Dr. Benner reminds us that our faith must be more than a trust in right beliefs. But what is the difference between having right beliefs and having a relationship with Christ? He writes:
"In Christianity, the shift from faith as trust, to faith as belief, was primarily a product of the Enlightenment...Faith as trust is personal and interpersonal. Trust is always placed in someone or something and our act of trust is an act of leaning into the object of trust with openness and expectant hopefulness. For Christians, trust in God, however, was slowly degraded into trust in certain thoughts about God. If these thoughts were judged to be true, one was judged to have faith. But the object of the faith in this debased expression of faith is, in actuality, thoughts, not God.
"Equating faith with beliefs truncates and trivializes spirituality by reducing it to a mental process. Thoughts are, quite simply, a poor substitute for relationship. Some Christians speak much of a personal relationship with God but assume that this is based on holding right beliefs. Is it any wonder that this attempt to reduce Ultimate Mystery to theological propositions so often results in the principal personal relationship being with their own thoughts? Cherishing thoughts about God replaces cherishing God, knowing about the Divine replaces knowing the Divine. Whenever the Wholly Other is thought to be contained in one’s beliefs and opinions Divine transcendence is seriously compromised and personal relationship with Spirit minimized." (Soulful Spirituality: Becoming Fully Alive and Deeply Human)
As I've thought about this, no one had more thoughts about God than the Apostle Paul. And no one was more concerned about Christians having right beliefs. Yet he, too, seems to say that Christian faith is not a faith in right beliefs but a faith that trusts in Christ, a faith that leans into Christ in openness and hope, a faith that seeks to know Christ and desires to become like him in his death. Paul writes:
"But whatever was to my profit (all of his work) I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Phil 3)
How can we make sure that our faith is focused on fully knowing Christ, as Paul's was, and not limited to having right facts about the Scripture and God? It seems that this kind of knowing has to do with an intentional pursuit of imitating Christ -- we get to know him personally by trusting in the power of God (as Christ did), by sharing in suffering for the gospel (as Christ did)? We get to know him when we intentionally seek to become like him in his death (which I think is a call to obedient surrender and loving trust in the Father, NOT seeking to die a tortuous death). We have fellowship with him, by seeking to become like him, and share his struggle to further the kingdom of God. This is all challenging me to really consider if I want to know Christ at all, or if I've settled for trusting in my right beliefs about Him and if I have substituted a lot of right beliefs for a deepening relationship.
I want to know him, not just have right beliefs about him. I think I pursue knowing him through deepening my faith, hope and love--taking my right beliefs and putting them into practice as I live my life with Christ. Trusting him, today. Hoping in Him, today. Loving him, today.
Retreating, where there is time for me to be quiet and alone with Christ, certainly gives me opportunity to deepen my personal relationship with him.
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