Against Nothingness

I say faith is a burden It's a weight to bear It's brave and bittersweet And hope is hard to hold to  Lord, I believe, only help my unbelief - Andrew Peterson , No More Faith Faith, we read, is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see.  Faith is what those of old were commended for; Abel, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and more.  Faith is what we see in the Roman Centurion who asks Jesus to heal his servant. And the Canaanite woman who begs for Jesus to free her daughter from a demon.  Yet, with these examples before us, we somehow mistake faith for something easy. Something we can get once and for all. Something we can possess.  In my experience faith is something I must struggle for and cling to. Rather than possessing faith I am continually holding it out to God, doing my best to take him at His word, despite all that stands against such trust, and waiting, holding my breathe, to see if He will come...

More stuff from Cruciformity by Gorman He explores the idea of a cruciform faith (As well as hope, love, and power) in his book, and concludes with these 5 observations (pg. 153; my paraphrases, but mostly quotes): 1. Faith is the renunciation of (or crucifixion of) all other possible basis for justification. Faith means one can only boast in God or the cross. - How many times do I like to rely on other things to justify myself? 2. Faith is freedom from all powers that enslave humanity, including those about which we might boast about. - Freedom from pride? Money? Power? The question we always have to ask ourselves if we really want to be free of these things. 3. Faith is conformity to Jesus' faith, his posture to life and obedience and trust before God the Father. 4. Faith is both the initial and ongoing experience of the above, as it begins and maintains our restored covenant relationship with God. - Ahh the ongoing element of faith; often problematic to reformation thought (...