Living Faith

What is faith? When asked this question we often are given the answer written in Hebrews 11:1,
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” While thèse words have been committed to memory, have we taken time to really consider the true meaning of this word – Faith?

In the Christian world there is much talk about faith. Unfortunately they have a completely unbalanced view of faith. They talk about faith to the extent that they say works are nonessential as far as salvation is concerned. There is no law to keep, only believe and your faith will bring you salvation. We need a balanced view of faith; living faith.

DEGREES OF FAITH

Faith is an absolute necessity as far as salvation is concerned. “For without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Heb. 11:6.

There is more to faith, than simply believing. While the wicked have no faith, some are weak in faith. “Then if God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?” Luke 12:28. Some are weak in faith, “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, ..” Romans 14:1.

And we are not to deride those who are weaker than us in faith. We are counseled to help them.To have passive faith is not enough. You need a strong faith. There are differing degrees of faith. Everyone is on a different rung on the ladder of life, but we must ail be advancing upward or then we are falling backwards. We must daily be increasing in our faith. “And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” Luke 17:5. The faith we have today should be stronger than the faith we had yesterday. However it is not enough for the trials of tomorrow. The faith we have today is defïnitely not strong enough to stand the tests and trials of the final conflict on this earth: Sunday law, Jacob’s Trouble, Death decree, etc.

We must pray for one another that our faith will not fail in the coming crisis as Jesus prayed for Peter, “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not:” Luke 22:32. If we are not daily increasing in faith, our faith will most surely fail us at that time. It is by faith alone in the blood that Jesus shed for us that will bring us forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation. “It is faith that connects us with heaven and brings us strength for coping with the powers of darkness. In Christ, God has provided means for subduing every evil trait and resisting every temptation, however strong. But many feel that they lack faith, and therefore remain away from Christ.

Let thèse soûls, in their helpless unworthiness, cast themselves upon the rnercy of their compassionate Saviour. Look not to self, but to Christ. He who healed the sick and cast out demons when He walked among men is still the same mighty Redeemer. Then grasp His promises as leaves from the tree of life: “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37. As you corne to Him, believe that He accepts you, because He has promised. You can never perish while you do this – never.” MH, p. 66.

FAITH IS A GIFT

Faith is not something that we manufacture ourselves. It is not something in ourselves that we exercise, prompting the Lord to help us. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Eph. 2:8. While faith is a gift, it is ours if we ask for it. The Lord gives us faith initially when we ask.

Afterwards it is ours to exercise so that our faith will strengthen and increase.
Our faith is shown by our works. If we say we love someone we will do what we can to bring them happiness. We will gladly serve them and do special things for them without being asked, and the chores will be pleasant because we are doing them for the one we love. James makes it clear that faith without works is dead. “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone.” James 2:17.

Most of the Christian world today has a false idea of faith. It is not living and active faith. They do not believe that their works show their faith. Satan and his angels have this kind of faith. “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” James 2:19. They believe in much the same manner that false Christianity believes. There is no action in their belief. True faith will spring into action when the love of Christ is planted in the heart. We must always rernember that it is faith that justifies – not works.

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Gai. 2:16.

We must have a clear understanding of the connection between faith and works. When we do, we will be alive in Christ. True faith in Christ will produce a living Christian, one that is connected to the living Vine.

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with ail saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and beight; And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be fïlled with ail the fulness of God.” Eph. 3:17-19. Faith makes Christ’s presence a reality. “Not even by a thought did He yield to temptation. So it may be with us.

Christ’s humanity was united with divinity; He was fïtted for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And he came to make us partakers of the divine nature. So long as we are united to Him by faith, sin bas no more dominion over us. God reaches for the hand of faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character.” DA, p. 123.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Gai. 2:20. The Christian life is a life of faith. “To eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ is to receive Him as a personal Saviour, believing that He forgives our sins, and that we are complète in Him. It is by beholding His love, by dwelling upon it, by drinking it in, that we are to become partakers of His nature. What food is to the body, Christ must be to the soûl. Food cannot benefit us unless we eat it, unless it becomes a part of our being. So Christ is of no value to us if we do not know Him as a personal Saviour. A theoretical knowledge wiil do us no good. We must feed upon Him, receive Him into the heart, so that His life becomes our life. His love, His grace must be assimilated.

