Features of a God-given faith
There is a multiplicity of faiths in our world today. While many are interrelated, they are often deeply contradictory. For instance, secular socialism - which operates as a faith for many - originally grew out of a Christian ethic regarding human equality. Communism emerged as an even more aggressive variant of this mindset; notably, Karl Marx wrote school essays as a young man reflecting Christian themes. Similarly, Islam historically intersected with Arian forms of Christianity; coins of the early Caliphs bore crosses, and their administrative capital was Damascus, an established Christian city.
In the 20th century, German National Socialism initially claimed a basis in Christianity, only to reject it later when Christian ethics denied Hitler's doctrine that the strong should dominate the weak. Meanwhile, world religions like Hinduism and Buddhism function primarily as philosophies, yet millions follow them with blind faith in the authority of their originators. Even modern humanists are essentially atheists who still desire to cling to Christian ethics. Finally, we see geopolitical faiths, such as Zionism and anti-Zionism. Each of these groups competes to convert new followers and retain the loyalty of those born into their systems.
Logically, if faiths teach opposing doctrines, they cannot all be true. How, then, can the truth of a faith be established? A true faith must be one that God himself authenticates because it originates from Him. A faith invented by man may partially reflect the truth, but it cannot be the truth.
The ultimate faith must be one that comes from God himself. The acronym SUPREME is an excellent framework for defining a true, God-given faith. It balances both the divine, majestic qualities of a belief system with its practical, deeply human elements.
S - Supernatural: Transcends physical laws and originates from a divine source.
U - Unbounded: Infinite in scope, timeless, and unrestricted by human limitations.
P - Power for good: Transforms people into being what God desires
R - Resonant: Deeply echoes human needs by resolving guilt, providing purpose, and answering life's biggest questions.
E - Evidential: Grounded in historical, logical, and experiential evidence that aligns with reality.
M - Motivating: Inspires believers to action, driving transformation, moral excellence, and community service.
E - Endearing: Radiates a profound, unconditional love that draws hearts closer to the divine.
1. Supernatural
If a faith originates from God - who must Himself be supernatural to have spoken the universe into existence - there must be clear evidence of His supernatural hand behind it.
When God rescued His chosen people from slavery in Egypt, He authenticated His salvation through undeniable miracles: the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the splitting of the Jordan River, and the daily provision of supernatural food, manna. God's people were constantly commanded to look back at these historic events.
Similarly, when Jesus came, His claim to be God’s Messiah was verified by miraculous healings. His physical resurrection after being crucified was not only heavily substantiated by numerous eyewitnesses, but it also proved His divine authority. God must be supernatural - utterly beyond our comprehension - to create the universe and then intentionally step in to supersede His own laws of nature at pivotal moments in history.
Skeptics may ask,
"How can modern people believe in such anything supernatural?"
The answer is that the evidence for the supernatural surrounds us. The formation of a baby from the union of just two microscopic cells is a daily miracle. Where do our intrinsic desires for purpose, moral values, and unconditional love come from if we are not created in the image of our Creator? These traits cannot be derived from a random mix of chemicals in a primordial soup.
Today, many choose to ignore the supernatural design evident in the human eye, the ear, or the complex language of DNA. Because their faith is limited strictly to the material world, their ambitions are reduced to short-term earthly success.
Jesus addressed this exact mindset in the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12). A farmer enjoyed a superb harvest and decided his ultimate goal was simply to build bigger barns. Building barns was not the sin; his sin was greed and an attitude that entirely forgot God:
"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." Luke 12:15
God’s final judgment on him was swift:
"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God." Luke 12:20-21
Jesus teaches us that our worldview does not just influence our temporary lives now; it defines our eternal destiny. Materialism is a false faith. Everything hinges on Christ's authority.
The inherent desires we all possess point to our need for a faith that can withstand rigorous, logical investigation while simultaneously meeting our deepest soul-needs. Because we face the certainty of death, the true purpose of life must answer what happens next. Of all religious founders, Jesus alone provides definitive answers to these monumental questions.
