The Faith Conundrum

Ask any Christian why they believe and you'll get a reason. Ask any Christian why they originally believed, and you'll often get a different answer. This is key to Christianities survival, it's hard to hit a moving target.

Salvation, aka rebirth, is a gift from God. On the one hand, salvation is an unearned gift (i.e. "not of works") "lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8. But, on the other hand, one must "work out [their] own salvation with fear and trembling." Phillipians 2:12. In Ephesians God delivers his 'gift' (i.e., the one you work out with "fear and trembling") using the vehicle of faith. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1. So faith is apparently some sort of 'substance' that God employs so people can believe in him. Additionally, it's "impossible to please God without faith." The person who "comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (whew, sounds like work). Hebrews 11:6. "Rewards" that one diligently works to get from God, however, are evidence that God is, thus giving one reason to believe. Reason supplants faith thereby making it impossible to please God.