“But even thèse figures fail to present the privilège of the believer’s relation to Christ. Jesus said, “As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by me.” As the Son of God lived by faith in the Father, so are we to live by faith in Christ. So fully was Jesus surrendered to the will of God that the Father alone appeared in His life. Although tempted in ail points like as we are, He stood before the world untainted by the evil that surrounded Him. Thus we also are to overcome as Christ overcame.” DA, p. 389.

EXAMPLES OF FAITH THAT WORKS

Woman with issue of blood: When Jesus was on the earth, there came a woman having an issue of blood for twelve years. She suffered immensely for ail thèse years. I am sure she often thought that God was punishing her, since that is what the Pharisees were teaching in the days of Christ. They said, ail suffering is a direct resuit of sin in a person’s life.

Their religion offered no hope or comfort to this poor woman. She was living a hopeless existence until she heard of the teaching and miracles of Jesus. Hope sprang into her heart and she knew that Jesus could offer her the hope that the Pharisees in their religion could not. Thus she came quietly to Jesus and touched the hem of his garment. This touch of faith brought her healing from twelve years of suffering. “The wondering crowd that pressed close about Christ realized no accession of vital power.

But when the suffering woman put forth her hand to touch Him, believing that she would be made whole, she felt the healing virtue. So in spiritual things. To talk of religion in a casual way, to pray without soûl hunger and living faith in Christ, which accepts Him merely as the Savior of the world, can never bring healing to the soûl. The faith that is unto salvation is not a mère intellectual assent to the truth. He who waits for entire knowledge before he will exercise faith cannot receive blessing from God. It is not enough to believe about Christ; we must believe in Him. The only faith that wilî benefit us is that which embraces Him as a personal Saviour; which appropriates his merits to ourselves. Many hold faith as an opinion. Saving faith is a transaction by which those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God. Genuine faith is îife. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which the soûl becomes a conquering power.” DA, p. 347.

“Hère is distinguished the casual contact from the touch of faith. Prayer and preaching, without the exercise of living faith in God, wiîl be in vain. But the touch of faith opens to us the divine treasure house of power and wisdom; and thus, through instruments of clay, God accomplishes the wonders of His grace.

“This living faith is our great need today. We must know that Jesus is indeed ours, that His spirit is purifying and refining our hearts. Ifthe ministers of Christ had genuine faith, with meekness and love, what a work they might accomplish! What fruits would be seen to the glory of God!” T5, p. 228.

“There is a wide difference between a pretended union and a real connection with Christ by faith. A profession of that truth places men in the church, but this does not prove that they have a vital connection with the living Vine. A rule is given by which the true disciples may be distinguished from those who claim to follow Christ but have no faith in Him. The one class are fruit bearing, the other, fruitless. The one are often subjected to the pruning knife of God that they may bring forth more fruit; the other, as withered branches, are erelong to be severed from the living Vine.” T5, p. 228.

On the sea of Galilee: When Jesus was crossing the Sea of Galilee with the disciples one night, He fell asleep. He was thoroughly exhausted from the days’ labour. Suddenly a storm came up and the disciples became frantic, fearing for their lives. It was then that they remembered Jesus. Upon fmding Him sleeping they woke him up and explained to Him their plight. Jesus did not rebuke them, He simply calmed the storm and sadly asked them, “Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?” Mark 4:40. Thèse disciples were followers of Christ. They spent almost every waking minute with their Master while He was on this earth during His three and a half years of ministry, and hère we see Jesus telling them
they have “no faith.” Is it possible today that some who claim to be followers of Christ and may even be church members have no faith? They may claim to have faith, but do they really have living faith? It is time for us to examine our own hearts and see how strong our faith is. Is our faith shown by our actions? Do we turn to Jesus at every crisis point in our lives, trusting that He has matters “As Jesus rested by faith in the Father’s care, so we are to rest in the care of our Saviour. If the disciples had trusted in Him, they would have been kept in peace. Their fear in the time of danger revealed their unbelief. In their efforts to save themselves, they forgot Jesus; and it was only when, in despair of selfdependence, they turned to Him that He could give them help. How often the disciples’ experience is ours! When the tempests of temptation gather, and the fierce lightnings flash, and the waves sweep over us, we battle with the storm alone, forgetting that there is One who can help us. We trust to our own strength till our hope is lost, and we are ready to perish. Then we remember Jesus, and if we call upon Him to save us, we shall not cry in vain. Though He sorrowfully reproves our unbelief and selfconfidence, He never fails to give us the help we need. Whether on the land or on the sea, if we have the Saviour in our hearts, there is no need of fear. Living faith in the Redeemer will smooth the sea of life, and will deliver us from danger in the way that He knows to be best.” DA, p. 336.

