Faith (Ch. 1) by Alister McGrath
Alister McGrath, author of Theology: The Basics, discusses each element of Apostles Creed in chronological order. Topics of discussion include faith, God, Jesus, and The Creation. I will be responding to two of the discussion questions that are presented at the end of each chapter. The questions will be bolded to help you follow along. I will be releasing each chapter every Monday for the next nine weeks.
Calvin declares that faith is a “steady and certain knowledge of the divine benevolence towards us.” Notice first how Calvin uses language that expresses confidence in God, and stresses God’s reliability. Notice also how faith is defined as “knowledge” — but a certain very specific kind of knowledge. It is not just “knowledge”; in fact, it is not even “knowledge of God”. It is specifically “knowledge of God’s benevolence towards us.” Calvin’s language is very specific and intentional. Faith is grounded and based on God’s goodness. It is not simply about accepting that God exists, but about encountering God’s kindness to us. Do you agree with Calvin?
I agree with Calvin. Recognizing God’s presence is insufficient if one wishes to have true faith. Faith is based on knowledge and love, both of which are essential components. Those who lack the love of God can never appreciate Him. Without love, it is impossible to feel the Holy Spirit. Faithful followers of Christ not only know of His existence, but they also have an intimate relationship with Him.
Another consequence of having no love for God is the lack of action. The Holy Spirit drives those who love God. Knowledge of His benevolence inspires people to take action as they want to represent His greatness. Those who only accept his existence are less likely to be His ambassador because they are never motivated by His love and kindness.
I also agree with Calvin’s point because it is easy only to acknowledge God’s presence. Some people say that they believe in God, but their actions tell otherwise. Those who truly experience His love demonstrate it through their behavior, values, and habits. Some people do not display these behaviors, values, and practices because their faith is not based on God’s goodness. Their faith is likely based on social acceptance or family pressures, not His fundamental values.
Personally, my faith was once incomplete as I was unaware of His benevolence. I knew of Him because my parents made me go to Sunday school. I did not embrace his kindness until high school. Only then did I realize how gracious and kind He can be, especially during hard times.
Note how Calvin’s definition of faith is trinitarian. We shall be exploring this aspect of the Christian faith in more detail later (chapter 7). For the moment, note how Calvin correlates different aspects of faith with each of the three persons of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Spirit. Try to identify each of these aspects.
Calvin uses the three persons of the Trinity to emphasize the knowledge and loving aspects of faith.
Having faith means that an individual is knowledgeable of God’s benevolence, and is aware of The Father’s promise of salvation. The Father, also known as God the Creator, descended from the divine realm to deliver His promise as Jesus Christ. God allowed humanity to seek Him through Christ. Being aware of God’s salvation story, people can have a newfound appreciation of Him and become faithful as a result. People that are uninformed about God’s promise are unable to pursue their faith journey. How can someone have faith in God if they are unaware of Him and His story?
The Holy Spirit transforms people internally. While knowledge is valuable, the Holy Spirit ensures that an individual has an everlasting love for God. The Holy Spirit allows people to take their knowledge and apply it to their everyday life. Without the Holy Spirit, people would be unable to live a faithful and righteous life.
The Holy Spirit also allows people to spread the love of God. God’s Spirit transforms individuals into His ambassadors because He wants humanity to spread the Word. A personal example of this is when I went on a cross-cultural trip to California. While doing a food drive, the majority of the people did not speak English. Despite the lack of verbal communication, I could still feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was present that day as we were able to spread God’s love.
