0% found this document useful (0 votes)
347 views6 pages

"Pactum Serva" - "Keep The Faith"

“Pactum Serva" - "Keep the Faith” Fear knocked at the door, faith answered, and lo and behold, no one was there. Faith is in general the persuasion of the mind that a certain statement is true (Phil. 1:27; 2 Thess. 2:13). Its primary idea is trust. A thing is true, and therefore worthy of trust. It admits of many degrees up to full assurance of faith, in accordance with the evidence on which it rests. Faith is the result of teaching (Rom. 10:14-17). Knowledge is an essential element in all faith, and is sometimes spoken of as an equivalent to faith (John 10:38; 1 John 2:3). Yet the two are distinguished in this respect, that faith includes in it assent, which is an act of the will in addition to the act of the over-standing. Assent to the truth is of the essence of faith, and the ultimate ground on which our assent to any revealed truth rests is the veracity of the most high. Historical faith is the apprehension of and assent to certain statements which are regarded as mere facts of history. Temporary faith is that state of mind which is awakened in men (e.g., Felix) by the exhibition of the truth and by the influence of religious sympathy, or by what is sometimes styled the common operation of the Holy Spirit. Saving faith is so called because it has eternal life inseparably connected with it. As you reach for over-standing, you find that your ladder of facts isn't long enough, and you try to extend it by adding a rung of faith... eventually you see that the task is hopeless and you put away your ladder of facts and go get a ladder of faith. In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't. There are those who can laugh...and choose not to laugh; there are those who can walk...and choose not to walk; there are those who can talk...and choose not to talk; there are those who can live...and choose not to live. From within.

Uploaded by

in1or
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
347 views6 pages

"Pactum Serva" - "Keep The Faith"

“Pactum Serva" - "Keep the Faith” Fear knocked at the door, faith answered, and lo and behold, no one was there. Faith is in general the persuasion of the mind that a certain statement is true (Phil. 1:27; 2 Thess. 2:13). Its primary idea is trust. A thing is true, and therefore worthy of trust. It admits of many degrees up to full assurance of faith, in accordance with the evidence on which it rests. Faith is the result of teaching (Rom. 10:14-17). Knowledge is an essential element in all faith, and is sometimes spoken of as an equivalent to faith (John 10:38; 1 John 2:3). Yet the two are distinguished in this respect, that faith includes in it assent, which is an act of the will in addition to the act of the over-standing. Assent to the truth is of the essence of faith, and the ultimate ground on which our assent to any revealed truth rests is the veracity of the most high. Historical faith is the apprehension of and assent to certain statements which are regarded as mere facts of history. Temporary faith is that state of mind which is awakened in men (e.g., Felix) by the exhibition of the truth and by the influence of religious sympathy, or by what is sometimes styled the common operation of the Holy Spirit. Saving faith is so called because it has eternal life inseparably connected with it. As you reach for over-standing, you find that your ladder of facts isn't long enough, and you try to extend it by adding a rung of faith... eventually you see that the task is hopeless and you put away your ladder of facts and go get a ladder of faith. In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't. There are those who can laugh...and choose not to laugh; there are those who can walk...and choose not to walk; there are those who can talk...and choose not to talk; there are those who can live...and choose not to live. From within.

Uploaded by

in1or
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

Pactum Serva" - "Keep the Faith Great analogy of Faith! Science "Let me explain the problem cience ha !

ith religion" #he athei t profe or of philo ophy pau e before hi cla an$ then a % one of hi ne! tu$ent to tan$" &'ou&re a (hri tian) aren&t you) on*& &'e ir)& the tu$ent ay "

&So you believe in Go$*& &+b olutely & &, Go$ goo$*& &Sure! Go$& goo$"& &, Go$ all-po!erful* (an Go$ $o anything*& &'e & &+re you goo$ or evil*& &#he -ible ay ,&m evil"& #he profe or grin %no!ingly" &+ha ! #he -ible! .e con i$er for a moment" &.ere& one for you" Let& ay there& a ic% per on over here an$ you can cure him" 'ou can $o it" /oul$ you help him* /oul$ you try*& &'e ir) , !oul$"&

