Post details: Isn't faith just a blind belief?

07/30/06

Permalink 03:34:03 am, Categories: By Trent, GraceHead thinking deeply, GraceHead counseling, 1039 words   English (US)

Isn't faith just a blind belief?

I get asked questions by strangers quite often. Recently this one showed up in my inbox: How can a person have faith? Isn't faith just a blind belief? If I had a blind belief that everyone in the world was watching me, I would be deemed mentally unstable, so how is it that a Christians blind belief (or faith) in God is not treated in the same manner?

Here is how I answered ...

Blind belief is a manifestation of guesswork at best, and manic delusion at worst. Would you put your well-being in the hands of a figment of someone's blind belief? ... or would that be one of the most careless things you could do?

Matthew 15:14 "Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." (Jesus talking about hyper-religious fakers in positions of elite religious authority.)

To answer your question directly, blind belief is one of the most mentally unstable things that we could get involved in, and it is a phenomenon that is wrought in insanity ... even when it is found in religions ... even the Christian religions. Flee from blind-belief and it will go well for you.
...
Fall for blind belief at your own risk.

My advise is to shed the insanity of blind belief and adopt a more sincere and honest approach. Rely upon faith instead of blind belief.

OK, I know that if I don't be careful here, I might loose you. You have probably had some blind guide come along and tell you that faith is blind ... and maybe they were persuasive and had the agreement of others. But, I am telling you that was the mad rant of an insane blind guide. Don't follow them. Don't listen to them. Get away from them. They are leading others just ad blind as they are into a dark pit.

So, what am I saying faith is, if not blind-belief?

In short faith is SEEING.

Faith is man's receptivity to God, like eyes receive light and ears receive sound. Functioning faith, is sensitive to the voice and vision of God.

Faith is not knowing somebody that has seen something and taking their word for it. Faith is seeing it for yourself ... and seeing is believing.

John 12:39-41 (New International Version)
39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40 "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn and I would heal them."
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.

There are those that can see, and hear and believe. There are those that are blind and deaf and yet they have managed by shear willpower and self-deception to believe something they know nothing about ... and these same people exalt blindness to deaden the discomfort of their false faith.

John 9:39-42 (New International Version)
39Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
40Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?"
41Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

I speak from experience, as a man of faith. I want to share with you a perspective of one that hears what God communicates and sees what God shows. I am vexed as you are with the blind fakers.

It is as if there is a dance-hall, and I see people dancing to the music. Then I see a deaf person. They see others dance to the music, and without hearing the music play along with a dance of their own. For a while, they can keep up the charade, but if you watch closely, their "dancing" is bogus. They don't hear a thing and have trouble staying with the beat.

They are mimicking those that hear, and not hearing for themselves. Yet as vexing as the fakers are, I know that these people will always be among us ... and loudly exclaiming that faith is blind-belief, like a deaf person in a dance-hall yelling that there really is no music to hear ... and that all dance is just deaf-motion. Those with authentic hearing can just shrug our shoulders. We wish that we could impart our own hearing to them, but we cannot. Their "faith" is really no faith at all. Their knowledge about the things of God are nothing more then blind stabs at reality while completely in the dark.

John 10:27
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

The wolves in sheep's clothing listen to nothing, nor could they ...

Have you concidered this possibility?
Maybe there is a voice that exists though you may have never heard it.
Maybe there is a vision though you may have never seen it.
That possibility is hard to imagine without experiencing it for yourself.

But, I am witnessing that the possibility is a reality.
I hear.
I see.

Have you decided what you want? Do you want to hear? Do you want to see?

You get to decide. The whole creation is under compulsion, and a flower doesn't decide to bloom, it is compelled. A worm doesn't decide to become a butterfly, it has no choice in the matter. But you have a choice. You are not like all the rest of creation. Decide for yourself ... and what you decide will become a fixed reality for you. You are under no compulsion, except to choose for yourself. It is God's will that you choose Him or choose otherwise ... and choose you will.

Do you want to be in connection with the Creator, or do you want to be as a beast in the field... and live out your days apart from Him. He is reading your thoughts at this moment, and your decision will be fixed one way or another by Him. Which way will you choose?

Mark 10:51
"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

Do you want the same?

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Comments, Trackbacks, Pingbacks:

Comment from: lisa [Member]
Trent, if this isn't one for the books, I don't know what is. This is WONDERFULLY written! It really clears up things for myself as well. For years, I honestly couldn't articulate "why" I believed, and honestly couldn't explain why faith wasn't a blind belief, although I knew it wasn't.

I've heard the deaf guy in the dance hall before (Yep, read BG's CC) and I can relate, since I've done that same thing... tried to act like I could hear by taking my cues from others around me (I've got the hearing impaired thing going on) you're right--it was as fake as a $3 dollar bill. But, if you were hearing impaired as well, you might not could see that I was being a fake. However, someone with good hearing could tell 'something wasn't right' after a bit.

This was definitely God inspired. Thanks so much for sharing this.

I've been at work now for about a week--10 hour days and then some most days. I've been away, but I hope things fall into a routine that I can come back sooner..
Blessings!
Lisa
Permalink 07/30/06 @ 17:38
Comment from: Pam [Member]
Good Morning Trent,

Faith is the essense of thing hope for...
Ours is not a vain or unseen hope but a hope that is seen with spiritual eyes and a hope we are guided into by the voice of our Savior. That hope is real and palpable and with us now in the midst of hopelessness and will in the future consume all hopelessness.

Oh, that all could hear the voice of Jesus!

Pam
Permalink 07/31/06 @ 07:20
Comment from: Sherry [Visitor]
Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

I've missed your wisdom. Excellent post
Permalink 07/31/06 @ 10:54
Comment from: Kansas Bob [Visitor] · http://eye4redemption.blogspot.com/
God never asks us to take a leap of faith ... He just asks us to take a step of faith.
Permalink 08/01/06 @ 08:20
Comment from: Len Hummel [Visitor] · http://blog.myspace.com/lenbenherehear
Faith is akin to THE TRUST of LOVE. - it should learn to be UNWAVERING.
Then there is the added grace of KNOWING The One Who gives BOTH.
"That I might KNOW HIM, ... and the POWER OF HIS resurrection." - THIS is tranformation leading to translation even in the physical to the EternaL.
blessings to you & yours, Trent. keep up the good work.
Permalink 08/07/06 @ 04:49
Comment from: Len [Visitor] · http://blog.myspace.com/lenbenherehear
Hope you are well, brother. Miss your comments and insights here. I know there are seasons when and where we are more 'busy' than usual. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK for THE KINGDOM. (!)
Shalom and GOD bless.
Len
"FAITH is TRUST when you do not see...nor understand."
HE IS EVER WORTHY TO BE TRUSTED...and loved and obeyed.
Permalink 08/19/06 @ 06:18
Comment from: Len [Visitor]
THOT: To truly follow JESUS means (much of the time) to be hated and despised by the world and (MUCH) of the 'religious-world' as well! ...but ever and always: THE PRESENCE OF JESUS and THE HOLY SPIRIT is our comfort and strength !
Keep on keeping on for Jesus, Trent. He's coming back soon
for those who love Him.
Permalink 08/24/06 @ 06:25
Comment from: Trent [Member] · http://www.GraceHead.com
Lisa,

SEESTER!
Hello there, its me! ... replying to old messages, and getting ready to blog again!
Thanks for your confirmation. I needed that, and find it a rare delight to have a few people that think the same. As you know, there are far more people in churches that would totally misunderstand that post and probably get cranky over it.
Look forward to more fellowship soon!

Ripening,
Trent
Permalink 08/25/06 @ 14:41

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