The Value of Faith

There are many critics in the world today, especially of the Christian faith. Those who are might ask: “Aren’t we better off without religion?”

But as Psalm 14:1 tells us:

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.”

Within that brief verse, we see the alternative to faith, which is moral and spiritual corruption. The Bible testifies of itself at that foolish person does not does not see the value in dependence upon God, and as a result, atrophies into pride and rebellion against the God who made him.

The Bible teaches that there is evidence for God all around us. Psalm 19:1

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

And Romans 1:19-20 tells us that:

Romans 1:20: “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

If you wonder of the reality of God, all you have to do is observe the beauty of a sunset or the majesty of a mountain range, or the birth of a baby. So, since there is a god and He has made Himself known in creation, why would we not worship Him? To not worship God would be the greatest of slights; someone infinitely powerful and infinitely holy is deserving of our praise and adoration. Without the Christian faith, man is consumed with pride and selfishness.

Today, our young people are drifting further from God. Rebecca McGlaughlin reports that a 2016 survey of incoming freshman at US universities found that almost 31%, just shy of 1/3 claimed no religious affiliation. Some are atheists; some are agnostic and some live without any religious influence.

I. Christians have the capacity to believe in that which they cannot see, nor can they feel.

God is much bigger than the objects that surround us or the sensations we experience. We are told to “…walk by faith and not by sight.”

Certainly one of the main themes of the book of Acts is this pattern of the expansion of the church, even in spite of the presence of trials and persecution. Its words certainly illustrate the deep faith of those early Christians who continued to believe through hardship and threat of death. They trusted God regardless of the outward circumstances.

On Paul’s three missionary journeys, Paul encountered trial after trial in places like Lystra, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Athens. He was not afraid to speak up and argue with the most skilled of philosophers and rhetoricians of the day. He stands as a Christian hero.

God’s work for Paul took him to some unique places. While on his second missionary journey, he made his way from Philippi- where Lydia was converted and he encountered persecution and imprisonment. God had granted belief to many in the city. From there, he travels southwest to Thessalonica. Paul was there for close to a month, preaching in the synagogue. Many believed in Jesus. But the resenting Jews stirred up the crowd, as was their pattern.

Paul had to escape that city and travel to Berea, where the Jews were nobler and many were eager to receive God’s word and believe. Once again, the Thessalonian Jews traveled to Berea and stirred up the crowd to threaten Paul’s safety. His friends Silas and Timothy got him out of there. He traveled south, setting course for Athens.

Athens was a beautiful place, a cultural, political and architectural mecca. Athens was named after Athena, the patron goddess of the Greek pantheon. While he was waiting for Silas and Timothy, Paul made his way to the Agora or market place. It was a large open space, surrounded by civic and religious buildings. This was the focal point of political commercial and social life. Adjacent to the Agora was the Acropolis, which was a commanding hill, standing over 500 feet high. It is like a small mountain in the center of Athens. I had the opportunity to travel there in the spring of 2010 and 2016.

Atop the Acropolis was the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. In ancient times, it housed a huge gold and ivory statue of Athena- truly a marvelous site. Athens experienced many wars which contributed to her downgrade. Her golden years were 443-429 B.C. D.H. Madvig states that Athens was a great center of philosophy, architecture and art when Paul visited there.[1]

Among the people there were those given over to all kinds of philosophies and new ideas. Paul was ridiculed, but also interrogated about this news of Jesus. Notice what Luke writes in Acts 17:19:

“Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean." 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)”

The people of Athens were open to most anything. Different philosophies and worldviews were present, as well as Greek mythology and religion. The city was filled with many altars and temples and monuments. It just goes to show that one can be religious without knowing the truth. William Baker states:

“The Stoics taught that one should accept his lot in life and bravely make the most of it- individual self sufficiency. They were pantheistic, believing that God was in everything. They were moral, dutiful and proud. The Epicureans believed that pleasure was the chief goal of life and that one should seek to avoid pain and superstitious fears. They believed in the gods but viewed them as remote from man’s concerns.”[2]

Paul addresses both groups. It is in this context that Paul stands upon Mars Hill and delivers one of the most powerful addresses of his ministry. First, he reaches out to his hearers. He notes that they are very religious in verse 22. He does not lambast them for their polytheism or idolatry (verse 23), yet the situation did bother him. He makes a bridge to their world by commenting on their altar to “An Unknown God.”

