Our Object of Faith

I remember watching a film in school about the evolution of flight, featuring a number of contraptions that people invented while trying to fly. One was a made from bicycle with a set of bird-like wings attached to it. Pedaling the bike caused the tires to roll while a series of gears, chains and levers moved the wings in a flapping motion. The rider was shown heading full speed toward the edge of a cliff with his wings flapping. His momentum carried him off the edge and allowed him to "fly" about three feet through the air before he headed down to crash in a heap.

Now, it can be truly said that this man believed his machine would fly. His willingness to ride it off a cliff proves his faith in it and while we cannot doubt his sincerity, we must question, however, the object of his faith. No amount of faith in that silly flying machine would make it fly. It was simply the wrong object of faith for flying.

Likewise, many people who think they have saving faith really have faith in the wrong object. They are sincerely convinced that they are good enough to earn Heaven, or that they will gain entrance because they took certain sacraments, they "prayed for Jesus to come into their heart," or they believe they spoke in tongues or joined the right church. Just as the man on the flying machine, these folks very sincerely believe. The problem is not their faith as much as it is the object of their faith.

The Bible tells us in Galatians 3 that the works of the law are worthless objects of saving faith and Isaiah 64:6 says all of our righteousness is as filthy rags being waved before the Lord. The only true object of saving faith is Jesus Christ. Therefore, Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes unto the Father, but by Me.”

Everything God did and accomplished through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ is available to us through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. He, and He alone, should be the object of our faith.

The faith in Jesus Christ is available because we have been justified, which means we have been legally acquitted of all sin, without any cost to us because of God's grace. The faith in Jesus Christ is only available through the redemption that is found in Christ Jesus. Our legal justification was accomplished through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. That justification is then made available to us through God's grace free of charge. Are you ready to accept this free gift?