FAITH, WHAT IS IT?
WHAT IS THIS FAITH concerning which it is said, "By grace
are ye saved, through faith?" There are many descriptions of
faith; but almost all the definitions I have met with have made
me understand it less than I did before I saw them. The Negro
said, when he read the chapter, that he would confound it; and it
is very likely that he did so, though he meant to expound it. We
may explain faith till nobody understands it. I hope I shall not
be guilty of that fault. Faith is the simplest of all things, and
perhaps because of its simplicity it is the more difficult to
explain.
What is faith? It is made up of three things--knowledge,
belief, and trust. Knowledge comes first. "How shall they believe
in him of whom they have not heard?" I want to be informed of a
fact before I can possibly believe it. "Faith cometh by hearing";
we must first hear, in order that we may know what is to be
believed. "They that know thy name shall put their trust in
thee." A measure of knowledge is essential to faith; hence the
importance of getting knowledge. "Incline your ear, and come unto
me; hear, and your soul shall live." Such was the word of the
ancient prophet, and it is the word of the gospel still. Search
the Scriptures and learn what the Holy Spirit teacheth concerning
Christ and His salvation. Seek to know God: "For he that cometh
to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them
that diligently seek him." May the Holy Spirit give you the
spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord! Know the
gospel: know what the good news is, how it talks of free
forgiveness, and of change of heart, of adoption into the family
of God, and of countless other blessings. Know especially Christ
Jesus the Son of God, the Saviour of men, united to us by His
human nature, and yet one with God; and thus able to act as
Mediator between God and man, able to lay His hand upon both, and
to be the connecting link between the sinner and the Judge of all
the earth. Endeavour to know more and more of Christ Jesus.
Endeavour especially to know the doctrine of the sacrifice of
Christ; for the point upon which saving faith mainly fixes itself
is this--"God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them." Know that Jesus was
"made a curse for us, as it is written, Cursed is every one that
hangeth on a tree." Drink deep of the doctrine of the
substitutionary work of Christ; for therein lies the sweetest
possible comfort to the guilty sons of men, since the Lord "made
him to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him." Faith begins with knowledge.
The mind goes on to believe that these things are true. The
soul believes that God is, and that He hears the cries of sincere
hearts; that the gospel is from God; that justification by faith
is the grand truth which God hath revealed in these last days by
His Spirit more clearly than before. Then the heart believes that
Jesus is verily and in truth our God and Saviour, the Redeemer of
men, the Prophet, Priest, and King of His people. All this is
accepted as sure truth, not to be called in question. I pray that
you may at once come to this. Get firmly to believe that "the
blood of Jesus Christ, God's dear Son, cleanseth us from all
sin"; that His sacrifice is complete and fully accepted of God on
man's behalf, so that he that believeth on Jesus is not
condemned. Believe these truths as you believe any other
statements; for the difference between common faith and saving
faith lies mainly in the subjects upon which it is exercised.
Believe the witness of God just as you believe the testimony of
your own father or friend. "If we receive the witness of men, the
witness of God is greater."
So far you have made an advance toward faith; only one more
ingredient is needed to complete it, which is trust. Commit
yourself to the merciful God; rest your hope on the gracious
gospel; trust your soul on the dying and living Saviour; wash
away your sins in the atoning blood; accept His perfect
righteousness, and all is well. Trust is the lifeblood of faith;
there is no saving faith without it. The Puritans were accustomed
to explain faith by the word "recumbency." It meant leaning upon
a thing. Lean with all your weight upon Christ. It would be a
better illustration still if I said, fall at full length, and lie
on the Rock of Ages. Cast yourself upon Jesus; rest in Him;
commit yourself to Him. That done, you have exercised saving
faith. Faith is not a blind thing; for faith begins with
knowledge. It is not a speculative thing; for faith believes
facts of which it is sure. It is not an unpractical, dreamy
thing; for faith trusts, and stakes its destiny upon the truth of
revelation. That is one way of describing what faith is.
Let me try again. Faith is believing that Christ is what He
is said to be, and that He will do what He has promised to do,
and then to expect this of Him. The Scriptures speak of Jesus
Christ as being God, God is human flesh; as being perfect in His
character; as being made of a sin-offering on our behalf; as
bearing our sins in His own body on the tree. The Scripture
speaks of Him as having finished transgression, made an end of
sin, and brought in everlasting righteousness. The sacred records
further tell us that He "rose again from the dead," that He "ever
liveth to make intercession for us," that He has gone up into the
glory, and has taken possession of Heaven on the behalf of His
people, and that He will shortly come again "to judge the world
in righteousness, and his people with equity." We are most firmly
to believe that it is even so; for this is the testimony of God
the Father when He said, "This is my beloved Son; hear ye him."
This also is testified by God the Holy Spirit; for the Spirit has
borne witness to Christ, both in the inspired Word and by divers
miracles, and by His working in the hearts of men. We are to
believe this testimony to be true.
Faith also believes that Christ will do what He has
promised; that since He has promised to cast out none that come
to Him, it is certain that He will not cast us out if we come to
Him. Faith believes that since Jesus said, "The water that I
shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into
everasting life, it must be true; and if we get this living Water
from Christ it will abide in us, and will well up within us in
streams of holy life. Whatever Christ has promised to do He will
do, and we must believe this, so as to look for pardon,
justification, preservation, and eternal glory from His hands,
according as He has promised them to believers in Him.
Then comes the next necessary step. Jesus is what He is said
to be, Jesus will do what He says He will do; therefore we must
each one trust Him, saying, "He will be to me what He says He is,
and He will do to me what He has promised to do; I leave myself
in the hands of Him who is appointed to save, that He may save
me. I rest upon His promise that He will do even as He has said."
This is a saving faith, and he that hath it hath everlasting
life. Whatever his dangers and difficulties, whatever his
darkness and depression, whatever his infirmities and sins, he
that believeth thus on Christ Jesus is not condemned, and shall
never come into condemnation.
May that explanation be of some service! I trust it may be
used by the Spirit of God to direct my reader into immediate
peace. "Be not afraid; only believe." Trust, and be at rest.
My fear is lest the reader should rest content with
understanding what is to be done, and yet never do it. Better the
poorest real faith actually at work, than the best ideal of it
left in the region of speculation. The great matter is to believe
on the Lord Jesus at once. Never mind distinctions and
definitions. A hungry man eats though he does not understand the
composition of his food, the anatomy of his mouth, or the process
of digestion: he lives because he eats. Another far more clever
person understands thoroughly the science of nutrition; but if he
does not eat he will die, with all his knowledge. There are, no
doubt, many at this hour in Hell who understood the doctrine of
faith, but did not believe. On the other hand, not one who has
trusted in the Lord Jesus has ever been cast out, though he may
never have been able intelligently to define his faith. Oh dear
reader, receive the Lord Jesus into your soul, and you shall live
forever! "He that believeth in Him hath everlasting life."