“The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind,‘You are a priest forever’ ”—
accordingly Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant. . . . He holds His priesthood permanently, because He continues forever. Consequently He is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (NRSV).
Can Jesus save . . . that person, that situation, that problem, that illness, that sin? Can Jesus save? I think the answer (“yes”) is something I believe intellectually, but not always something I believe in faith. I do have the choice of trusting (having faith) or observing (looking at what I believe are the facts) and often I choose the “facts” over faith.
I like optical illusions. But I have to admit, sometimes I don’t get them. I look and look and just can’t see what it is I’m supposed to see. It’s the same with jokes. Often I listen to them and then . . . nothing. I just didn’t hear the humor (while my husband is bent over laughing). Both are, in a sense, illusions for a reason. They take “fact” and twist it for a purpose (to amuse). So, I think, facts are not static. Facts are not, then, the same as truth because facts can obviously be manipulated.
Another example is science. In my lifetime, a number of trusted “facts” have been changed. For example, Pluto—which used to be one of the nine planets whose names we had to memorize in school—is no longer a planet. And there have been other things where science has changed a “fact” to correspond to new knowledge or new definitions.
When I believe a fact—when I equate a fact with truth—I am saying (to myself) that this fact is something upon which I can base future decisions on. That means, at least for me, that the fact needs to be trustworthy; it needs to be able to support the reason for my decision over the long haul. It seems that facts can’t really do that. Facts, it seems, can change. So what can I base my decisions on? What can I trust?
Ruth Harms Calkin wrote:
Abraham and Sarah faced the FACT that Sarah was too old for childbearing. Nevertheless, because God promised a son, they gave PREFERENCE to the promise.
In other words, Abraham and Sarah chose faith over fact. Why?
Facts are based on conclusions that come from the observations of our five senses: sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing. However, I already know that my senses can deceive me. I can smell something and my brain will trigger that I’m hungry, even if I just ate. I can see an optical illusion and see something that isn’t really there. I can hear (overhear) a conversation and wrongly understand what was being said. Since facts are based on my senses, facts can lie.
So my other choice is faith . . . but faith in what? It’s obvious that many things don’t deserve my faith. Obviously science doesn’t. Scientists (from all different disciplines) change their minds, seeming to make up “truth” as they go. Even my own observations and conclusions are unreliable. So I need to have faith in something (or Someone) who can be trusted. The Lord Jesus is “able for all time to save.” The KJV uses the word “uttermost” which means completely, perfectly, and utterly. In other words, when the Lord Jesus does something, it is entirely trustworthy and complete. He doesn’t forgive it, doesn’t neglect it, and doesn’t do it halfway. When He does it, it’s done and we can depend upon it.
The Lord Jesus can be trusted. And like Abraham and Sarah, I would be wise to choose faith over fact. The Lord Jesus can save. I can trust Him to take care of my cares, my worries, my concerns, my problems, my illnesses, my hurts, and my sin. He is fully able to save . . . to the uttermost!
© 2012 Robin L. O’Hare. All Rights Reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.
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