"If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?"

  - John 3.12

The disposition of the universe must be understood in two aspects, namely in relation to God and in relation to things, that is to the Creator and to creation.

  - Anonymous, Liber de Ordine Creaturarum (Irish, 7th century)

It is increasingly clear that the faith which many American Christians hold is something less than real. I don't mean to suggest that anyone claiming to believe in Jesus is not saved. "Real" relates to everyday experience - our engagement with the "real world" of people, things, work, culture, and the rest. For many, perhaps even most, American Christians, their faith does not appear to be real in this respect. That is, it wields no practical impact on everyday American life - theirs, or anyone else's.

Why is this? Why is the true - as far as it goes - faith of American Christians not real?

It is because many American Christians are failing to look at their world in the manner prescribed by our anonymous Irish author. The world and our lives in it are only properly understood, addressed, and lived when seen as through a kind of spiritual Viewmaster (remember those childhood favorite Christmas gifts?). One eye focuses on the things and people and circumstances of everyday life, and the other eye focuses on Christ exalted and His Word and promises. Together, both eyes allow us to see the world as it "really" is and to engage it appropriately.

We will only have a faith that is real, that really makes an impact on the reality of our everyday lives, when we approach our lives, every moment of them, in this way.

Francis Schaeffer was once asked about why the faith seemed "unreal" to so many Christians. He responded by saying that our faith ceases to be real because, "while we say we believe one thing, we allow the spirit of the naturalism of the age to creep into our thinking, unrecognized."

This, I submit, is precisely where most Christians live. They believe in Jesus - they really do. But their outlook on everyday life, culture, politics, relationships, roles, responsibilities, work, time, and all the rest - all this is shaped and formed and guided more by the spirit of "naturalism" which dominates the intellectual atmosphere of the day. We believe in Jesus, but we live like pagans, trying our best to "be good" without really allowing the Creator to speak or live through us into our everyday experience in His creation.

Is this how you live? Are you snared in secularism, even as you belt out those favorite Christmas carols with true joy and thanksgiving?

You will continue to be a slave to the naturalism of the age until you begin to allow Jesus to speak heavenly things for your daily life in the world. And as long as you are a slave to this world's secular agenda and protocols, you will never know the reality of the Christian faith.

It takes two good eyes to see this world aright. And they need to be seeing it together at all times, in every situation. Otherwise, your faith, while true, perhaps, will never be real.

T. M. Moore, Principal

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Pastors: Last call to enroll in the course, Taking Up the Challenge of Evangelism. Tuition is free and you will learn how to equip your entire congregation for the work of making God's Good News known. We're also still registering individuals for the course, Spiritual Maturity 1: Revival, which can help you learn how to see the world with both eyes at the same time. Check out The Ailbe Seminary for more information or to register for these free online offerings. And if you need a Christmas suggestion to strengthen a fellow believer's walk with the Lord, we suggest T. M.'s latest book, Satan Bound: A Theology of Evil. Learn to resist the devil. It will be good for you.