Tested faith

November 6, 2006

By Greg Ebie

I was saddened to discover Steve, a college friend and the best man at my wedding, moved away from his personal faith in Christ. Steve has a doctoral degree in philosophy; he is well educated but bankrupt in faith. It has been several years since our paths have crossed, yet when I think of him my prayer is that Steve will again discover the simplicity of childlike faith.

“So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the wonderful harvest of Scripture and history that took place among us, using reports handed down by the original eyewitnesses who served this Word with their very lives.”

(Luke 1:1,2, The Message)

It’s not a blind leap of faith like some people think. Maybe you have run into folks who think you must be ignorant to follow Jesus; for them faith runs contrary to the world as they think they know it. Some of them sarcastically claim if only we were just better educated (like my friend Steve), we would know the Bible is nothing more than legend and folklore.

The Bible doesn’t tell us to close our eyes and jump; rather with our eyes wide open we are encouraged to check out God’s truth for ourselves. Our faith or rejection of Jesus Christ is a matter of eternal life and death, so God invites us to see for ourselves if what He has said throughout the Bible is trustworthy.

Luke begins his gospel letting us know he has checked out and verified all the available evidence; he has listened to the eyewitness accounts. Luke was convinced what he had learned about Jesus was true, and he wanted to pass it along for others to know as well.

We don’t know a lot about Luke’s life before he came to Christ, but what we do know is significant. First Luke was a Gentile. Luke didn’t grow up as a Jew learning about God, but when he was introduced to Jesus the evidence of Christ’s resurrection convinced him that Jesus was indeed the Son of God.

Second, Luke was a physician and well educated, but Luke’s education did not keep him from coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Instead, using his education, he proved the truth of what he had been told.

Those Luke talked with had not taken a blind leap of faith; they saw Jesus for who He is and served Him with their lives. Shouldn’t we do the same?

D. Greg Ebie is senior pastor of Praise Assembly of God in Garrettsville, Ohio, and an author of Daily Bread devotionals.