Foxhole Faith Is Not True Faith
THE Supreme Being and Creator of the universe has given us ample basis for faith in him. All about us we see in nature, animate and inanimate, stellar and mundane, and as revealed by the telescope and microscope, eloquent, irrefutable evidence that God does indeed exist. And in his Word, the Bible, he reveals still more clearly not only his attributes of love, justice, wisdom and power, but also his name, Jehovah, his purpose to vindicate his supremacy by means of his kingdom, and what he requires of us.
Jehovah’s primary requirement regarding us is that we exercise faith in him, for “without faith it is impossible to win his good pleasure, for he that approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.” (Heb. 11:6, NW) What does it mean to have faith? On February 7, 1954, the president of the United States appeared on a “Back to God” radio and TV program sponsored by war veterans. In his remarks President Eisenhower stressed the importance of faith, and among other things said: “Now to me it is not strange that ex-soldiers should sponsor such an idea. In battle they learned a great truth—that there are no atheists in the foxholes. They know that in time of test or trial we instinctively turn to God for new courage and peace of mind.”
Whether Communist troops of Russia, Communist China and other godless lands cease being atheists when they enter the foxholes or not could hardly be dogmatically stated. But even more open to question is whether one’s “instinctively” turning to God when in a foxhole can be termed an act of faith. What happens to this faith when he gets out of the foxhole and returns home? Has the world more and better Christians after wars? Is it not merely a case of a drowning man grasping at a straw? He does not have faith in the straw but in desperation grasps at it because no other help is available.
Soldiers who all their lives, whether as civilians or in uniform, give God little thought cannot be said to be exercising faith when they appeal to God for help because of being under enemy fire. That is why there is no proof that God answers prayers made under such conditions. To use another illustration, Jehovah God did not purpose that faith should merely be a convenient fire escape, to be used in times of emergencies when no other avenue of escape is available.
In fact, time and again God makes clear that he has no use for such kind of faith. When the Israelites apostatized and as a result were allowed to be taken captive, they called to God to free them. They were in foxholes, as it were. But did he appreciate their calling upon him then? Not at all! Note what he told them through his prophet: “Go and call for aid to the gods whom you have chosen. Let them be the ones to save you in the time of your distress.” (Judg. 10:14, NW) The same point is made by the wise man at Proverbs 1:28-30.
No question about it, the faith that wins God’s good pleasure is not the kind that merely manifests itself in times of stress. It is not a matter of being a Christian only when in trouble or when wanting something from God. We prove our faith by our works, not merely by our words, and prayers are at best only words. We must have works that are in harmony with God’s righteous requirements; such as making over our personalities by means of the truth and keeping separate from the world. (Eph. 4:22; Jas. 4:4, NW) And especially as Christians we must do the works for which Jesus Christ primarily came to earth, bring honor to Jehovah’s name and bear witness to the truth, which at the present time means preaching the good news of God’s established kingdom.—John 17:4; 18:37; Matt. 24:14.