Few people understand Christian faith more clearly than Sǿren 
Kierkegaard. Here is another section from his book, Judge For Yourself (pages 99-100 in the Hong, Princeton edition). A few words of explanation may help if you’ve never read Kierkegaard before.
Faith is risking the improbable because (a) it is impossible to prove empirically that you have truly encountered God, and (b) there is no measure of empirical probability that Jesus of Nazareth is God incarnate.
Thus, faith risks the improbable. A significant challenge for modern folks who insist on evidence.
Some people (Kierkegaard calls them lightweights) claim to venture the risk of faith, but only because they think that anything done “in faith” is guaranteed success; that is, success in earthly terms. Success as they define success.
Hear the faithful Dane speak to us today (emphasis is mine):
“Here is the infinite difference from the essentially Christian, since Christianly, indeed, even just religiously, the person who never relinquished probability never became involved with God. All religious, so say nothing of Christian, venturing is on the other side of probability, is by way of relinquishing probability.
“But then is the essentially Christian utter folly and are the sensible people right – it is intoxication? No! Admittedly many a one has thought that he was venturing Christianly when he ventured to relinquish probability, and it was pure and simple folly even according to the view of Christianity. Christianity has its own characteristic way of restraining…the point to check carefully here is to see whether the venturing actually is in reliance upon God.
“To connect God’s name with one’s wishes, cravings, and plans is easy, far too easy for the lightweights; but it does not follow that their venturing is in reliance upon God. No, in relinquishing probability in order to venture in reliance upon God, one must admit to oneself the implications of relinquishing probability – that when one then ventures it is just as possible, precisely just as possible, to fail as to succeed…That one ventures in reliance upon God provides no immediate certainty of success; the dubiousness in the lightweights’ venturing in reliance upon God lies precisely in their understanding this to mean that they must be victorious.. But this is not venturing in reliance upon God; this is taking God in vain.”
Entrusting our lives to Jesus Christ ensures a right relationship with our heavenly Father here and now. It also guarantees an eternity with Him in the world to come. But neither faith nor Jesus promise to give us whatever we hope and pray for, no matter how “faithful” our intentions or “glorious” we think it might be for God.
So, do we trust in Jesus and follow Him for his own sake? Or do we have ulterior motives?
