Every day I make decisions that concern matters of my faith in Jesus just like many of Jesus’s followers (1). Interesting is that we have many different ideas on how to express and exercise our Christian faith. Put 100 Christians in one room to discuss matters of faith on a particular subject and they will express 157.54 different ideas.
What is faith? Faith is being sure of what I hope for and certain of unseen things (Heb. 11:1). Unseen things are hard if not impossible to define and explain. A decision of faith is thus based on what I believe Jesus taught.
Faith and decisions of faith are not simply a matter of yes and no, nor just do or don’t. Can I eat meat? Or should I only eat vegetables (2)? Should I observe every Passover in Jerusalem according to the Law? Should I go to church on Saturday (Sabbath) or is going Sunday acceptable (5)? Should I run for my life, or should I make a stand of faith and possibly die (7). Should I get a vaccine or not? Should I become a monk, pastor, priest, or remain a layman?
Not everyone has the same degree of faith, just like not everyone has the same degree of love and hope (1). Faith is a verb more than a noun just as love and hope are. Faith is like my muscles. Exercise and eat right and my muscles grow. Thus is it with faith. This is the reason we Christians have such varying degrees of decisions of faith.
God accepts and welcomes any degree of faith (3). I must accept this. Acceptance includes no judgment of others. No judgment means that I cannot criticize (4, 10). They, like me, will give an account to Jesus for the decisions made (12). They don’t have to give an account to me just as I don’t have to give an account to them.