One of the great daredevils of history was named "Blondin". His real name was Jean Fracois Gravelet. His stage was Niagara Falls. His specialty was tightrope walking. He came to America at the age of 31 and was sponsored by P.T. Barnum. His first trip across Niagara was on June 30, 1859 and "for the rest of the fabulous summer of 1859 he continued to provide thrills for the huge crowds that flocked to Niagara to see him perform. Never content merely to repeat his last performance, Blondin crossed his rope on a bicycle, walked it blindfolded, pushed a wheelbarrow, cooked an omelet in the center and make the trip with his hands and feet manacled." Blondin died at the age of 73 in England, "an ending that few who watched his stunts at Niagara would have thought likely."

Blondin's craft at entertaining hundreds of thousands on the shores of the great Niagara helps clarify what it really means to "have faith." Have you heard the words or has someone say to you, "Just have faith!" After one of Blondin's crossings of the Niagara River on a tightrope, he asked the crowd which was assembled on the opposite shore if they believed whether he could again cross the river pushing a wheelbarrow. Of course the crowds cheered Blondin on to do exactly that. They cheered him on saying, "We believe you can, Blondin!" Blondin returned to the original side pushing a wheelbarrow. After reaching the original shore, Blondin again challenged the crowd by asking them if they believed that he could cross the mighty Niagara pushing a wheelbarrow but this time with someone in it. The crowds again shouted out their confidence in his ability to do exactly that. "We believe you can!", were the words shouted by thousands. Their words of support came from a desire to be thrilled by yet another amazing feat or courage and danger. Blondin looked at the vocally boisterous and confident crowd and asked them, "Who is it that would like to get in?"

Of course the words of Blondin quickly calmed the shouts and cheers of the crowd. You see, Blondin understood that it was one thing to say that someone believed that he could cross the falls pushing a wheelbarrow occupied by a person and it was another thing to be that confident individual who would get in.. It was one thing to shouted out words of indisputable support and another thing to place himself in the hands of Blondin. The result was that no one stepped forward to be that individual who would place themselves in Blondin's wheelbarrow.

The historical stunts of Blondin help us understand what it means to have "faith". First of all, faith is not mere intellectual assent. If anyone in the crowd truly believe that Blondin could cross the raging Niagara with someone in the wheelbarrow, he or she would have volunteered to ride along. "Faith" always means that we are really trusting someone or something. "Faith" is more than the words of mental assent as the words that were shouted by the crowds lining the shores of Niagara. To say, "We believe" means that we believe not only with our head, but with our heart and our wills. Faith means that we believe that God can do what He has said and that we believe it so thoroughly that we are willing to fully act upon it. Faith does not mean that we believe God can do it, but that God can do it with us in that "wheelbarrow".

Second, "faith" must always be "in" something. When we say, "We believe" or "We have faith", we are saying that we have faith in someone or something. Faith can be in a person's ability or work. Therefore, we trust a mechanic's ability to repair our car or appliance. Faith can be in a promise. Therefore, we count on a person being where he or she said they would be because we have faith in them. Faith can be in an object. Therefore, we fully relax in that chair which we trust will hold us. Whatever the object of our faith, it is always in someone or something. If one would have volunteered to get into Blondin's wheelbarrow, he or she would have been trusting in Blondin and in his promise that he could get us across that mighty chasm.

A Bible Christian is an individual who has faith in Jesus. However, a Christian has a faith that is more than mere intellectual assent. A Christian is an individual who has decided to trust Jesus with his or her soul. Jesus has promised to get us to the Father if we will honestly believe that He died for our sins on Calvary. If you are truly trusting Jesus you are willing to put yourself in the hands of Jesus, believing that he has all that you need to get you to the Father. If you are truly trusting Jesus you believe in what He has done for you on Calvary with your mind, but also with your heart and your will.

A Bible Christian is also someone who is trusting in something that Jesus has promised and done. Jesus died on Calvary for us as sinner and He has promised that all who would believe that His death paid for their sins would be given a place in heaven. Don't trust that belonging to a particular denomination or engaging in a specific ritual will get you to the Father. Trust what Jesus has done and what He has promised.

", remember that famous tightrope walker, Blondin. For faith in Jesus means that we believe in what He has said and that we believe that He really can do what He has promised.