Leap in the Dark

My friend texted me that all religion is based on (blind) Faith. I trust one thing, he trusts another, but ultimately it comes down to saying, “The Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it, or some similar statement for other religions.” I wondered about how common this perception that one must pick a religion and take a leap in the dark, hoping that they chose the right one, but ultimately having no way of knowing if that religion’s picture of the afterlife is true.

I have thought about the different ways that people have gained their faith. Some have grown up in that culture and the cost of leaving the religion is so high that it scares them. Some have grown up listening to mama and if it is good enough for mama, it is good enough for me. Others base it on the supernatural. Some look at their religious book and talk about the miracles it describes.

Some, though, need something now. Many go from one miracle service to another. Even if it is run by Charlatans, they seem to get a boost to their faith from it. Others want more personal miracles. Some even see God’s work and direction from how the stoplights turn. I also think of the people who use the logical argument, such as the clockmaker. Look at the universe. This can only be made by a God. Though God can work through events in daily life, should we base our faith on these things? The Bible seems to make the clockmaker argument, but is that sufficient?

I have always hated the leap in the dark. I also dislike basing my faith on what a non-believer would see as random chance. When I was looking for meaning in my life, it bothered me that religions had nothing I could put to the test. I hungered for something more scientific. Finally, I found it one night. It keeps being reinforced.

Rom 8:9 says something interesting, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” Here is something we can test, but how? In verse 11, It says, “the Spirit will give life to your mortal bodies.” If we are alive, what does it mean to be given life? V13 says, “If by the

Spirit, you are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, you will live.” This is something great! Once we have the Spirit, We should see our life changing. We should see sins (deeds of the flesh) disappearing, and a growth in Godliness! There is another point. In Rom 12:2If we let the Spirit transform us by the renewing of our minds, we will know the will of God. Our expectation of going to heaven is not based by a leap of faith. It is based on seeing God active in our lives. The Spirit that changes our lives is said to be a down-payment so we can know we can trust him for the rest. (2 Cor 1:21, 2 Cor 5:5, Eph 1:13-4) When we see God answering His promises in the Bible, we have learned that God is trustworthy in what He says about the future.