Introduction

What is faith? Why do Jesus, Paul, and others make such a big deal about people having it?

Followers of God’s Anointed have debated and struggled with these questions for many centuries. I have concluded that faith is what the Creator desires from people most of all.

I call faith “trusting obedience”. This avoids the churchy word. It describes something unchurched people can understand. It is what Jesus praised in foreign people who asked for his help. Most notable was the request of the despised Roman centurion for Jesus to heal his servant.  (Matthew 8:5-13)

This kind of trust was what he missed in his followers.

In The Garden Of Eden 

Did Adam and Eve need faith? The first humans enjoyed the Heaven- provided conditions of life in Eden. They had abundant food and water and no need for shelter. There was no need for security from animals or people. The animals ate vegan. If there had been other people, everyone was provided for. Adam and Eve ruled over the animals.

The humans enjoyed total health and wellbeing. Had there been injury or disease, the leaves of the Tree of Life (Ezekiel  47:12, Revelation 22:2) were available for healing.

Finally, the humans had no flaws to give offense. They were naked and unashamed.

Given all that, the first humans did not live under today’s hardship conditions outside of Eden. They had no need to trust the Creator for resources. They had no need to seek refuge in a Mighty Fortress. They had no need to wait, rest in hope, for things needed or desired. They needed only to believe the Creator’s word of command and warning, “Do not eat from the Tree of Morality or you will die.” This implied the need to follow His voice.

From One To Two To Reunited

Finally, the one Human was created in the image of the dual- gender Creator. Though not explicit about it, the writers of the biblical stories show that the Creator has masculine and feminine traits. Holy Spirit, Ruach ha Kodesh, is especially shown to have feminine traits, hovering over the dark waters and her people like a bird. (See Genesis 1:2, Deuteronomy 32:11.) Psalm 91 describes the Almighty covering Her people with Her wings. Jesus called Her the Comforter.

So, God created one Humanity with both genders. To prevent loneliness, he split the human into male and female. Thereafter, humans seek to be reunited into one flesh (Genesis 2:24) This verse tells me that they had sex in the Garden. And, together they ruled over – managed – the Garden and the region of Eden. They worked to bring order to the rest of Creation.

Questions 

Do you have more than head knowledge about God and His way to live? Do you do more than agree that’s how things are or should be? Do you trust and obey Him to handle problems in your life?

Can you get away from churchy, denominational – even non- denominational – thinking and follow what King Jesus is doing these days?