 Faith or Christian Fatalism?
One of the disturbing trends I have noticed in our theology is what I will refer to here as Christian fatalism. In many discussions I have had on faith, and its supreme importance in our walks with God (For without faith, it is impossible to please Him) , it is the opinion of many not only on this site but also in our modern Christianity that God's will will be done no matter what...His will, His timing, and what God wants is children to submit to that will in absolute trust, knowing that when it is God's will and God's good timing, the answrs needed will be given to our needs.
With this beliefe comes an assurnce that this is a very high level of faith, absolute trust, no matter what.
I am not so sure it is not just simply a deception of the enemy. Of course, timing is a factor in seeking God to move, whether it be for revival or healing, or keeping the lights on. But there is more. Sometimes, the timing is just to intensify our faith to the point it will not be denied.
Take for example the lame man let down thru the roof. I am sure He had seen Jesus passed by many time (I want to thank Amadeus for this example from another post). Yet when the timing was right, he received His healing. But was it simply God's time for this man to be healed, or had his faith "ripened" and finally a harvest of results was ready for him to harvest?
If it was simply God's time, was this man not just a robot doing God's bidding? Was there nothing in the man's possession that was the trigger for this miracle?
The reason I asked, is, if it is all just a play being played out before us and we have nothing truly to do with the results, we are not participants anymore but just the audience. The fact is, the promise of answered prayer to all of God's children has clearly been stated by Jesus. In addition, we are told by James that when we pray to not doubt in our heart but to expect the answer without wavering. That is a fact...undeniable.
Now, if faith is meant to be an "inactive" experience of trusting that God's will will be done regardless for us, would not the promise of "Whatsoever things you ask for when you pray, believe that you receive them and you shall have them." really be misleading at best and a lie at worst? If we are dependant upon it being God's will, then why pray at all, and how can one believe if deep inside, they know God's will will be done regardless, and if His will is not to grant the answer, then how can one ever pray believing, nothing doubting as we are commanded to do? Something is amiss with our whole concept of faith.
If God's will is done regardless, then nothing can change it, for God changes not, correct? Yet, the Samaritan woman who begged Jesus to heal her daughter was denied by the Lord several times, and He finally had to put her in her place and compare the Samaritan race to dogs, and He clearly stated to her that he was sent only to the chidren of Israel.
And yet, this audacious woman who simply believed and would not take no for an answer persisted. "Yea, Lord, she wisely said, but even the dogs get to eat the crumbs that fall from the table. And God changed His mind.
Not only that, but we now get an insight into the mind of Jesus Himself. He marvels at her faith, her persistance, her humility that still knew innately that Jesus loved her despite her heritage and linneage that was outside of the purpose of God and had ample power that even a crumb of it was sufficient to heal her vexed daughter. He marvelled and said, "Lo, I have not found fath like this in all Israel." He then dismissed the amazingly faith filled woman and told her the daughter was healed.
Now, if it is all "just whether or not it is God's will, or just God's timing", the woman was way out of bounds and truthfully in rebellion to the will of God. The Son of God has said "NO"....to her face. But she refused to accept it. She persisted. She said to her mountain "Be thou removed and cast into the sea" and it obeyed her.
Could it be we have misunderstood the call for faith and the persistance God is looking for in us? Have we simply become "Christian fatalists", accepting whatever the Universe throws our way and attempting to pass off our passivity as trust? Admittedly, there are times, such as when Paul prayed for his thorn in theflesh to be removed and God told Him "No", but by and large, we have made faith an act of passive acceptance, not an act of radical, unrelenting trust, knowing that it is impossible for our God to lie. If we have prayed and not received a "No", perhaps God is waiting to see if our faith will wither with resistance, or dig in its heels and wait, expectantly. It certainly is something to at least ponder on....
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