Seminar Faith:The Foundation of Faith
- This is section 3 of the Seminar Faith. Comments or questions are appreciated. You can also write to John Eagles.
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Is it not a funny thing that when speaking about faith, which is one of the most internal qualities man possesses, we also speak about 'foundation?' And yet, it is very true and significant to know that faith can be built in ourselves very similar to building a foundation, for example for a house or an organization.
Faith is built similar to building foundations, but when we possess faith, this also works as a foundation for meaningful events to happen and as a foundation for other people to acquire more faith.
The entire structure of the universe, for small things and giant ones alike, is built as structures in which one creation serves as a foundation for other, more advanced creations. Without the tiniest particles, atoms could not exist. Atoms build complex organic molecules. From huge masses of atoms and energy the stars and planets were formed. Plants and trees grow on the foundation that the earth gives them.
Constructing faith also is done by setting foundation upon foundation. This is a hopeful reality as it guarantees that our past efforts of acquiring faith were not in vain, that we can stand on the foundations of faith that our ancestors and predecessors built, that we can continue to expand our faith over our entirely life stretch and even thereafter in the spirit world.
That faith is built as foundation upon foundation also means that faith can be destroyed when the foundations of faith are demolished. The foundation of faith upon that we stand is also the foundation for everything that was built up in human societies. If the foundation of faith for a culture were to collapse, such a culture is doomed.
The fall of man, as described for example in the Book of Genesis, tells us about the demise of a beginning culture. The fall of man was firstly the fall of faith in God. Therefore, in the history of restoration, the first task given to central figures under God is to rebuild a foundation of faith.
Just like the foundation of faith in God is the basis for an ideal world under God, so also for fallen and evil cultures foundations of faith were made. Usually the foundation of faith of a fallen or evil culture was a foundation of faith in idols and pagan deities. Because central figures in such cultures believed in their deities, strong cultures and traditions could be established.
Here, however, we speak about a foundation of faith in God. We wish to build a culture and tradition that is centered on God and God's ideal.
What is the central makeup of a foundation of faith centered on God? It cannot be measured with external instruments, because the foundation of faith is an internal foundation. The foundation of faith is a foundation of trust in God. Because in the world there are many forms of disbelief in God and many expressions and ideologies of belief in false gods, that faith in God needs to be test-proof in a hostile environment.
Just like the foundation of a house needs to be strong enough for the entire building to stand on, so a foundation of faith needs to be tested and solid enough for the lives of individuals, groups and societies to build a world centered on God.
The basis of faith is trust in God. Trust in God is our part of the responsibility in building a foundation of faith. God also has a role in building foundations of faith. God's role is that God always gives love and help to each person who believes in God and who is willing to go a course of expressing God's love and fulfilling God's ideals.
Our trust in God grows when we start responding to God's love. God's love is to guide us through life. It is when we believe in God's guidance and when we practice to live according to this that our faith in God can grow. By being obedient to God's will, our lives and all that we do and make become offerings to God. Based upon fulfilled offerings, God can tell us more and give us more.
It is our responsibility to respond to the love that God already gives us. By trusting God, by bringing into practice God's guidance, we begin to build the ideal envisioned by God. This is a relationship of trust and love that develops between God and man. As man has more trust in God, God can have more trust in us.
What we gain by offering our lives to God is that we grow in faith and also in experience to be able to build a world under God. The beginning of this always is that we ourselves become trustworthy and God-loving people. No foundation of faith for a larger group can be built without individuals who have deep faith in God.
The foundation of faith expands from the individual, to the family-, to the tribal and eventually to the world and cosmic levels. On each of these levels there is a central figure under God responsible for these levels. That central figure by him- or herself cannot build enough faith to realize God's ideals for this larger level. Always the foundation of faith acquired by an individual needs to be expanded to other individuals, who unite with the central figure of faith. As such, the foundation of faith for a larger group is the work of many people of faith.
Assignments
- Assignments are optional tasks that may help you to get a deeper grasp of the topic of this section of the seminar.
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Further reading
- Other articles on ERW that are related to the content of this section of the seminar.
What you should remember
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Back
- Seminar Faith to go to the other sections of this seminar.
- Seminar Faith:The central figure of faith to go to the former section of this seminar.
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