&So you&re goo$"""!& &, !oul$n&t ay that"&

&-ut !hy not ay that* 'ou&$ help a ic% an$ maime$ per on if you coul$" 0o t of u !oul$ if !e coul$" -ut Go$ $oe n&t"& #he tu$ent $oe not an !er) o the profe or continue " &.e $oe n&t) $oe he* 0y brother !a a (hri tian !ho $ie$ of cancer) even though he praye$ to 1e u to heal him" .o! i thi 1e u goo$* (an you an !er that one*& #he tu$ent remain ilent" &2o ) you can&t) can you*& the profe or ay " .e ta%e a ip of !ater from a gla on hi $e % to give the tu$ent time to relax" &Let& tart again) young fella" , Go$ goo$*& &3r ""ye )& the tu$ent ay " &, Satan goo$*& #he tu$ent $oe n&t he itate on thi one"" &2o "& &#hen !here $oe Satan come from*& #he tu$ent falter " &From Go$& &#hat& right" Go$ ma$e Satan) $i$n&t he* #ell me) on" , there evil in thi !orl$*&

&'e ) ir"& &3vil& every!here) i n&t it* +n$ Go$ $i$ ma%e everything) correct*& &'e & &So !ho create$ evil*& #he profe or continue$) &,f Go$ create$ everything)then Go$ create$ evil) ince evil exi t ) an$ accor$ing to the principle that our !or% $efine !ho !e are) then Go$ i evil"& +gain) the tu$ent ha no an !er" &, there ic%ne * ,mmorality* .atre$* 4gline * +ll the e terrible thing ) $o they exi t in thi !orl$*& #he tu$ent 5uirm on hi feet" &'e "&

&So !ho create$ them *& #he tu$ent $oe not an !er again) o the profe or repeat hi 5ue tion" &/ho create$ them*& #here i till no an !er" Su$$enly the lecturer brea% a!ay to pace in front of the cla room" #he cla i me meri6e$" &#ell me)& he continue onto another tu$ent" &7o you believe in 1e u (hri t) on*& #he tu$ent& voice betray him an$ crac% " &'e ) profe or) , $o"&

#he ol$ man top pacing" &Science ay you have five en e you u e to i$entify an$ ob erve the !orl$ aroun$ you" .ave you ever een 1e u *& &2o ir" ,&ve never een .im"& &#hen tell u if you&ve ever hear$ your 1e u *& &2o ) ir) , have not"& &.ave you ever felt your 1e u ) ta te$ your 1e u or melt your 1e u * .ave you ever ha$ any en ory perception of 1e u (hri t) or Go$ for that matter*& &2o ) ir) ,&m afrai$ , haven&t"& &'et you till believe in him*& &'e & &+ccor$ing to the rule of empirical) te table) $emon trable protocol) cience ay your Go$ $oe n&t exi t""" /hat $o you ay to that) on*& &2othing )& the tu$ent replie "" &, only have my faith"& &'e ) faith)& the profe or repeat " &+n$ that i the problem cience ha !ith Go$" #here i no evi$ence) only faith"& #he tu$ent tan$ 5uietly for a moment) before a %ing a 5ue tion of .i o!n" &Profe or ) i there uch thing a heat* & & 'e " 3

&+n$ i there uch a thing a col$*& &'e ) on) there& col$ too"& &2o ir) there i n&t"& #he profe or turn to face the tu$ent) obviou ly intere te$" #he room u$$enly become very 5uiet" #he tu$ent begin to explain" &'ou can have lot of heat) even more heat) uper-heat) mega-heat) unlimite$ heat) !hite heat) a little heat or no heat) but !e $on&t have anything calle$ &col$& " /e can hit $o!n to 89: $egree belo! 6ero) !hich i no heat) but !e can&t go any further after that" #here i no uch thing a col$; other!i e !e !oul$ be able to go col$er than the lo!e t -89: $egree " 3verybo$y or ob<ect i u ceptible to tu$y !hen it ha or tran mit energy) an$ heat i !hat ma%e a bo$y or matter have or tran mit energy" +b olute 6ero =-89: F> i the total ab ence of heat" 'ou ee) ir) col$ i only a !or$ !e u e to $e cribe the ab ence of heat" /e cannot mea ure col$" .eat !e can mea ure in thermal unit becau e heat i energy" (ol$ i not the oppo ite of heat) ir) <u t the ab ence of it"& Silence acro the room" + pen $rop li%e a hammer" &/hat about $ar%ne ome!here in the cla room) oun$ing

