Wednesdays with Grace
In their book, Inviting the Mystic, Supporting the Prophet, Marie Dyckman and Patrick Carroll retell an old joke about a man who falls off a two hundred foot cliff. As he is falling, about midway down, he grasps a single, unsturdy branch. As he hangs there, he cries for help, and a voice returns from the top of the cliff, saying, “Yes, my son.” The man cries up, “Who are you?” The voice answers, “I am God.” The man pleads, “Help me!” The voice says, “Certainly.” The man questions, “What do I have to do?” The voice calmly says, “Let go of the branch.” The man looks down at his landing a long way down, then looks up, and pleads, “Is there anyone else up there?”
There is a lot to this old joke. Sometimes faith seems difficult. You cannot believe by an act of your own will. One cannot say, “I’m going to believe that the earth is flat” and start believing it. Likewise, one cannot believe that the Bible is the word of God and that Jesus is God’s son by just saying, “I’m going to believe that.” Don’t get me wrong, faith is a gift from God. Ben Lacy Rose in his book, T.U.L.I.P. The Five Disputed Points of Calvinism, explains it this way: “Faith is like sleep; it cannot be willed. You cannot fall asleep by an act of your will. Indeed it seems sometimes the harder you try to sleep, the more sleep flees from you. Sleep is accomplished by surrounding yourself with those things conducive to sleep: quietness, a comfortable position, eyes closed, mind centered on happy things. You can control your surroundings, but sleep is a gift. Faith is like that.”
Through the Holy Spirit our faith is ignited and we continue to be regenerated. But that does not mean that we are just a passive bystander. With the Holy Spirit working within us, we grow in our faith by choosing to be in the company of those who believe, by reading God’s word, by worship, by prayer, and bringing others to Him.
Ben Lacey Rose concludes, “So, if you believe in Jesus Christ; if you are trusting Him for your salvation, then thank God for that faith for it was His gift to you. Then pray that ‘He, which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of your salvation.’ Thank God that you have been, are now, and will be saved through faith which was His gift, and then set yourself with determination to confirm that faith by a life of purity and of service to others.”
Peace and Grace-
Carter Dukes