In my beautiful Latin New Testament - a Christmas gift, really, from our Californian loved ones – Luke 2 begins with the fascinating words “Faktum est”, i.e. “The fact is…”.  In English it says, “And it came to pass…”

(I´m not good at Latin. Alas, I was extremely lazy in school when it came to Latin which as a boy I found boring).

I love those two words in Latin.   Why?  Well, what God´s people call facts far transcends what the world call facts which are often not facts at all.  The evolutionists claim their theories to be facts , but the contrary is the case.  They are but subtle lies.

God´s care for this sinful world by sending His son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is a fact.  The rebellion against God in our sinful nature is so great and suppressed by hatred that we in our blindness don´t care about that gospel fact.

However, “faktum est” – the gospel remains a fact.  His word is a fact.  Faith in His word is always something that happens. “It receives as real fact what is not revealed to the senses” (“The Amplified Bible” on Hebr.11:1).  Faith is fact in action.

Did you know that when you read the sentence in the prophets “The word of the Lord came to me…” the German Bible says, “The word of the Lord happened to me…”? (Das Wort des Herrn geschah zu mir…)  Fascinating, isn´t it?  That´s the kind of relationship we should have to the word of God.  Not a theological relationship only – but an experimental relationship where something happens in our experience as we receive it as real fact.

God´s people are “matter of fact” people.  The words coming out of your mouth are important.  Are they words of facts?  Sometimes they are not.  But as you share with others your own gospel testimony, you are communicating facts, not certain feelings, dreams, moods.  Your job as a soul winner is to help the anxious soul to rest on the rock of God´s word, not on feelings.

I asked a new convert after some time, “What has become most important to you as a new believer?”  His reply was,  “It was that night you emphasized what Jesus said, “It is written…It is written again…” (Mt. 4:4, 7).

For “faktum est” – it is a fact.

March 16, 2012 – jn