A faith from God must directly address suffering and death. God allowed these realities to touch every human life, so His true message must contain the remedy. The Bible reveals that this life is merely a precursor to the next. Those who belong to God's kingdom will spend eternity with Him in heaven, while those who reject His rule will be separated from Him forever. For those who follow their Creator, this brings profound comfort and removes all fear of the grave. As the Psalmist reminds us:
"They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear." Psalm 112:7-8
2. Unbounded, universal
A true faith coming from God applies universally to every corner of His creation. Because God created all matter and life, any faith originating from Him must be incredibly wide-reaching:
“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16-17
While many human religions hold a small, localised view of the divine, the Christian faith is limitless in scope:
“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” Colossians 1:19-20
The God who designed us cares about every facet of our lives, and a true faith must reflect this. The Apostle Paul commands:
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
This powerful truth completely dismantles the artificial divide between the sacred and the secular. Eating, drinking, working, and creating are all daily acts governed by faith. A genuine, God-given faith dictates our language, family relationships, business ethics, and daily habits without exception.
3. Power for good
A true faith provides a supernatural power that transforms human character for the good. The authenticity of a belief system is best revealed by the testimonies of those who turn to it. If the "faithful" become habitually angry, belligerent, and unloving toward others, their faith is almost certainly not from God.
Because a faith derived from God is rooted in absolute truth and verified by supernatural evidence, it naturally resonates with genuine human needs and makes people truly loving. These virtues reflect the very character of God. When God revealed His glory to Moses, He proclaimed His defining traits—traits that any true faith must reproduce in its followers:
“And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.” Exodus 34:6-7
4.Resonant with human needs
Everyone has a faith on which they base their lives. I recently met an immigrant from Afghanistan who said he had no faith whatsoever, he called himself an atheist. Yet he agreed that, in his work, he relied heavily on rational thought.
“Oh yes,” he said, “I do believe in rationality.”
We talked about his family and about the values and morals he wanted them to grow into,
“Oh yes,” he said “I do believe in the importance of good behaviour.”
“So you are a believer, a man of faith. It is just that you have decided to accept God’s creation, the value of rationality and of ethical behaviour but to reject where these values come from. We are all believers in something, The question I had when sorting these issues out, is how all the pieces can be fitted to gather if there is no God and if Jesus was not the embodiment of God who rose from the dead.”
We live in a world full of difficulties and illness and tragedy. A true faith needs to acknowledge this and have answers. Escapist beliefs, such as Buddhism, deny reality.
We need answers
One of the features of humanity is that we are always looking for answers. Why does our universe function according to precise laws? We call them the laws of nature but nature cannot create laws, it just functions according to these laws. We live in a mathematical world. How can this be unless there is a rational, mathematical creator? It is fascinating that even three thousand years ago there were people asking questions, such as who designed the eye and ear:
“Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?” Psalm 94:9
“Ears that hear and eyes that see - the Lord has made them both.” Proverbs 20:12
It is absurd to think that these and all the other features of our creation developed randomly out of primordial soup. Professor Anthony Flew was a philosopher and an ardent atheist who often featured on the radio. When the structure and significance of the DNA code and the language it contains was discovered he realised that this could not be random. All language has to have a mind behind it.
We have guilt
One of the human characteristics is that we feel guilt when we do something wrong. Guilt is a major, often hidden, factor in much of the depression and anxiety observed today. While guilt can act as a helpful moral compass in small doses, persistent guilt is a significant, evidence-based contributor to the onset, severity, and perpetuation of mental health disorders. A core symptom of a major depressive disorder is feeling excessive or unwarranted guilt, often exacerbated by ruminating on minor past failures or taking responsibility for things entirely outside of one's control.