) profe or" , there uch a thing a $ar%ne

*& *&

&'e )& the profe or replie !ithout he itation" &/hat i night if it i n&t $ar%ne

&'ou&re !rong again) ir" 7ar%ne i not omething; it i the ab ence of omething" 'ou can have lo! light) normal light) bright light) fla hing light) but if you have no light con tantly you have nothing an$ it& calle$ $ar%ne ) i n&t it* #hat& the meaning !e u e to $efine the !or$" ,n reality) $ar%ne i n&t" ,f it !ere) you !oul$ be able to ma%e $ar%ne $ar%er) !oul$n&t you*& #he profe or begin to mile at the tu$ent in front of him" #hi !ill be a goo$ eme ter" &So !hat point are you ma%ing) young man*& &'e ) profe or" 0y point i ) your philo ophical premi e i fla!e$ to tart !ith) an$ o your conclu ion mu t al o be fla!e$"& #he profe or& face cannot hi$e hi explain ho!*& urpri e thi time" &Fla!e$ * (an you

&'ou are !or%ing on the premi e of $uality)& the tu$ent explain " &'ou argue that there i life an$ then there& $eath; a goo$ Go$ an$ a ba$ Go$" 'ou are vie!ing the concept of Go$ a omething finite) omething !e can mea ure" Sir) cience can&t even explain a thought"& &,t u e electricity an$ magneti m) but ha never een) much le fully un$er too$ either one" #o vie! $eath a the oppo ite of life i to be ignorant of the fact that $eath cannot exi t a a ub tantive thing" 7eath i not the oppo ite of life) <u t the ab ence of it"& &2o! tell me) profe or" 7o you teach your tu$ent that they evolve$ from a mon%ey*& &,f you are referring to the natural evolutionary proce cour e , $o"& ) young man) ye ) of

&.ave you ever ob erve$ evolution !ith your o!n eye ) ir*& #he profe or begin to ha%e hi hea$) till miling) a he reali6e !here the argument i going" + very goo$ eme ter) in$ee$" &Since no one ha ever ob erve$ the proce of evolution at !or% an$ cannot even prove that thi proce i an on-going en$eavor) are you not teaching your opinion) ir* +re you no! not a cienti t) but a preacher*& #he cla i in uproar" #he tu$ent remain ilent until the commotion ha ub i$e$" &#o continue the point you !ere ma%ing earlier to the other tu$ent) let me give you an example of !hat , mean"& #he tu$ent loo% aroun$ the room" &, there anyone in the cla !ho ha ever een the profe or& brain*& #he cla brea% out into laughter" &, there anyone here !ho ha ever hear$ the profe or& brain) felt the profe or& brain) touche$ or melt the profe or& brain* 2o one appear to have $one o""" So) accor$ing to the e tabli he$ rule of empirical) table) $emon trable protocol) cience ay that you have no brain) !ith all $ue re pect) ir"& &So if cience ay you have no brain) ho! can !e tru t your lecture ) ir*& 2o! the room i ilent" #he profe or <u t tare at the tu$ent) hi face unrea$able" Finally) after !hat eem an eternity) the ol$ man an !er " &, Gue you&ll have to ta%e them on faith"& &2o! ) you accept that there i faith) an$) in fact) faith exi t !ith life)& the tu$ent continue " &2o! ) ir) i there uch a thing a evil*& 2o! uncertain) the profe or re pon$ ) &?f cour e) there i " /e ee it 3very$ay" ,t i in the $aily example of man& inhumanity to man" ,t i in #he multitu$e of crime an$ violence every!here in the !orl$" #he e manife tation are nothing el e but evil"&

#o thi the tu$ent replie$) &3vil $oe not exi t ir) or at lea t it $oe not exi t unto it elf" 3vil i imply the ab ence of Go$" ,t i <u t li%e $ar%ne an$ col$) a !or$ that man ha create$ to $e cribe the ab ence of Go$" Go$ $i$ not create evil" 3vil i the re ult of !hat happen !hen man $oe not have Go$& love pre ent in hi heart" ,t& li%e the col$ that come !hen there i no heat or the $ar%ne that come !hen there i no light"& #he profe or at $o!n"

PS@ #he tu$ent !a +lbert 3in tein " +lbert 3in tein !rote a boo% title$ & Go$ v " Science & in ABCA""""

You might also like