First-Hand or Second-Hand Faith

Walking on the small circular path near my house, I had my earbuds in, listening to an audiobook, with the sun on my back and the smell of freshly cut grass bringing my senses to life. I like listening to audiobooks as I walk because I don't have as many distractions or mental bunny trails as I would listening to them at home. It allows me to grow in my faith while being in my Father's creation.

Just as my feet started to get into the familiar rhythm, I paused when I heard the term "second-hand Christian" for the first time. I thought over that term and started thinking about the truth within it. I pressed play and listened a few minutes longer to absorb what was being said before taking my earbuds out and mulling these thoughts over for the rest of my walk.

So, what is a second-hand Christian? A second-hand Christian is a proclaiming believer in Jesus that only has a relationship with Christ through their pastor, books or online sermons (basically any way of being taught the Bible that is not from the book itself). Their only relationship with their creator is through others! Wow.

I know in my life, there are times when I become a second-hand Christian. I lack time with my Lord and Saviour and only learn when I go to church or read a book (not the Bible). Thankfully, I haven't been in this state for quite a long time, but having been there before, I know how easy it is to slip into this dependence on others for my faith than going straight to the source itself!

It's like hearing about this guy named "Jim" from all your friends. You've never met him for yourself, but you know all these remarkable stories about him. You may know how old Jim is, what he does for work and that weird story about him from college, but do you actually know him? When you finally meet Jim, do you have any relationship with him? No! You need to spend time with him and create your own experiences together to have a relationship with him. You need to talk, share, and reveal your personality and learn about theirs. For him to be YOUR friend, you need to actually be in contact with him, not just learn about him. The same goes for God. We cannot have a relationship with him through other people. Learning about God on Sunday morning is not enough. You can know all you want about God and not be saved. You need to spend time with him. You need to know who He is for yourself.

If I was not in the word and in constant "first-hand" contact with my Lord and Saviour, how would I have confidence in who He is? How would I be able to introduce Him to others if I, myself, do not know who he is? Would I be able to recognize Him if he showed up?

The Bible tells us to test the spirits (1 John 4:1-6) and to watch out for false prophets (Deuteronomy 18:20; Jeremiah 23:16; Matthew 24:24; Acts 20:28-30). How are we supposed to find the imposters if we don't know who the real God is in the first place? The less time you spend in a FIRST-HAND relationship with God, the easier it is for you to be deceived.

So, after all this, I want you to genuinely ask yourself, are you a first-hand believer or a second-hand one? Do you know your Saviour personally or know about Him?

So how do we get to know God first-hand? Pray and read your Bible. God's word (the Bible) is His truth, and it is living. He speaks through the Bible, convicts, and teaches us about who He is. When we read the word of God, He can speak to us through it and show us more about who He is than any sermon will ever tell us. When we pray, we let Him get to know us. When we are still and know He is God, He can speak in those quiet moments. When we remove the distractions of this world (a whole conversation of its own), we can more clearly hear Him and be in that genuine relationship with Him.

If you have any questions or concerns or want to learn more about who God is before starting your personal journey with Him, please feel free to message me, your local church, or any other Christian you know!