True faith is evidenced when the reality of my sin and the need of a pardon by God is recognised. This is not an intellectual nod to a theological doctrine but a genuine realisation. Most faiths fail to address this. Most teach that if a person joins their group and tries to follow its rules, God should be pleased with them. Religious and secular faiths cannot give people evidence based confidence that they are secure. The word of a prophet or teacher is not sufficient without strong supportive evidence. A true faith will have the answer to man’s greatest problem, at heart we do not want God to rule us so we cannot know his forgiveness.
When some academics in Cambridge were discussing whether any Christian belief was not found in other religions or philosophies, the writer C.S.Lewis answered,
‘Easy - its grace.”
He could have expanded this by saying that Jesus, entering this world so we could be put right with God, is the ultimate evidence of this grace.
Almost every non-Christian view insists that people must do good in order to be rewarded. This is the ‘Law of Karma’, we ‘keep what we sow’. This view is held in Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and western materialist faiths. To a limited extent this is seen in the affairs of this world but it cannot apply to a relationship with an all holy God. There what we sow can only alienate us from God.
Marghanita Laski (1915-1988) was a popular novelist and outspoken secular humanist. In a moment of candour, she said on a televised interview:
"What I envy most about you Christians is your forgiveness. I have nobody to forgive me.”
Christians have discovered the answer God has given us. We can know what it means to be forgiven because we have a scapegoat who paid the price for our sin when he died on that cross.. There is very strong supportive evidence for this being true.
We need a purpose
A lack of purpose can be detrimental to both mental and physical health, according to extensive psychological research. While it is normal to experience periods of drifting, a prolonged absence of meaning is often linked to significant negative outcomes. Lacking a sense of direction is a major driver of anxiety and depression, particularly in young adults. It can lead to chronic feelings of emptiness, hopelessness, and low self-esteem. Individuals with a strong sense of purpose show better emotional recovery from negative events. Without it, people struggle to ‘bounce back’ from stress, as purpose acts as a psychological buffer. Research by several institutions suggests that people with a clear purpose tend to live longer and have a lower risk of heart attacks, strokes, and dementia. A lack of purpose can lead to ‘purpose anxiety,’ making daily decision-making feel overwhelming. It is also associated with unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as substance abuse or obsessive behaviours, these can be used to fill the void.
Based on his experiences in Nazi concentration camps, Viktor Frankl discovered that a prisoner’s ability to survive was directly linked to their ability to find meaning and purpose, even in the most miserable circumstances. He observed that prisoners who connected with a future goal or a ‘why’ to live for were more likely to survive, as this purpose provided the mental and spiritual strength to endure extreme, life-threatening conditions. Frankl’s observations formed the basis of his psychotherapeutic method, logotherapy, which asserts that the primary motivation in human beings is the search for meaning.
Studies have shown that faith in an afterlife is associated with lower levels of end-of-life despair. including reduced feelings of hopelessness, ideas of suicide, and a decreased desire for a hastened death. This is relevant to the current debate about medically assisted suicide in terminally ill patients. A lady in her thirties had a locally aggressive cancer of the breast. She needed a mastectomy but could not bear the idea of losing her shape. We therefore performed a mastectomy with an immediate breast reconstruction. After the operation she said the if she had had to just be flat-chested on one side she was going to commit suicide. I asked her,
“Are you ready to meet God then?”
This idea had never crossed here mind and led to a fascinating discussion about the purpose of life and how we can find answers.
We need relationships
God has created us to have an inherent desire for close family relationships. Therefore a true faith will surely have a close relationship with God as a fundamental feature. This is a major difference between religion and Christianity. The essence of Christianity is that God loves his people and sent his son to save us. Without him there is no salvation. The late American Christian teacher and writer , Tim Keller explained:
“Religion says, ‘I obey; therefore I am accepted. Christianity says, ‘I am accepted, therefore I obey.’
This topic has been explored in the article, ‘Discovering a True Faith: One From God, Not Man’ that is also on the website BVPalmer.com. The inherent need for relationships is a strong evidence that the Christian faith is true, and comes from God himself.
