It is undeniable that a prevented man exhibits his worth when the unexpected appears. The brilliance of his forethought radiates his wisdom of being diligent in preparation for any possible outcome. One cannot deny that a reality of life under the sun is that it is full of surprises. Yet, it is curious to witness how often this valuable lesson is easily forgotten by the majority of people. The hypnotic rhythm of a daily routine often lulls a man into complacency and lethargy. This unfortunate mistake gives birth to negligence, fed by the presumptuous dependency upon that which is unstable. One example of this tragic error in recent memory is the multitudes of investors who blindly trusted in Bernie Madoff’s hedge fund, Ascot Partners. In 2008, it was revealed that this man had conned thousands of investors out of an estimated $64.8 billion. Madoff was hailed in Wall Street as a genius stockbroker due to some of his past successful investments. Some even proclaimed this man to have a “magic touch” since it appeared as if he could not make a wrong investment. Thus, several investors fully trusted Madoff with their life savings, presuming that he would be able to greatly increase their bank account. Sadly the opposite occurred and many were left in poverty, because it was assumed that this was an honest and trustworthy man. The hopes and dreams of becoming abundantly wealthy blinded them of the reality that they were putting their faith in a conniving man. Tragically, this is the same mistake that is being made by a vast majority of the world today with regards to their spiritual lives. Man has erred in trusting another man’s definition of what faith truly is. It was enlightened that the mistake made by those investors bamboozled by Madoff was that they blindly trusted him. This blind faith came into existence by the fame that he had acquired due to his previous success. Therefore, those who gave him their life’s savings were also fans of his who presumed that his investments would always be triumphant. They failed to consider the risks attached to their endeavor and regrettably learned about them when it was already too late. In other words, the faith they deposited in this man was actually their fanaticism silencing the warning bells that very likely were ringing in their minds. Hence the comparison being made by this author is the Bible’s definition of faith and the world’s misunderstanding of it. A large sum of humanity has wrongfully believed that faith does not require any works. The popular belief of faith is truthfully fanaticism; blind faith. Curiously, faith has been confused by the world with superstition and mysticism. Holy Scripture explains that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, emphasis added). The Hebrew writer immediately reveals that faith is not simply a feeling or a thought. He begins his explanation of faith by stating that it is a “substance of things hoped for.” The Greek word employed in this passage is hupostasis and it is referring to a substructure or foundation. The idea being conveyed by the inspired scribe is that true faith is the foundation of what man aspires to achieve in eternity. Thus, there must be a concrete understanding of what is required to reach a goal, but also a reasonable motive for believing that the goal can truly be achieved. Secondly, he further elaborates that this sturdy foundation has “evidence of things not seen.” This Greek term is elegchos and lexicons explain its definition as a thing proven or tested; a conviction. Apart from being a firm foundation, it can be proven even though it cannot be seen. This is the lesson imparted by the inspired James as he challenges “show me your faith without your works, and I will show my faith by my works” (James 2:18, emphasis added). Remember that a conviction is a strong belief that a person holds in a person, cause, or thing. Because a person is persuaded, they act upon it regardless of what others may believe. However, it is important to understand that this persuasion did not just sprout. Notice the specificity of the Greek word utilized in the inspired pericope. The conviction is a result from the testing that takes place. This is very wise to behold because it validates that firmness of faith as a foundation. James boldly challenged those who professed to have faith to prove its existence. Their lack of fruit denied their proclamation of faith at once. This is the same mistake that is commonly made in the world. The misconception is that faith is to simply say you believe. In reality, this is the definition of superstition. Superstition is manifest when a person blindly believes in something, but cannot logically explain it. For example, how does crossing under a ladder equate to a curse? It is true that a person can get hurt if the ladder were to fall as he were crossing under it, but is it logical for that unfortunate occurrence to always be deemed as “unlucky?” The same is true when man interprets faith to be in him if he does not understand what it is and how to properly use it. In some instances, the person may be unaware that faith is supposed to be put into action, thinking that to believe is to have faith. Holy Writ teaches through the example of Rahab how faith is a foundation of hope and is proven through action. James expands further into his explanation by promulgating, “was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way” (James 2:25, emphasis added)? The alluded event by James reveals to us that Rahab hid the Israelite spies because she had become aware of the events that transpired after they left Egypt (Joshua 2:8-11). She believed these reports to be true and thus gave life to the idea of seeking mercy from them prior to the fall of Jericho. However, her faith was exhibited when she put her dangerous plan into practice. It is worth noting that Rahab was in essence practicing treason by aiding in the overthrow of Jehricho’s king. Had Israel failed to conquer Jericho and had she been discovered, the consequence of her decision would have resulted in the deaths of her and her family. Yet, she was persuaded that Jehovah God would give Israel victory over their enemies and she did not hesitate in demonstrating her conviction. Thus, her firm belief that Israel would prevail prompted in her participation and resulted in her salvation. Behold, the truth about faith.
