Fast and Firm

It’s back in session – school, that is – and so are pop quizzes, reports, homework and tests. It surely makes students and parents alike groan – I certainly remember!  One of the greatest fallacies is that the Believer’s life will be one of great calm and ease. It might be said, “all I need is my faith and my commonsense” to persevere in this life. Oh, my!  Oswald Chambers writes, “Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you will find something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint, will flatly contradict your faith.”  In most cases, our commonsense comes from personal experience and/or observation of someone else’s experience. For example, I’ve learned gravel hurts my bare feet so I wear shoes when walking on gravel: commonsense. Hebrews 11:1 tells us “Faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality – faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].” It is belief [in Jesus the Messiah] that authenticates our faith; however, faith never tested has little potential to surpass mere commonsense.  Jesus said, “For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.” True Believers hold fast and firm to The Assurance that is ours because of the completed work of Jesus, which by the way, surpasses all commonsense!  Now, consider if you are resting on good old commonsense or are you living by faith? In Christ, we hold … fast and firm.