Faith – Common Sense vs. Revelation Sense

by Rex Rouis (Sections paraphrased from Faith by Oswald Chambers)

Metropolis-320-webTo common sense, faith is fanaticism, and to faith, common sense is mere reason. Common sense is not faith, and faith is never common sense. They stand in contrast to one another – the natural to spiritual, and impulse to inspiration. Nothing Jesus Christ ever said was common sense; it was revelation sense. His words are spirit and life, and they are meant to reach beyond the veil where common sense can never go.

But faith must be exercised before the reality of faith can become a reality in our life. Every time we venture out in faith, we will find something that, from a commonsense standpoint, will contradict our faith. Can we trust Jesus Christ even though reason cannot understand Him? Can we venture out with courage on the words of Jesus Christ, while our mind and the world shout, “It’s all a lie?” Hear the tough words of Martin Luther, “Reason is a whore, the greatest enemy that faith has; it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but more frequently than not struggles against the divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God.”

The merely intellectual man rejects the teaching of the Spirit of God; for to him it is mere folly; he cannot grasp it, because it is to be understood only by spiritual insight. I Corinthians 2:14 Twentieth Century New Testament

We can trust Jesus, if we know Him and know what He has said to us. But it must be revealed to use by the Spirit of God. When we are on the mountaintop, it is easy to say, “Oh yes, I believe God will do it.” But when we’ve come down from the mountain to the demon-possessed valley, we must face the harsh realities that scoff at our beliefs (Luke 9:28-42). Common sense cannot help us there; only a direct revelation of His will can sustain this type of onslaught.

The Bible is not supposed to make sense, it is supposed to make faith.Kamran Karimi
We can endure, if our faith is built upon the solid rock of His voice. Faith, the Bible says, comes by hearing and hearing by the (spoken) word of Christ (Romans 10:17). We are then to prove in practical experience what we hear from God in private. To turn faith into a real personal possession is always a fight, not just sometimes but always. This conflict activates our faith, because the nature of faith is always intended to bring God’s reality to a disobedient world – “His will be done on earth as it is (already) done in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

I believe revelation is a grace given by Him, but it comes by active heartfelt seeking. Seek Him through the word and seek Him in quiet prayer. He will be found by those that seek Him with all their hearts (Jeremiah 29:13). Until we know Jesus, God is only an abstraction, but when we know Him by faith, He becomes real to us. Likewise, until we know God’s promise of healing, it is only a possibility, but when it is revealed to our heart as reality, then it can become real to our body. The blessing of faith is first received as revelation, then it must be held on to until the reality is received.

We should take care not to make the intellect our god: it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality.Albert Einstein
Believe steadfastly on Him and, “hold fast to the confession of our hope, unwavering; for the One having promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23). Faith is absolute trust in God, a trust that could never imagine that He would forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6).

Faith in the Bible is faith in God against all that contradicts Him. To believe in something or someone is to commit to them. Faith is not just God’s specific vehicle for a specific blessing. Of course it is that, but it is also much more. It is the goal of a committed life lived in submission, trust, and fellowship. The blessing of that life is immense and eternal.

The nature of faith is to make its object real.

Comments

  1. Please share your sources. Most of your first paragraph was borrowed without citation from Oswald Chambers’ “My Utmost for his Highest” (October 30).

  2. I TRULY ENJOYED this….FAITH is NOT COMMON & COMMON is NOT FAITH.?

  3. Well written and thought provoking article.

    Faith does not come from just understanding ideas, but by conversing with the Writer about those ideas.

    1. Author

      Scott – Well said. I like that – ‘conversing with the Writer of the ideas.’ Rex

  4. Hi Rex,

    Great & timely message. If I understand correctly, this is exactly what the Lord has been speaking to me about.

    Human beings can have only so much faith (to differentiate, let’s call it trust). Some people trust God more than others but He knows us so well & does not hold that against us but meets each individual where they are at. I.E., He can impart true faith (that comes by hearing) when we put our trust in Him but we need His faith to please Him so that His will can be done.

    Examples of this would be, “Lord I believe (trust in You), help my unbelief (lack of true faith, the faith of God)”. Also, “If you are willing, you can make me whole” (This man, the leper, knew that Jesus was able but his trust was not going to heal him. He needed to receive “The Faith of God” that would, in turn, heal him).

    I think a lot of us “Know” that He can do it but are not sure if He will do it. In the 2 examples above, Jesus did not put the men down but simply met them where they were at & they received the “Faith of God” & were blessed. We must not feel bad or condemned because our trust can only take us so far, our trust is not creative is but “The Faith of God” is. If we offer what we have to God, He will meet us at our point of need also.

    I have a practical example of this. One day, I was lead to pray a simple prayer saying, “God, I do not understand. You healed the cartilage problem in my knee but you did not heal the ligaments in the same knee. I know You can do it but You only did half the job!”. Five minutes later a friend phoned to say would we go to church that evening (it was New Years Eve). After some consideration, we decided to go & at the end of the service, the Pastor called for someone with a problem with their right knee to come forward because God wants to heal you. I knew it was me (there were only about 12 people in the church), received “The Faith of God” & was healed!

    We are not responsible to create faith, only to receive it!

    God Bless All.

  5. Thank u for new post. Faith-common sense vs. Revelation sense. our days of fasting and prayer, wed, fri, and sun. Kenneth E. Hagin ministries is a blessing to us.

  6. My heart is calmed and steadfast all the more by this reading. An affirmation of what I already know and have experienced in my journey of faith in the living God and in his son my Savior and the Holy Spirit that dwells in me by the Grace of the one true and a great God of all. Thank you for this post!!!

    1. Author

      Dorie – Read this post again. I just revised it since your comment. We love you. rex

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