DOUBLE EDGED SWORD (Paradox of faith).
Hiiiiiiiiiiiii! Trust this meets you well.
I’m excited to discuss about faith; exploring paradoxes within scripture.
There are instances seeming like a paradox through scriptures and it’s befitting to take a look at it as we venture into our discussion.
Scriptural paradoxes like:
1. Psalms 89:14- Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
Justice and Judgement and also mercy? Isn’t that opposite?
2. Exodus 34:7- Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
Forgiving iniquity and also visiting the iniquity???
3. 2 Corinthians- 2:15-16 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
I dare say even the doctrine of the trinity is a seeming paradox.
THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.
Inherent in the christian faith is a paradox too, and throughout the scriptures. To be honest, growing up as a young believer it didn’t make sense to me but reading through Hebrews made it very hard to disagree with.
Faith has always been taught as a way of using it in the mode of receiving something from the Lord. Mark 11:24- Believe you’ve received and you’ll have.
But it shows a different part of faith as a life lived out by our predecessors and a pattern we must also follow.
Hebrews 10:32-34 (NIV) Remember those earlier days after you had received the light when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
This looks really tragic and it’s something I believe most believers won’t want to go through. Will you?
You’ll notice that the faith life for all is like a double edged sword. Some face something contradictory and the scriptures attribute it to faith and some face a kind of success, and it was also attributed to faith.
Reading through Hebrews 11 you’ll notice a trend.
* Some had things work out for them and some didn’t.
* Some had material wealth and some did not.
* Some lived and were celebrated and some were martyred and forgotten.
* Some were persecuted for Christ’s sake and some were not.
* Some were mentioned and their names engraved in the heart and some did things and their names weren’t mentioned.
* Some went to war and won and some went to war and lost.
* Some were rich but lived in tents foreseeing a better place. Some were rich and built houses, while some wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
* Some received their dead back to life and some others were sawn into halves to death.
* Some escaped fire and death while some were stoned to death.
* Some were prostitutes, some were born noble.
Abraham, the father of faith didn't have all things seemingly well for him. He had the promise of a son, had to wait for years till old age for a fulfillment and was later asked to sacrifice him. Believing for a child, faith. Getting the child, faith. Killing the child, still faith.
David, a man of worship and prayer had a lot of things that went on with him. Faced Goliath, wars, and family struggles. David's faith inspired victories yet he faced personal turmoil.
Sometimes, faith isn't climbing an height. It is sometimes sinking low to the ground if it means not losing Jesus.
Faith means confidence in God's sovereignty despite unclear circumstances.
Faith means you'll embrace the unknown, trusting God's ways even when they defy human understanding.
Faith means persevering through trials, drawing strength from faith heroes' examples.
Faith means seeking understanding, but acknowledging the limits of human knowledge.
Faith means developing a deep, unwavering trust in God's sovereignty.
In summary, faith is trusting God in all events of life.
Dear friends, don't lose faith in Jesus.
