How to have faith...

I heard something great on the Christian Radio Station yesterday.  It was on "Discover the Word."  They were having a round table discussion about how to understand the concept of having faith.  They quoted someone named O'Brien, and he wrote something like this. I'm going by memory, but this was the basic concept:

If you know what it feels like to have faith in a promise, then you know how to have faith in God's Word.

If you know what if feels like to have faith in a remedy, then you know how to have faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.

If you know what it feels like to have faith in a surgeon, a lawyer, or a friend, then you know how to have faith in Jesus.

They gave some examples, particularly to the third one.  If you have a tumor in your throat, for example, you can either try to rip it out yourself, go home and forget about it and let it takes its course, or you can trust the surgeon to remove it.  You have the best chance at cure to trust the surgeon, especially when he knows what he is doing and is confident that his surgery will cure you.  Jesus has the remedy, the cure for your sin.  You can't take care of it in your own power.  Placing your life in the Surgeon's capable hands might be a little scary but is your best and only chance, and will have a positive result because He knows what He is doing.

If you are in a situation where you cannot defend yourself, and you have a very good lawyer that knows the ins and outs of the law, and is able to mediate for you and plead your case, then you are in good hands. Trusting that lawyer rather than representing yourself is a much better choice.  Jesus is our mediator between God and man, and understands you better than anyone.  He knows that He paid the price for your sin, so no matter what you have done, this Mediator can clear your name based on his own shed blood, and can pass on His righteousness on to you. Isn't that wonderfully amazing?  You can trust Him because His reasoning is based on truth. Your ransom has been paid...by HIM!

If you, for example, can't pay your college bill, and a friend who believes in you says he is going to pay your college bill because he really wants you to succeed, has the money, and would love to help you out, you would be inclined to accept.  He is your friend, after all, and you can't pay it yourself. He seems to really want to do it, and you know he is capable. If someone asks you if you got the first payment when he called, you'd say, "no, but I know he will come through."  You have faith in your friend because your friend is reliable.  So it is with Jesus.  You can trust His promises.  He is the friend who loves you with an eternal love, He sticks closer than a brother, and He gave His very life for you - is there any friend greater than that? What is really awesome is that He's alive, conquered death and the grave, and makes it possible for you to do the same.  What a friend we have in Jesus!!!

Does that help you to understand faith better?  It's trusting in something or someone that is beyond what you can do for yourself, beyond your own strength and capability.  The first step to having faith is to know and understand your need and your own limitations.