Faith by Any Other Name, Is NOT Faith
My daughter and I were discussing religion. She proceeded to tell me that she was an agnostic .. one who believes a bit of most religions but does not settle on one as a preference. I am a Christian. As we discussed the different religions, she was alluding to the fact that Christianity was not the only religion that used faith. All religions had faith. But, that statement did not sit well with my heart. Though my mind understood and agreed with what she was saying, my heart said 'NO". My heart said there is no faith in other forms of belief. ONLY the Christian belief is based on faith. I wanted to explain what I was seeing in my heart but I could not explain to her, or even to my own satisfaction, why faith cannot work or be present in other forms of belief. And later, after she left, it dawned on me. Faith can only be a Christian action because faith is based on what Someone has done, and is doing, sacrificially for another. His name is Jesus and He is the Christ. It is based on the belief that the actions of the love and sacrifice that Jesus Christ has made, and the belief of, and the confessing of these actions that will result in the immediate rebirth of that person, the immediate transformation of that person. The immediate transformation from sinful to sinless. The immediate transformation from unrighteousness to righteousness. The immediate transformation of unholiness to holiness. The immediate transformation of being unsanctified to sanctified in Him. Faith is not about what we do but what He has done and is doing. His actions, not ours. Faith is based on our relationship with the One who has given Himself for us. And this Faith connects us to the One who gave us the sacrifice. Our Maker. Our Creator. Our Father. God. No other religion in all of the world, promises immediate perfection. All other beliefs (religions) demand paths to perfection. A way of life that demands work after work after work to make it to perfection. Sometimes, it takes several lifetimes. Sometimes it takes the sacrifice of oneself. But no other religion bases their belief on what God has done for them, but on what they can do for God. Faith says, God has already done for us and continues to do for us. Therefore, there is no belief in all the world that can claim they have faith but the Christian belief.
