- become apparent, important, prominent
- (of facts or circumstances) become known
When I talk about an emerging faith, I'm talking about something that rises up from within. Something that becomes apparent to everyone around you. A faith that becomes known regardless of our circumstances.
Most of us have heard plenty of sermons about faith. Most of which have been directed at our trusting God for something greater. While I do believe this is a certain aspect of faith, I don't believe it is the overarching theme of faith that we discover in the New Testament. The faith that we see in the early church creates quality lives. Men & Women who do not shrink back in the face of adversity. A people whose faith has been tested in the fire and proven to be true. A faith that emerges from within and allows each individual to step into the light.
Do I believe God for things? Of course. However, my faith is not rooted in the giving, but the GIVER. My faith is rooted in His nature, not His activity. What do I mean by this? If you read through Hebrews you will discover a letter written to the scattered church. These men & women have been forced from their homes in the midst of persecution. They have experienced incredible loss, been ridiculed, and witnessed death. Yet the writer continues to encourage them. He wants them to hold on to the incredible hope of Jesus Christ without wavering. He wants them to consider how to stimulate one another to love and good works in the midst of it all. He instructs them to encourage one another. He sees a day approaching. He believes in a time when the persecution will end and judgement will come upon the Old Covenant system that harasses them. He does not want these brothers & sisters to lose themselves.
I'm seeing this quality of faith in my Ukrainian brothers & sisters. In the midst of the chaos they continue to emerge. They continue to reach out to one another. A friend of mine has taken aid into the hostile regions, carried refugees out to safety, and continually encouraged the church in the hell that they face. Most of the people I know have been run out of their homes, relocated to other areas, and are meeting secretly as I type these words. Some have stayed (whether by choice or by circumstance). None of them are shrinking back but continue to allow their faith to strengthen them, rise to the occasion, and seek to encourage one another. I'm honored to know them. And, to borrow a phrase from Hebrews, the world is not worthy of them.
Faith outside of persecution tends to become distorted. It becomes about things. This is not meant to knock anyone's faith, but to demonstrate how different our faith looks when we live in peace. Faith in the midst of persecution, however, looks very different. It's a means of survival. It's hoping against hope. It brings the quality of who you are to the surface. How much easier would it be to shrink back? Who would be concerned if I just went into survival mode - hid myself - and waited for all of this to pass over? When I say that faith is a means of survival, I'm not talking about just staying alive. I mean that faith is our life. It's about who we become in the trial.
This requires an unquenchable faith. Nothing less than the faith of Jesus emerging within us. Faith that believes nothing can separate us from the love of God. Faith that allows the original you, the one made in image & likeness, to rise to the surface. A faith that changes who we are, what we do, & how we behave. Paul talked about this kind of faith in Galatians 2:20, "...the life that I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God..." I believe that he saw the faith of Jesus as a means of being truly alive. The circumstances did not matter. Whether he was hungry or full did not sway him. Safety or shipwreck would not alter what he knew to be true. The faith of Christ has changed him forever and he would not hold back.
Faith is more than a belief. It is a solid conviction. It is a trust & a confidence. It's an absolute reliance. According to Hebrews 11 it is substance & evidence of a greater reality. This is the faith that I'm talking about. This is the faith that emerges from within us. This is the faith that allows us to rise up. It is unquenchable because it comes from the Lord. It is overcoming, fearless, & undaunted. It is the faith that allows you to become.
Never allow faith to be separate from who you are. May it emerge, come to the surface, and forever alter your reality.
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