5. Evidential
Evidence is the way to test any belief or faith. We are rational people, so any faith must be in accord with logical thought. To be a ‘flat-earther’ goes against the findings of science so must be rejected. The discoveries in the last century about the origins of Islam cast much doubt over the authenticity of the Standard Islamic Narrative and the reliability of the Qur’an. Archeology has shown the absence of an ancient civilisation in Mecca, there was minimal water there, it was not the ‘mother of all cities’. Philosophical faiths such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism and Taoism cannot be assessed logically as there are no objective facts that can be tested. How can doctrines of repeated reincarnation or the laws of Karma be tested?
Any faith that disagrees with the substantiated evidence of good science will eventually crumble. This is being seen in many islamic countries where a literal understanding of the Qur’an and Hadith demands that people do not ask questions about the conflicts that appear. This is a major reason why many educated Muslims are turning their backs on Islam, even though they may still go under the title of Muslim. A true faith from God must fit comfortably with discoveries about the world this God has made.
The Christian faith is completely dependant on the person of Jesus. He claimed to be the divine Son of God that the Jewish Scriptures said would enter God’s world as its Messiah. He performed remarkable miracles that were acknowledged even by his enemies. He said he would be crucified and would rise from the dead. He said that faith in him would spread to all nations. These doctrines can be verified. The evidence is very strong that Jesus did exist, his miracles and resurrection were witnessed by many hundreds of people. How did the church expand so fast when so heavily opposed by both the Roman authorities and the Jewish authorities and with no obvious military or worldly support? The truth of all this can be tested with contemporary writings and archeology. So Paul wrote:
“If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. . . . And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” 1 Corinthians 15:14-19
Any idea or faith that is true, when questioned and thoroughly investigated, will stand even stronger. Investigating an untruth will reveal its difficulties and unreliability. Why are Muslims not encouraged to investigate the claims about Mecca? The absence of supportive archeology and a lack of adequate water supply proves it cannot be the ‘mother of all cities’, as the Qur’an and Hadith claim. The qibla or direction of prayer of early mosques was not towards Mecca, that only came about much later.
The Bible encourages people to test, examine, and prove what they believe to ensure it aligns with truth.:
“Test everything; hold fast what is good" 1 Thessalonians 5:21
We must also examine ourselves and our motives to ensure that we are thinking as God wants us to, according to his truth, which is the only real truth there is:
“"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves," 2 Corinthians 13:5
6. Motivating
The God who created this world cares about what happens in it. A faith from him will inspire believers to action, driving transformation, moral excellence, and community service.
The Bible directly establishes that a true, God-given faith is never passive. It acts as an internal engine that inevitably produces a changed life, ethical living, and active service to the community.
There are many Biblical passages that teach this dynamic connection between faith and action include:
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 1:17
Paul argues that genuine belief cannot be separated from outward service, just as a living body cannot be separated from its breath.
A true faith does not sit idle; its natural expression is loving action. The Christian faith insists that we have been saved by Jesus so his followers live very different lives
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
Jesus gave himself to redeem believers from wickedness and to
“. . . purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:14
A true faith transforms a person's desires so that they actively long to serve others. It is utterly life changing.
Paul urges Christians to offer their bodies as living sacrifices, which is their true worship. He commands them,
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” Romans 12:1-2
Such a faith completely overhauls a person’s worldview and behaviour., although this will be a gradual transformation. Peter provides a step-by-step sequence of spiritual growth, instructing believers to:
“Make every effort to add to your faith goodness [moral excellence]; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control... and to mutual affection, love.” 2 Peter 1:5-7
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands his followers to let their light shine before others,
“. . . that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
The community is meant to see the tangible beneficial fruit of a believer's faith.
7. Endearing
A valid faith will be characterised by having a supernatural basis, being evidence based, provide answers to the problems human face and will motivating, it will also be characterised by a love for people.
