Understanding and Practising Christian Faith

By Joseph Ko Tee Hock

Sixty years ago, I accepted God’s call to Christianity and started my journey of learning and living what faith really is, and is not. “The most beautiful act of faith is the one made in darkness, in sacrifice and with extreme effort”. (St. Pio de Pietrelcina).
In the booklet, I share my learning experience of faith, in good and in bad times. The topics covered include:

• Understanding faith
• Why faith is important
• Obstacles to faith
• How to grow in faith
• Faith in times of trial, test, and tragedy

We all live in an increasingly secular and faithless world, with variable values and growing egoistic individualism. “… when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8).

Dr. Ko is an author, coach, and international consultant on human behaviour. While grounded in the sciences of economics, statistics, and management, his MA (Divinity) and PhD training attracted him to the spiritual life of prayer and praying. He teaches Philosophy, Psychology and Bible Studies in the Miri Diocesan Seminary, Malaysia and was also a volunteer tutor to Master Theological Students at Australia Catholic University.

“The fruit of silence is prayer. The fruit of prayer is faith. The fruit of faith is love. The fruit of love is service. The fruit of service is peace.” (St. Teresa of Calcutta)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joseph Ko Tee Hock
• Release date: Dec 25, 2019
• ISBN: 9788835346623

Book preview

(2009–2015)

PREFACE

Faith is to believe what you don’t see. The reward of this faith is to see what you believe.

~St. Augustine

Faith in Christianity is often understood and discussed in terms of believing in God’s existence and promises, trusting with confidence in His faithfulness, and relying on God’s character and faithfulness to act and grow. Objectively, faith is the sum of truths revealed by God in Sacred Scripture and the Apostolic Tradition; this Deposit of Faith is enshrined in the Creed of the Church. Subjectively, faith is demonstrated and integrated in the Christlike habits and virtues by which these truths are assented to and lived by. … religion is a life style … what I believe influences the way I live. (Joseph Cardinal Tobin).

This is further explained in John 1:4: In Him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The trust or confidence in the unseen reality of God is reflected in the Christian belief of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection based on the light of spiritual conviction rather than on the cold facts of science and experimental proof. In Lumen fidei or The Light of Faith (29 June 2013), the Encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis traces the faith history of the Church, relationship between reason and faith, church’s role in faith transmission, and faith’s role in building our society and common good.

Within the above context, this Booklet is written to share with believers and non-believers what faith is and is not. Since I am Catholic, this Booklet has a natural and inherent slant towards Catholicism. This should neither obscure nor dilute the underlying intent and explanation of the various aspects of Christian faith covered in this Booklet.

There are altogether five chapters in this Booklet. Chapter 1 introduces what faith is and is not, followed by biblical examples from Hebrews 11 on the Hall of faith. Chapter 2 focuses on why faith is important in our daily life, ranging from times in sadness and sufferings, to times when we need purpose of, and meaning for living. While faith is important in Christian living, there are numerous obstacles, barriers and challenges to the formation and growth of faith; these are explained in Chapter 3. For those who wish to grow in faith, Chapter 4 presents the Five C’s Model on how and when of each of the Cs … Conceive, Confidence, Commitment, Carry Out, and Continue … can help us progress to where we desire our faith to be. Chapter 5 has been specially presented on how faith, hope and love … together with the other cardinal virtues, can help and support us in times of trial, test, and tragedy.

In all the five chapters above, various biblical references and popular quotes and sayings have been included to clarify or further explain the text, including motivating and urging us on in the challenging journey of faith.

Important to note also is the use of various technical words and languages in the Booklet. This is inevitable, as the interdisciplinary topic of faith is philosophical, theological, and psychological in many interrelated aspects. This provides opportunity for learning something new, especially for those who are