Faith vs. Fatalism

October 1, 2011 “The fool has said in his heart, there is no God” (Psalm 14:1). (Unless you believe there is an Almighty God these thoughts won’t interest you.) This all powerful, all knowing, ever present God spoke the entire creation into being and He said, “It is good.” Every word He speaks is good and it is Truth. This God chose to become flesh and live among us (John1:1-14. He was the Word that spoke the worlds (and us) into being. His Word is Truth and stands forever. He gave us the Word in written form, the Bible. Though heaven and earth may pass away (and it will someday) but His Word will never pass away (Matt.24:35; Isa.40:8; I Pet.1:25). Many books can inform us of many things, but only the Bible, God’s Word, can transform us when we accept Christ the Savior of the Bible. Once we were blind but now we see; we were hopeless but now we have hope; we were in anguish of soul, but now we have His peace that passes understanding; we were under God’s condemnation, now we are reconciled and have a place in His family. To have faith in God we must have faith in His Word – all of it, not just the parts we understand or like. Until we accept, by faith, the Savior, Jesus – “the Word,” we cannot understand His Word (Eph.4:18). To believe in God we must believe His Word because: “Every scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, and for training in righteousness (holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose and action), so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.” To choose to believe in God and what He says in His Word is choosing faith. The Way of faith is a learning process. Just as a child learns to walk, it is slow and stumbling at first, but as he is persistent in practicing his legs become stronger and his balance is perfected and soon he is running. As John Eldredge put it, “Whatever our situation in life – butcher, baker, candlestick maker – our deepest and most pressing need is to learn to walk with God,” then we can learn to run with God. All this learning comes about by reading, meditating and obeying God’s Word. It is the ‘blueprint’ for life. Fatalism is the opposite of Faith. Fatalism attempts to rise up against the Creator and replace God’s will with his own will. Psalm 2:4 says that “God laughs at man’s willfulness and holds him in derision.” God has given man a will, but only within limits. God is the Creator of all and He never relinquishes control of this world’s system, humans or even angels (His or Satan’s). Fatalism says, “Let’s eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.” Faith says, “Jesus loves me; He has a plan for my life; He is my Shepherd that leads me in paths of righteousness; He knows what is best for me and makes all things work together for my good, as I trust Him and He will take me home to heaven some day.” This world is in chaos and if we don’t trust in the Sovereign God, knowing He is in complete control of everything and that His Word never fails but will accomplish the purpose for which It was spoken (Isaiah 55:11), we will be a person most miserable and have nothing to believe in but fatalism and no hope for now nor the future. “Trust and Obey” John H. Sammis When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will He abides with us still and with all who will trust and obey. “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”