The Case for Christ Pt. 2
In my previous post on this subject I spoke about the uniqueness of Jesus; how Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. To read more click here.
In today's post I will speak about another key element in understanding Jesus; the role of faith.
Karl Adam speaks about the universal desire for God as he writes:
By faith I don't mean believing in something that does not exist. What I am speaking about is supernatural faith, the kind that can't be attained through human effort alone, that defies human understanding. This is the type of faith that Christ freely gives to all but is only accepted by a few.
Karl Adam speaks about how faith is the only way one can gain knowledge of Christ as he reflects, "This faith if it is to exist at all, can only come to pass by grace through the revelation of himself on the part of God." pg.37
The key distinction that Adam makes here is that the knowledge of God doesn't come from humans alone. Instead the knowledge of God comes to us as a gift from God himself, since He alone is aware of his entire being. Viewing God from strictly a human standpoint would never work since humans are subjective in their tastes. If God could be discovered by human effort alone there would be no universality of truth. The truth would be subject to the feelings of each, individual believer. There would be millions of molten calves formed all over the world claiming that their interpretation of God was the only true one.
What sets apart the Christian God apart from other belief systems is the insistence that he alone is the source of all truth, a truth that is beyond all subjectivity. The Christian God insists that the believer come to him through faith, which is the the key which unlocks the mystery of God. No one can come to God unless as Jesus says "the father who sent me draws him." (John 6: 44a) Karl Adam writes concisely about this as he says,"...our will could never decide in favor of a supernatural sphere of reality, unless God's grace had inwardly prepared its decision." The way the father helps one to understand Jesus is through faith alone. That faith is a gift. It is up to us to receive it.
In today's post I will speak about another key element in understanding Jesus; the role of faith.
Karl Adam speaks about the universal desire for God as he writes:
"The human soul is no mere tabula rasa.(blank slate) As a conditioned, finite entity it is of its very nature attracted towards an Absolute which is unconditioned and final, and in the depths of its consciousness it is aware of the attraction as an unrest, as a nostalgia for eternity and completeness, as a state of sickness for God." pg. 30St. Augustine once famously cried out to God as he wrote in his Confessions, "Our hearts are restless unless they rest in thee." In order for one to understand Christ one must first have the desire to know him. How is this desire manifested? Karl Adam believes it is manifested by a universal hunger for spirituality, something greater then one's existence. Adam believes that this primordial desire is hardwired into every person. But it requires faith.
By faith I don't mean believing in something that does not exist. What I am speaking about is supernatural faith, the kind that can't be attained through human effort alone, that defies human understanding. This is the type of faith that Christ freely gives to all but is only accepted by a few.
Karl Adam speaks about how faith is the only way one can gain knowledge of Christ as he reflects, "This faith if it is to exist at all, can only come to pass by grace through the revelation of himself on the part of God." pg.37
The key distinction that Adam makes here is that the knowledge of God doesn't come from humans alone. Instead the knowledge of God comes to us as a gift from God himself, since He alone is aware of his entire being. Viewing God from strictly a human standpoint would never work since humans are subjective in their tastes. If God could be discovered by human effort alone there would be no universality of truth. The truth would be subject to the feelings of each, individual believer. There would be millions of molten calves formed all over the world claiming that their interpretation of God was the only true one.
What sets apart the Christian God apart from other belief systems is the insistence that he alone is the source of all truth, a truth that is beyond all subjectivity. The Christian God insists that the believer come to him through faith, which is the the key which unlocks the mystery of God. No one can come to God unless as Jesus says "the father who sent me draws him." (John 6: 44a) Karl Adam writes concisely about this as he says,"...our will could never decide in favor of a supernatural sphere of reality, unless God's grace had inwardly prepared its decision." The way the father helps one to understand Jesus is through faith alone. That faith is a gift. It is up to us to receive it.
Comments
Post a Comment