by Lance Cordle<\/p>\n
Recently, I reached into a closet to get some trash bags. I was in a hurry, so I did not bother to turn on enough light to see the bags. I remembered that I had placed them on the top shelf of the closet, so I reached upward for them. To my surprise, they were not there. I knew that I had put them there, so I began to feel around for them, and finally felt them down at the bottom of the shelf, where they had fallen. Confident that I had placed them on the top shelf, I logically believed they had fallen. Instead of turning on the light, in faith, I reached down and picked them up.<\/p>\n
My actions regarding the closet demonstrate trust in myself and my past actions. We use trust (faith) daily, by believing in people and things. But, somehow, people want to make faith itself divine when they speak of believing in God. Sometimes people speak of “leaning on” their faith to get them through a crisis. At other times, someone may speak of their “brand” of faith. In an obituary, the deceased may be described as being “of the __________ faith.” (Insert denomination or religion).<\/p>\n
It seems to me that the act of believing is made to be a powerful force rather than an object of faith. I should lean on God through faith in all my life.<\/p>\n
Let me see if I can explain myself a little more clearly. Take Abraham, for example. Hebrews 11:8 says, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance.<\/em>” But on what basis did Abraham go out? Was it an illogical trust? Was it blind faith in a being he had no dealings with previously? I submit to you that it was neither. Though all of Hebrews 11 deals with deeds done through faith, God himself was the object of and facilitator of the mighty deeds. Faith was the avenue by which God was allowed to work in the lives of those listed in that great chapter. Without God, they were nothing. They could have trusted in someone else-and failed.<\/p>\n When I choose to trust, my trust (faith) is only as good as the object of that trust. My actions are based upon my understanding and interaction with the object before I trust it. Some like to describe faith as being illogical or as a better “felt-than-told” experience. However, just as we allow ourselves to test things on earth, God has sent forth revelation in written form that can be documented (Matthew 4:4, 7, 11). He also sent his son at a particular time in history (Galatians 4:4), the act itself, which history can verify.<\/p>\n Though faith is a beautiful word and provokes powerful images, we must understand that our faith is only as good as its object (Proverbs 3:5, 6). It is not an end in itself. Faith in faith is empty.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Lance Cordle Recently, I reached into a closet to get some trash bags. I was in a hurry, so I did not bother to turn on enough light to see the bags. I remembered that I had placed them on the top shelf of the closet, so I reached upward for them. To my…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[49],"class_list":["post-86374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-faith"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":85479,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/faith-in-the-unseen\/","url_meta":{"origin":86374,"position":0},"title":"Faith in the Unseen","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeff May via\u00a0Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 1, January 2015 Christians must have vision far greater than 20\/20. They must, by faith, be able to see the unseen. Their faith must go where their eyes cannot. This is the grand message of Hebrews 11, which was written to backsliding\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23053,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/john-626-59\/","url_meta":{"origin":86374,"position":1},"title":"John 6:26-59","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 31, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"by Dale Smelser There are several keys to understanding this passage. One is John 6:48 where Jesus said, \"I am the bread of life.\" Then John 6:50, \"This is the bread of life which comes down out of heaven that a man might eat and live.\" As we will note,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/bread-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":45041,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-acts-1117-teach-that-people-were-saved-only-by-faith\/","url_meta":{"origin":86374,"position":2},"title":"Does Acts 11:17 teach that people were saved only by faith?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 8, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Those who believe in faith alone insist that because of Acts 11:17 they received the Holy Spirit by believing in Jesus they were saved. How must one defend against it? Answer: In Acts 11, Peter is defending his actions in Acts 10. \"But Peter explained it to them in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":89860,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/faith-and-evidence\/","url_meta":{"origin":86374,"position":3},"title":"Faith and Evidence","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Shane Scott Several years ago, I decided I needed a hobby. I had many interests - basketball, fantasy baseball, and music - but I engaged in all of these pastimes with members of the church where I preached, or with fellow Christians in the area. I needed a hobby\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62749,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-did-jericho-fall\/","url_meta":{"origin":86374,"position":4},"title":"How Did Jericho Fall?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 15, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Joshua 6:6-20 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The record of the fall of Jericho is familiar to many people. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It was an impressive victory for the people of Israel who had recently entered the land. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Despite the fact that the city was heavily fortified - Joshua 6:1 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":95647,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/trials-of-life-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":86374,"position":5},"title":"Trials of Life (Behle)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jack Behle via\u00a0Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 2, June 1995 If it is not certain that God knows the condition of our hearts at all times, it is certain that He could know. 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