He then introduces them to this unknown God who is the Sovereign Creator of heaven and earth Who does not dwell in temples. “He gives to all life, breath and all things.” What’s more is that he describes this God as being bigger than Athens and the Greeks because: “He is the one that made from one (Adam) every nation and determined their times and boundaries.” Paul preaches that the Athenians are blessed by this God and also accountable to Him.

The same can be said to you today. The same God who created the universe fashioned you in your mother’s womb. You are here not be chance or as the result of survival, but are held up by the grace of God. He has blessed you in many ways and wants to have a relationship with you.

II. God delights in our search for Him, and freely discloses Himself to those who seek Him.

Next, Paul tells them that action is demanded. It is not enough to recognize this God, but also that these blessings should lead to something in their lives. Acts 17:27:

“God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'”

Quoting the Greek poets, Paul was saying that the God he was describing wants people to seek Him. He will reveal Himself to those who seek Him! Who are not willing to remain in their selfish ways, but to look outside themselves to the one who loves them and gave His Son for them!

Next, Paul moves to what God expects from these Athenians. He wants them to abandon their idolatry, repent and turn to Christ. Paul believes that there is Judgment Day. It is coming and everyone must be ready! The only way to prepare is by repentance and faith in Christ. To their pantheism and idolatry, Paul states in Acts 17:29:

“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

The same can be said to you today. This is the most important decision you can make in life. If you have not done so, now is the time to repent of your sins and turn to Jesus Christ. Give Him your life, asking Him to become your Lord and Savior.

Such words ought to give way to some applications with you. First, you must know your world. Our world, our nation our towns and neighborhoods are becoming more and more diverse. Folks that we raised Christian are no longer believers. God is calling some from the most strange and obscure backgrounds to trust in Him. As a church, we are called to share with others that there is hope in Jesus Christ.

Religion and thoughts of God has always been on the human mind. We need more than religion; we need a relationship with God. He has created us for himself. And it has been said that there is a hole in our souls, a spiritual vacuum that can only be filled by God. That is why the 4th century church father Augustine said: “Our hearts are restless, until they find their rest in You.”

Although close to a third of college and university students claim no religious affiliation, over 85% of students at Historic Black Colleges and Universities identify as Christian.

Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.”

God brings about peace and order in the lives of those who respond to His gracious invitation. McGlaughlin states that

“Research suggests that those who regularly attend services are more optimistic, have lower rates of depression, are less likely to commit suicide, have a greater purpose in life, are less likely to divorce, and are more self-controlled.” (McGlaughlin, 21).

Secondly, how you reach your world should be done with sensitivity and conviction. Gentleness and reverence is what Peter says. 1 Peter 3:15: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect….” You and I must have a faith that does not blend in to the culture. Our faith must offer something to the culture. We recognize where people are and encounter them with the truth in a winsome way.

While in the Old Testament, the Jews were exiled to Assyria and Babylon due to their disobedience; today, In the first century, Christians were exiled because they stood out and took God seriously in the midst of a culture that taught it was acceptable to believe in multiple gods, practice multiple sexualities and live only for yourself.

Thirdly, recognize how God has worked in your life, in your heart. The Christian faith is based in history, both world and personal. Write your testimony. To be able to state how God has changed you and what He is doing in your life now is important as you share with others. And your life must reflect it. Recently, I read the story of a Hollywood celebrity giving a Bible to his friend, while he was carrying on an affair. This sends a mixed message. We must be aware of any mixed messages that disconnect our words and behavior.

CONCLUSION

Many today are like the Athenians. They entertain every idea known to man. A little bit of Buddhism; a little bit of Islam; a little bit of humanism; A little bit of Christianity. In the movie, “Saving Mr. Banks,” the main character, Pamela Travers, the English author of Mary Poppins, played by Emma Thompson, would take out her Buddha statue and place it on her dresser or night stand.

Christ is calling His followers to be the light that shows these to Him. If not you, then who?

Atheist social psychologist Jonathan Haidt says:

“Surveys have long shown that religious believers in the United States are happier, healthier, longer-lived, and more generous to charity and to each other than are secular people… Religious believers give more money than secular folk to secular charities, and to their neighbors. They give more of their time, too, and of their blood.” (McGlaughlin, 23)

But our witness is not just in our disposition, but in our faith in the One who gave His life for us.

[1]D.H. Madvig, “Athens,” Volume 1, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979), 352. [2]William H. Baker, “Acts,” Evangelical Commentary on the Bible ed. Walter A. Elwell, (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1989), 911.