A Biblical Vision, Part I: Mastering the Old Testament Witness to Christ

Append i x

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Appendix 22 The Prophetic Vision as Source of Biblical Faith Commitment Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

The following quotation by Walsh and Middleton describes crisply the dynamics of a solid faith commitment, informed by the Scripture, and centered in belief in Jesus of Nazareth as the Savior and Redeemer of the world. Our worldview, the persistent and dominant belief sys tem we live by, is formed on the basis of our deepest-held concepts of God, life, others, and the world. Notice the key questions that a mature faith commitment asks and ponder the significance of these questions for you as a servant-leader in the Church of Jesus Christ. Faith is an essential part of human life. Humans are confessing, believing and trusting creatures. And where we place our faith determines the world view which we will adopt. Put another way, our ultimate faith commitment sets the contours of our world view. It shapes our vision for a way of life. People who doubt their world view are restless and feel they have no ground to stand on. They are often in the throes of a psychological crisis. But the emotional crisis is fundamentally religious because our world view rests on a faith commitment.

What is a faith commitment? It is the way we answer four basic questions facing everyone:

1) Who am I? Or, what is the nature, task, and purpose of human beings?

2) Where am I? Or, what is the nature of the world and universe I live in?

3) What’s wrong? Or, what is the basic problem or obstacle that keeps me from attaining fulfillment? In other words, how do I understand evil? 4) What is the remedy? Or, how is it possible to overcome this hindrance to my fulfillment? In other words, how do I find salvation? When we’ve answered these questions, that is, when our faith is settled, then we begin to see reality in some sensible pattern. Out of our faith proceeds a world view, without which human life simply cannot go on. ~ Brian J. Walsh and J. Richard Middleton. The Transforming Vision . Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1984. p.35