Faith – thoughts…


Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.



The three great spiritual practices of the Christian life are faith, hope and love. Within faith we find effort of conscious determination, in love we find practice and in hope we find our security.

Three great spiritual practices that are the three great forces of the universe


We find that without faith it is impossible to please God

The only thing that counts in this life is faith expressing itself in love

And through hope we find the purification of all our sins—past, present and future while we are yet in the body born and descended from Adam. Also with hope springs (more and greater) faith and love.


In one way hope is the foundation, love is the all-encompassing cover and faith is the natural output with love into the external world.


Within faith we find the truth that what we believe will become our reality but the question that remains is what is the ultimate truth about what we believe?


This past weekend I watched a film with Barbara Striesand. In this film she was a successful college professor named Rose, middle aged and single. Her dress was camp, long skirts, long sweaters, long hair, boots and layers. The mother was a self-centered woman, beautiful, smart, witty and a business owner in fashion makeup. Rose had the belief that she was not pretty that seemed to be reinforced by the mother’s responses to her. This became the reality of Roses’ life in the film. It clouded everything she did. The mother would offer to help by doing her hair and makeup and at times this was done to a degree but it never really helped much.

In the film came a crisis point where the mother finally became conscious of her daughter’s need for happiness. The central issue of Rose’s life was her acceptance as pretty and therefore worthy of full love, passion and union. The central problem was that she was lonely. In the one moment where the mother finally thought outsider herself she was able to give her daughter exactly what she needed.

Sitting at the breakfast table they were in conversation about their life together as a family. The mother related a few thoughts; no parent sets out to hurt their children, she said, it was the recognition that she had been less than a loving supportive parent. The mother went on to say how the father who had passed away adored Rose. He had never held a baby until Rose came and there was a sister who was beautiful as the mother and took after her good looks and dress. While she was talking the mother handed over a picture of a three year old. Rose immediately said she was beautiful; her sister had always been beautiful, Rose said. The mother informed her the picture was of her. She couldn’t believe it until she turned over the picture saw the name Rose and the date. First blinded by what she believed—she didn’t recognize herself. This was the turning point in her recognition and all her future responses. She worked out, slimed down, cut her hair and lightened it, dressed 5th avenue and used makeup to enhance what she already had. Rose was now comfortable because she had the truth about herself and believed it.

Faith is the substance of things not seen… what do I believe and what is the reality of what I believe? Have my situation and circumstances given me the wrong concept? Has the world in all its peculiar wisdom helped me to make false conclusions about my surroundings and my self? And if I find that this is the case, as real as this reality is can I understand that all in all ultimately it is a false reality? In one way there are many truths, many realities but there is only one truth and one reality that is eternal and I have concluded that it is in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is the Eternal Living Lord God.

YES AND AMEN DEB,

ROSE

quote:

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… what do I believe and what is the reality of what I believe?

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.. excellent

ahaaaa very good indeed! Thanx

God has been really working in my heart that He and He alone is truth. The reality of my present world is only temporal and He is the eternal truth. So in the quest / journey for truth I must rely only on His Words for they are His will expressed to lead me into the fullness of truth ...Him. It is both incredibly freeing to know that He is in control and terrifying too. Faith rests in the peace knowing He really knows what is best for me and my eternal good. Yet my human spirit struggles to see and understand The Spiritual Truth that He is the substance of things hoped for and as of yet not seen.