Many philosophers have emphasised the significance of virtues like honesty, courage, kindness, and truth as central to the success human society. Aristotle argued that practicing virtues, finding the ‘golden mean’ between extremes, is the key to achieving a well-lived life. Confucius focused on Ren (benevolence), teaching that a stable, harmonious society is built on honesty, respect, and kindness. Plato identified primary virtues as courage, moderation, wisdom, and justice. Arthur Schopenhauer reckoned loving-kindness and compassion as the fundamental basis of all true morality. It seems that these values are in-built into our make-up. This surely suggests that these are characteristics of the God who made us.
The priority of exhibiting these values is an area where many religions break down. The rules become more important than the values. In communism, Islam, Nazism and sometimes in Judaism the creed matters more than personal integrity, rules matter more than people. Those who oppose the creed are considered as enemies that can be disposed of. Try to leave and there is much hatred.
A Muslim went to a Muslim Brotherhood school in Saudi Arabia where he received a good general education but, in the religious lessons, he was taught to hate those who oppose the teaching of Islam. In contrast, when people rejected Jesus he simply left them, knowing that they would face his judgment later.
A genuine concern for the welfare of others is a mark of a true faith because this is a mark of the God who created us. We recognise that this is true because we have instincts within us that appreciate when people care for us. We all need to be loved, it is something within our make-up.
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was he replied:
“Jesus answered by saying, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments” Matthew 22:37–40
The reason a true faith will be revealed in love is because love is the nature of the God who created us in his image. The Bible confirms this reasoning:
“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love”. 1 John 4:8
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them”. 1 John 4:16
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
The Old Testament also emphasises that an everlasting abounding love is God’s nature:
“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3
"The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love." Psalm 103:8
James wrote, “I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18), and Paul reminds us that the first fruit of the Spirit is love (Galatians 5:22). But what does that actually look like? Going to church, tithing, praying, and reading our Bibles are all beneficial, they reflect a love and commitment to God, but they don’t necessarily express love for people.
Faith systems such as Nazism, Communism and radical Islam all place the creeds as more important than individuals. Jesus was the opposite, he was willing to die for others because he knew there is a bigger picture than our short lives here on this earth.
Real faith shows up in how we love imperfect people. It involves sacrifice, kindness, forgiveness, and intentional service — without expecting anything in return.
Jesus said the world would know we are His disciples by how we love one another :
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35
Paul expressed the same idea,
“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6
An opposite of love is hatred and anger. Anger is a temporary form of hatred. Angry people lose emotional and verbal control, expressing unkind and sometimes terrible ideas against others. A mark of a genuine faith is that God helps people to bring this under control and turn the other cheek. Unfortunately some faiths encourage the hatred and anger of others and this is a sign that that faith does not come from God and is not true.
Integrity will always be found in a true faith and in its genuine advocates. Integrity, doing what is right in God’s eyes builds people up. The opposite of ‘integrity’ is ‘dis-integrity’ or ‘disintegration’. Failure to live as God wants so often leads to a person’s life disintegrating, their family disintegrating and eventually their society and even their nation disintegrating. Jesus was widely acknowledged to behave in a Godly way. He could say:
“Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?” John 8:46
Paul, the apostle who taught about Jesus as the church was being established could say:
“Now this is our boast: our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity.” 2 Corinthians 1:12
Attempts to bypass truth in faith issues
The Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, near Chicago, is a renowned multi-faith building, featuring symbols from various world religions (including Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Islamic) on its pillars. Completed in 1953, the nine-sided temple promotes unity, offering a quiet space for prayer and meditation. This symbolises the longing that people of all faiths should accept each others beliefs. In a similar vein some churches have had ‘multi-faith’ services which have a tacit assumption that different faiths are acceptable to God.
Such thinking is antagonistic to the teaching of the Bible. The God who made us is a God who refuses to share his honour with any. He alone is God and he demands that all people recognise this. This is why we must all accept the faith that the true God has given us. The Bible explicitly teaches there is one God and he is the only way to salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ.
