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Is Faith Necessary? Part One
by lareina morgan
In the world today,there are many people who express concerns about faith, and whether faith is necessary in the 21st century, after all, we have scored many scientific and technological advances, many of the mysteries of the past have been solved, so they ask, is faith and religion necessary anymore? We already understand a great deal more about how the world works, and how are bodies function, and we can do things today that could not be done even 10 years ago.
As we learn more about our world and the universe, we have become more sofisticated in our thinking, and more confident in our abiity to solve our problems. The issue is not whether we have problems to solve, the issue is do we have enough resolve to do what is necessary to solve them without destroying our world and ourselves.
Is faith necessary? Why does it seem that with every new advancement in technology, that will solve one problem, two more appear in its place? And why can't we seem to solve the old problems, such as war, poverty, hatred, slavery, selfishness, greed, and deception? The answer is definitely not in the stars, but within ourselves.
There is a misconception that faith should only be associated with religion; what some people don't realize is that faith has always been applied to our everyday lives. We have faith in our governments, in our employers, in our military and local authorities, and in our local city administrative officers. We send our children off to school, where we believe they will be taught, nurtured, and protected until we get them back at the end of the day.
We put our money in a bank, where we believe that it will be safe and secure until we need to use it in the future. We drive cars, ride buses, fly on airplanes, use all types of tools and devices everyday, and we don't think about the significance of using these things because we are used to living this way, but everything we use is based upon a dream, a conception born in someone's mind that was put down on paper, and then made for our consumption. Now, the people who conceived them had a belief that the things they dreamed up would work, and they had to convince someone else that it would work; if those investors had not believed in these concepts, we would not be using them today.
We believe in our way of life, and we pass laws to guarantee that way of life. We set limits on what individuals, groups and companies can do in our land and in our communities to prevent abuse, and everyone agrees with those restrictions, more or less. But what would happen if enough of the people living in our neighborhoods, our regions, our country stopped believing in those laws, in that way of life?
We have faith in the products and tools that we use, because we are told that these things will work. Many products are advertised on tv, in newspapers and magazines, on the internet and on billboards. We can't escape the media blitz, so we take a chance on a product, only knowing as much as we are told about it. Of course, there are ways to be reimbursed if a product is not what it was advertised to be, most times we can get our money back, but have you ever been in a situation where you believed in a product or service, and you were excited about using it, but when you finally got the chance to use it, it didn't work or the experience was not they way you thought it would be? Were you angry, frustrated, or disappointed? You might have even felt like you were abused.
That is why faith is a powerful force in the world, it inspires people to great and beautiful heights, and when it is abused, to dark and lowly depths. We are being told that faith is unnecessary in this world, that we have everything we need to make the world into the uptopia we have always dreamed of, but we cannot make anyplace into a utopia unless everyone believes in utopias.
Our laws are set into place, but they are not set in stone. There could come a time when people start to lose their faith in our laws, our culture, and our way of life. They may wish to change everything that was built up before, and start a new age where there will be no respect for what was believed in the past, and they may wish to abolish all restrictions on themselves, on other people, or on the businesses in their communities. Has that day arrived?
Faith is a gift that we give each other. What happens when a wife believes in her husband, does he suddenly feel He can
do all the things that He sets out to do? What happens when a child feels love and approval from mom or dad? They suddenly feel good about themselves, and they try to do the best that they can in school. And what happens when a child of God starts praising His name and puts their faith into practice by trusting in His word, and living for Him instead of for themselves? They become a force of good in the world by sharing the gospel of grace, that helps to bring about a peaceful utopia by ushering in the kingdom of God, which will be led by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
It seems that faith does have an important part in our daily lives, and where that faith is placed is even more important, because what you believe in shapes your life, your mind, and your destiny. If you don't have faith in anything, then you will lose hope. If you have no hope, then you will not care about yourself or the future. Where there is faith, there is fire, the courage to grow, to live, to change our circumstances, and to give of ourselves. We need faith, and faith is given to us if we choose to believe in something higher than ourselves, to believe in a love that is deeper, richer, and more fulfilling than anything else we can do or achieve.
That love is the sacrifice and atonement that Jesus Christ paid for on the cross, so that you and I could be redeemed and saved from sin and from our fallen human nature; that nature consumes and destroys without the transforming love and power of the Holy Spirit.
We need to abide in His presence for guidance, love, and understanding; we cannot have true faith in ourselves without receiving His faith in us. He believes in us so much that He was willing to die for us, so we are valuable, very valuable in His eyes.
We must never forget how much He loves us, or How much He was willing to sacrifice so that We could live in His presence, in peace, in fellowship, in happiness forever and ever. And yes, it does take faith to believe in this, so if you are lacking in the faith to believe in Jesus, ask Him for a measure of faith, He gives generously to those who seek Him and are willing to give Him a chance. I can guarantee you won't be disappointed if your request to know Him is sincere.
Prayer of Salvation
Lord,
I repent for trying to be master of my own life. I change my mind about who I want to be in charge of my life. I turn from my useless and unproductive thoughts that I am the center of my universe and choose to believe in the living God who created everything, including me (Acts 14:15). I have lived without a purpose but now I will live to hear and obey You, God (Jn. 5:19, 20,30).
I confess with my lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I believe that God so loved the world He sent His only Son Jesus to shed His blood to wash away the barrier of sin (Jn. 3:16)
I receive You, Jesus as MY Lord and Savior (Jn. 1:11,12).
I welcome You, Holy Spirit, into my life to rescue and empower me and to restore me to intimacy with my heavenly Father (Acts 2:38).
If you just confessed this prayer, you are saved! I welcome you into the family my (brother/sister) I pray for peace, joy, and happiness in your life as you allow the Lord to love you and bless you and give you assurance of everlasting life with Him forever and ever......PRAISE GOD!
May the Lord keep you and Bless you this day....AMEN
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com