Faith and a desire for more.

Geerhardus Vos' Biblical Theology is a classic treatment of the subject from a Reformed perspective. I brought it with me on my two-week excursion out of DC and have been doing a balancing act, reading McCulloch's The Reformation alongside it. It's definitely an eye-opening work in many ways; Vos has a clear grasp of Scripture and a knack for perceptive analysis of the metanarrative of biblical revelation. While I was reading a little yesterday, sitting in the living room...or, as AJ's dad corrected me, the "family room"...I worked through a chapter on "Revelation in the Patriarchal Period". Here's a striking quote I found:

From Gen. 15 we learn that there was at one and the same time in Abraham a relatively mature faith, and an intense desire to have the insufficiency of his faith relieved by further assurance...There is fine psychological observation here. Faith and a desire for more faith frequently go hand in hand. The reason is that through faith we lay hold upon God, and in grasping the infinite object, the utter inadequacy of each single act of appropriation immediately reveals itself in the very act. It is the same in the Gospel: 'Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief' [Mark 9.24].

I think Vos accurately describes the experience of many a Christian; I can say at least that this has been true in my life and something I've observed in the lives of others. I do think there is something to be said about this mental posture of faith and a desire for more faith being the norm in a Christian life. Battling with indwelling sin, we should naturally see our trust in God as inadequate and pray for more.

I think we can also see this desire for more assurance tied in some measure to a desire to see God vindicated. We sing it in our hymns...

Soon shall close thy earthly mission,
Swift shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope shall change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

[Jesus, I my cross have taken]

Savior, take the power and glory,
Claim the kingdom for Thine own;
O come quickly! O come quickly! O come quickly!
Everlasting God, come down!

[Lo He comes on clouds descending]

I hope that my own desire for both more faith and a desire for Christ's vindication would be increasing daily, by God's grace.

General Updates:

• Going to a sushi joint with AJ and his dad for lunch and then playing a game of golf in the afternoon (Lord willing, I won't lose too many balls).
• Felt like I was backstage of a fashion show yesterday, trying on some of AJ's old clothes that he had outgrown to see if I wanted some hand-me-downs. I have a whole new wardrobe...don't worry, I rejected all the pink shirts. Maybe I'll start giving off a midwestern vibe?
• Watched Daybreakers with AJ and his dad last night. An interesting movie. I'd recommend it if you're just looking for something to entertain you. The plot wasn't too complex, but had a fascinating premise. Be warned, ending was disappointing.
• Congrats to Sophia (C3, Curtin) and Samuel (sammy, wammy, wamuel, wamsta) on their engagement!