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all”. 1 Timothy 2:5-6:
“Jesus answered him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me’”. John 14:6
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved”. Acts 4:12
“One Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all”. Ephesians 4:5-6
“I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God”. Isaiah 45:5
“. . . yet for us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things... and one Lord Jesus Christ”. 1 Corinthians 8:6
The Old and New Testaments consistently affirm that there is only one true God, it declares that reconciliation with God is only possible through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is identified as the only bridge between humanity and God. We turn our backs on this loving God at our peril.
How can truth be defined? It is surely an absolute concept which, by a variety of rational means, we are trying to discover. Some pointers to truth are inbuilt within us. These cannot be proved to be valid but we accept them. Our faith in rational thought is one. This is why science is such a good way to understand our world. Our desire for our faith to be evidence based is also inherent. We have inherent needs for a purpose and for forgiveness. We long to be loved. All this evidence is personified in Jesus.
Our family was discussing over dinner whether love or truth were more important. We came to the consensus that they cannot be separated as love is part of truth and truth is part of love. A faith without both is inadequate. The Bible teaches that both are characteristics of the true God.
‘Pascal's Wager’ is a 17th-century argument that suggests it is much more rational to live as if God exists than not. It was proposed by the French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal in his posthumous work Pensées (1670). The argument suggests that it is far more rational to believe in God than to reject him. There is much evidence that there must be a God who created our universe according to laws of nature and mathematics, who gives life a purpose and a basis for ethics. Such evidence would surely win in a court of law. However, as Pascal as shown, the existence of an infinite God cannot be proved with mathematical certainty but that people should ‘wager’ because of the likely outcomes:
If God exists, the reward is infinite gain, an eternal life in heaven. If God does not exist, the loss is finite and limited, sacrificing some worldly pleasures.
If God exists, the loss is infinite, an eternal rejection by God and suffering in hell. If God does not exist, the gain is only finite, a temporary independence or pleasure.
By this logic, any positive probability of God’s existence - even a very small one - makes the expected value of belief infinite, making it the only ‘rational’ faith to hold. The stakes are high.
All these pointers suggest that the greatest discovery anyone can make is to find that Jesus is indeed the answer to a valid faith that comes from God. A search for such a valid faith must therefore start with him and by reading the records of his life written by his close contemporaries. Many have discovered Jesus, his death and resurrection, his miracles, his character and his fulfilment of over 330 prophecies about the Messiah given in the Jewish Scriptures stands firmly even under the most rigorous investigation. This is why he alone can say:
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Truth, love, forgiveness and the supernatural must all be features of a true faith that comes from God. They are in different dimensions but together they make a robust faith that is worth living and dying for.
It is significant that, excluding the supernatural, these feats of a faith from God are the same features that exist in strong families of every nation or creed and how loving parents want their children to develop. It is as though we instinctively know these values to be real and of God.
Conclusion: The Ultimate Test of Truth
Ultimately, a faith constructed by human hands will always bear human limitations. It will remain bound by culture, confined to material desires, and powerless to solve the ultimate realities of sin, suffering, and death. Conversely, a faith given by God carries His signature: it breaks through human history with supernatural authority, demands absolute allegiance over all of life, and transforms the human heart from the inside out. When measured against the SUPREME standard, Christianity reveals itself not merely as one choice among many, but as the distinct, verified revelation of the Creator Himself. It is a faith built on an empty tomb, designed to satisfy the human soul for eternity.
Who rules our lives matters everything to God, our creator. To turn our backs on him and his Son is very serious indeed. If they are not the focus of our life, something or someone else will be and God can see into our hearts. He has given us abundant evidence that there is a faith that comes from him. It is he who will be a eternal judge and we do not have that many years to turn around and start living for him.
BVP
This article has been posted on the website www.bvpalmer.com where there are many other helpful articles and videos.
Christchurch Baldock is a Bible teaching gospel centred local church. More details can be found on its website. It meets every Sunday morning at 10.30 am in Knights Templar School, Baldock
Bernard can be contacted at berniepalmer1@sky.com
