A Test of Authentic Faith

The truest test of authentic faith is the measure of adherence to the tenets of that faith as outlined in sacred texts. The tenets of faith usually come in the form of written rules or standards expressed through the offices of spiritual leadership and based upon some writings. To truly be Buddhist should be more than having a statue of a smiling fat man in the foyer. It would entail studying the Tipitaka or Tripitaka and structuring one’s life accordingly. A casual Buddhist is not a Buddhist, just a fan of Buddhism. To be truly Muslim is more than knowing how to wear a hijab. Ask any devoted Muslim what the Koran means to her, and you will see the level of authenticity of devotion in that religion. A casual Muslim is a cultural Muslim, but not a true adherent to Islam. You get the point.

To be truly Christian is to be more than a casual observer of a historical spiritual movement. It is more than crosses, or fish signs, or mass, or Sunday School. It is most markedly expressed by faith in Jesus Christ, God the Son, as He reveals Himself through scripture (orthodoxy) and as He expresses Himself through His Spirit’s empowering act to save us and make us holy (orthopraxy). The casual Christian is not a true Christian. Christianity is not something you simply “Like” on Facebook. There are no “almost saved.”

Maybe that’s why there is such a strong battle going on today as to the level of adherence to the Bible within Christianity. Thirty years ago, the question was voiced, “Is the Bible really the true Word of God and without error?” At least among Southern Baptists, that question was answered with a resounding YES. But today, it seems the question has morphed into “Does this true inerrant Word of God really apply to my situation today?” The answer is still “yes,” but many aren’t shouting it out on specific issues. Instead, the heat of the battle is making some say, “yes..well, maybe.” May God grant us faith to live what we read.

Take the scientific theory of evolution, for example. Within the scientific community, there is relatively little tolerance for alternative theories of origins. To say that an intelligent Being that you cannot measure with physical attributes supernaturally intervened in creation is outside of the academic discussion. Moreover, to say that that same Being actually created and governs those physical laws appears to be all the more ludicrous. That’s why when a true Christian wants to study the sciences in a public university, he is often faced with an ultimatum to deny his faith in favor of limited physical data. In today’s educational world, even professors can lose theirjobs if they favor another theory over evolution.  And yet, many will say that they are Christian but deny the Scriptures that prescribe their beliefs.

Radical proponents of an alternative sexual lifestyle and LGBT bullies have shoved an agenda into the more recent American culture. The very fact that in October a Southern Baptist college like Shorter University would have to ask its faculty to sign an affirmation of a biblical view of sexuality would have seemed redundant a few decades ago. And yet, some other “Christians” have voiced their concerns that this is too radical a stance, not loving enough. Last month, students had to be “lovingly” evacuated because of a bomb threat over the issue. My, how we have evolved!

It’s not limited to Southern Baptist colleges either. In September in Fort Worth, a high school student was suspended because he said, and I quote, “I’m a Christian. I believe gays are wrong.” Apparently at least one teenager in Texas still believes that the Bible is relevant. A month earlier, a graduate student at Augusta State University was expelled from her psychology program because she refused to deny her Christian beliefs that homosexuality can be cured with Jesus.  This only followed a similar incident at Eastern Michigan University where another orthodox Christian was kicked out of her master’s program because of her views that homosexuality is morally wrong. I will only barely mention how the public has expressed intolerant outrage over Christians who are asked to define their beliefs in arenas like beauty pageants or political offices. Authentic Christians have to make a choice to believe even when its inconvenient.

The fact is that a true Christian is a Christian because he or she is a devoted follower of the Christian text as the avenue through which God the Spirit reveals Himself. Revelation demands transformation, and that transformation sometimes requires a faithful public stand. Thank God, He has given the local church as the community in which that transformation is affected. If you are facing disgrace, humiliation, loss of employment, isolation, or even other forms of persecution, find a local church that preaches the Word of God as truth and stands as a community to support you.