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FAITH: Whose Is It?

Campus Journal - Monday October 29

Whose Is It?

Read: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

So that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. --1 Corinthians 2:5

When you own a really nice car, there's nothing better than someone walking over and asking, "Whose car is this?" That's when you get to smile and say proudly, "It's mine."

Nothing would be worse in that situation than to turn to the person who asked and have to say, "Well, it's my parents' car." If it was a 1989 station wagon with a child restraint seat inside, however, you'd want everyone to know it was your parents'.

When you have something very nice, a real pride-of-ownership situation is going on there. It was okay when you were younger to use stuff that belonged to your mom and dad ("Yep, these are my dad's Big Bertha golf clubs. Cool, huh?"), but when you climb out of the teen years, that doesn't cut it anymore. You want people to know it's your stereo with the subwoofers. It's your Palm Pilot. It's your stuff.

Which brings us to your belief system. When you think seriously about what you believe about God and what Jesus Christ can do in your life--whose belief system is it? Do you proudly proclaim it to be your own? Or are you still trying to get by on your parents' beliefs?

That's a key question for you. There comes a point when you have to say, "This is not my parents' religion anymore. This is
what I believe."

Have you thought through such important doctrines as salvation through faith in Jesus Christ? Have you grasped justification and sanctification as they relate to you? Have you established for yourself the reliability and truthfulness of the Bible? Have you worked through what you believe about the Holy Spirit? Is the power of God evident in your life--and not just in the life of someone who told you about it?

When it comes to the matter of faith and belief, "Whose is it?"

Make it yours. Then whenever anyone asks about your faith, you can humbly say: "It's mine." --DB

REFLECTION

Have I consciously moved into the phase of life when I have made these matters of faith mine and not just what my parents or my church told me?
My parents aren't Christians. I learned about Christ through someone else. How can I make my faith something my family would desire?
For some good reading on doctrinal things, go to the Internet and log on to http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0405/. You'll find the booklet What We Believe.

Decide for yourself to believe God's Word.