; but I will not concede that he will enter that harbor in full sail, confident and rejoicing. I would not be surprised if he reaches his desired haven weather-beaten and tempest-tossed, scarcely realizing his own safety, till he opens his eyes in glory.…

McGrath vs Dawkins: faith and evidence

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Richard Dawkins is no philosopher, nor theologian, nor biblical scholar.  None of which automatically disqualifies him from expressing his opinions on religion, but all of which should make him exercise a little more care and caution in expressing those opinions.

For a man so committed to evidence and reason, it is remarkable that Dawkins pays so little attention to both in certain sections of The God Delusion.  It is clear that before he wrote that book, he had read Alister McGrath’s Dawkins’ God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life (2005).  …

Ruth 1 – Can God be trusted, even in the dark? – sermon notes

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Can God be trusted, even in the dark? When your world has collapsed, and you can see no way of putting it back together again. When God himself seems to have dealt you a very poor deal, and when you cry out “Why?” heaven remains silent. When your faith is sorely tested. Can you – will you – cling to God nevertheless?

This is the very practical problem that I would like to explore with you from Ruth chapter 1.…

Faith and doubt

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John Ortberg comments that the badge of doubt is often worn with pride (‘honest doubt’), but we seem embarrassed or even ashamed of faith (‘blind faith’).

But of course, he says, there are also such things as ‘blind doubt’ and ‘honest faith’!

John Ortberg’s Book, Faith and Doubt, was published in 2008 by Zondervan.…

Science: the last nail in God’s coffin?

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‘Humanity should accept that science has eliminated the justification for believing in cosmic purpose, and that any survival of purpose is inspired only by sentiment.’ (Peter Atkins, Oxford Chemistry Professor)

‘It is fashionable to wax apocalyptic about the threat posed by the AIDS virus, “mad cow” disease and many others, but I think that a case can be made that faith is one of the world’s great evils, comparable to the smallpox virus but harder to eradicate. …

‘Faith’ in the Letter to the Hebrews

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In his helpful little book, God’s Words, J.I. Packer offers this summary of the teaching of the Letter to the Hebrews on faith:-

1.  Faith is ‘being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see‘, Heb 11:1 – the emphasis being, as always in Scripture, on the reality of faith’s objects rather than the degree of confidence we feel about them.

2.  Specifically, faith honours and pleases God by taking his word about things (creation, Heb 11:3; rewards, Heb 11:6; God’s faithfulness to his promises, Heb 11:11; this life as a journey home, Heb 11:13-16; the fact that obedience always makes sense, even when it looks like nonsense, Heb 11:17-19; etc.).…

‘But my faith is so weak’

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We must distinguish (writes that most accessible of all Puritans, Thomas Watson) between weakness of faith and no faith:-

A weak faith is true. The bruised reed is but weak, yet it is such as Christ will not break. Though thy faith be weak, be not discouraged.

(1.) A weak faith may receive a strong Christ. A weak hand can tie the knot in marriage as well as a strong one; and a weak eye might have seen the brazen serpent.…

Prophet, Priest and King

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J.I. Packer (Concise Theology) notes that one of Calvin’s great contributions to Christian theology was his recognition that in the New Testament the mediatorial work of Jesus is expounded in terms of the threefol office of prophet, priest, and king.

These three aspects are all found in the letter to the Hebrews.  Jesus is the exalted King, Heb 1:3, 13; 4:16; 2:9.  He is the great High Priest who offered himself to God as a sacrifice for our sins, Heb 2:17; 4:14–5:10; chs.…