B7. Does Our Faith need to Make Sense?
The following is an outline of a Bible study class on this subject. It’s a series of questions and suggested answers to be discussed in terms of faith, hope, trust, and illusion.
First, here is how I would explain these terms:
FAITH = Belief in what you think is real (acceptance off what cannot be logically proven)
HOPE = Wishing something were real (something one longs to realize)
TRUST = Expecting your hope to be realized (expectation, confidence, or reliance)
ILLUSION = Hope without reason (a belief or hope that has no real substance)
What do each of us hope for from this life?
- I want “to make a positive difference and to move people profoundly”
Is it enough for us if we get that and then die with
nothing thereafter?
- EG This is life. Make the best of it and then die.
What do each of us think life would be like after this
human life is over?
My belief is this:
- Lying dormant/knowing nothing/physical body dissolves
- Eventual resurrection/re-creation at the Second Coming of Christ
- Conversion to angelic form
- A period of learning about evil while living with the glorified Christ (Michael)
- Settling on the New Earth
- Doing our own thing while closely relating to Michael about it.
- Periodically remembering the drama that played out on the old Earth so sin will never arise again
What do we base our answer on?
- Is this faith, hope, trust, or illusion?
- What good is this life without an after life?
- Is there any hope in this life of itself?
How do we deal with aging?
- What are we trying to accomplish in this life?
- What effect will aging or infirmity have on our answers?
What Conclusions do we draw from this discussion?
- Life must be lived with the longer-term goal in mind
- We need some logical rationale for establishing a plan for how to live now
- Our faith must make sense so our hope and trust are not illusion
2 Nov 2002
For more on this and a response to any questions, please email any comments to nasamike@nasamike.com