The chair analogy

I heard this analogy last week. It originates from John MacArthur and my paraphrase of the analogy goes like this:

The question is about putting your faith in Jesus. What does it mean, what is it like? This question seems simple to the average christian, even to non-believers who know a thing or three about Christianity. Lets look at Jesus like we do a chair, for a minute. (Here, John MacArthur is up at the pulpit with a guest staring at a chair).

Is it a chair? Yes. Are you sure? Yes.

Will that chair support you if you sit in it? After a bit of inspection, our participant declares with confidence "Yes". Are you certain? Will you declare it to the audience? Absolutely. This chair will support me.

So, here's the deal. Putting your faith in the Christ is the analogy for putting your trust in the chair. You can believe it's a chair. You can believe it will support you - you can even declare it aloud. That does not mean you have put your trust in the chair.

Here, the bible speaks loudly and clearly: "You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear." James 2:19

The analogy is complete once you sit down in the chair. You can trust the chair and not put your trust in the chair. You can have faith in Jesus but not put your faith in Jesus.

So the necessary conclusion is would be to explain what that looks like. My suggestion is to read. Read the book of James. Read the Gospel of Matthew. Good sermon, blog and study sources are at www.desiringgod.org (the ministry of John Piper), www.Ligonier.org (the ministry of R.C. Sproul), and the afore-mentioned John MacArthur at www.gty.org. Before you do any of that, pray. Petition God himself! Ask him - I've been willing to beg him - for the insight and wisdom only He can inpart.

Help (me) to know You, Lord. You say Demons declare your power and station - I don't want to be lost with the demons. Help me to know what it means to put my faith IN YOU. You have called for such a thing, help me to achieve it!

Know that he will answer that prayer. Philippians 1:6 says this: "I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." I can say with confidence that if you really desire to know the real God, that work has really begun.