In my last article, I intimated that “the biblical Christian [is one] who trusts Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone.” The tenor of that article was about proper and improper ideas of “works” in relation to faith. Of Christ, grace and faith, these “alone” phrases make up three fifths of the Reformation’s “Five Solas” (Sola is Latin for alone or only; the other two fifths are Scripture alone, and glory to God alone). “Faith alone” became the shorthand statement for how we are justified before God, or “saved,” while still understanding the proper weight of importance for the five together as necessary to the whole formula of becoming, then living and growing as a child of God.
Today, faith is often considered “alone,” or independent of an object for that faith. Thus, faith is an entity or power in and of itself. “You just gotta have faith” say some to those suffering this conundrum or that. Like positivity, faith can be ginned up from within, and will push us past and over obstacles in our way. Outside or within any religious system (Norman Vincent Peale and his progeny have imported this idea into erstwhile Evangelical Christianity), this “having faith” or “thinking positively” can create wealth, heal illness, or bring any number of propitious outcomes to pass – all while never considering in what or whom that faith lies. This having faith-in-faith approaches fideism – that is, a belief independent of reason.
Even when objects of faith are identified, this tolerant “to each his own” theology finds plenty of common ground for an amorphous “faith community.” One can have faith in a historical (or fictional) person, in one or many gods, or in a previously known, biblical deity who’s been through “Extreme Makeover: God Edition.” Each member of the Trinity has suffered such makeovers; eviscerating all nuance and paradox such that each final product looks very much like the makeup artist!
In the end, with or without an object, this broad, welcoming and undefined faith has only one requirement – sincerity. Sincerity, or genuine belief without hypocrisy or duplicity, is unfortunately no measure of viability. Neither is the magnitude of faith a measure of its truthfulness. So, if the sincerity of faith and the strength of faith don’t ultimately matter, what does?
Consider the travelers who come to the frozen river knowing their destination is on the other side. Billy Bob is confident and begins to cross when Jimmy Joe says, frightfully, “wait!” Jimmy Joe is scared and can only cross the river on his belly inch-by-inch – his faith is minimal and doubt-filled while Billy Bob’s is strong and certain. Who will make it to the other side – one or both or neither? Will Billy Bob’s confidence save him? Are Jimmy Joe’s doubts his undoing? What ultimately determines the success of their collective effort?
Well, of course, it is neither their faith or lack, nor strength or weakness, nor confidence or fear; it’s the thickness of the ice that determines whether they’ll survive. Likewise the final arbiter of faith is its object.
We’ll all cross a river one day – the river Jordan is a metaphor for true believers into the “promised land.” Some contend that all faith is nonsense and is solipsistic (self-contained, “unsullied” by external reason). Others say God will reward sincere faith regardless of its object or its irrationality. Biblical Christians have reason to believe that the Bible is true and that God, through Christ, is knowable. Faith alone? Yes, as a God-given conduit of God-given grace in the one, particular, biblical God.