Pool of Bethesda: One Sabbath day, Jesus went to the Pool of Bethesda where He found a man who had been sick for 3g, years. (John 5:2-9). Jesus simply asked the man if he wanted to be cured. Yes, the man certainly did, but there was no one to help him when the waters were troubled in the pool. Jesus looked at him in pity and simply said, “Rise, take up they bed, and walk.” V.8. “Jesus had given him no assurance of divine help. The man may have stopped to doubt, and lost his one chance of healing. But he believed Christ’s word, and in acting upon it he received strength.” This
man did not hesitate. He had faith in Jesus. As soon as Jesus said thèse words, he knew them to be true and under His control?

he acted on this belief. “Through the same faith we may receive spiritual healing. By sin we have been severed from the life of God. Our soûls are palsied. Of ourselves we are no more capable of living a holy life than was the impotent man capable of walking.

There are many who realize their helplessness, and who long for that spiritual life which wiil bring them into harmony with God; they are vainly striving to obtain it. In despair they cry, ‘O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death?’ Rom. 7:24, margin. Let thèse desponding struggling ones look up. The Saviour is bending over the purchase of His blood, saying with inexpressible tenderness and pity, ‘Wilt thou be made whole?’ He bids you arise in health and peace. Do not wait until you feel that you are made whole. Believe His word, and it will be fulfïlled. Put your will on the side of Christ. Will to serve Him, and in acting upon His word you will receive strength. Whatever may be the evil practice, the master passion which through long indulgence binds both soûl and body, Christ is able and longs to deliver. He will impart life to the soûl that is ‘dead in trespasses.’ Eph. 2:1. He will set free the captive that is held by weakness and misfortune and the chains of sin.” DA, p. 203.

TODAY

Our duty today is to be constantly increasing in faith in preparation for tomorrow’s trials. Our faith is made perfect by our works. “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” James 2:22.

Some people are very negative Christians. They only believe and have faith after they see the answer to their prayers. They do not pray in faith believing that God hears immediately as they pray. Often this leads to discouragement and fear that God has left them oecause they do not reseive immediate answers. Their faith is based on sight. as was that of Thomas. “Jesus sailli nnto him, Thomas because thon hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have betieved.” John 20:29. Our faith nuist ne based on the sure promises of God in His Word, not upon sight. When \ve see ansvvers to our prayers, it is simpiy a confirmation of the faith vve already have.

“The habit of brooding over anticipated evils is unwise and unchristian. In thus doing vve fail to enjoy the blessings and to improve the opportunities of the present. The Lord requires us to perform the duties of today and endure its trials. We are today to watch that we offend not in \vord or deed. We must today praise and honor God. By the exercise of iivmg faith today we are to conquer the enemy. We must today seek God and be detennined that we will not rest satisfied without His presence. We should watch and \vork and pray as though this were the last day that would be granted us. How intensely earnest, then, would be our life. How closely would we follow Jesus in ail our words and deed.” T5, p. 200.

We need greater faith. We should have a fui 1er sense of God’s relationship to those whom He has purchased with the blood of His only-begotten Son. We should exercise faith in the onward progress of the work of the kingdom of God.” T6, p. 466.

When the Loixl gives us a lask to do, or has a place for us to travel, we are not to question, “Do I have enough money? Will everything be provided for’.'” etc. Thèse are details that will be taken care of by the Lord. AU we have to do is to go forward by faith. Sometimes it may seem like an impossible task that the Lord has given us. hovvever we must continue to go by faith, believmg that if the Lord asked us to go ahcad and do something, He will most certainly open the doors and remove the obstacles vvhen we pray in faith. He will provide.

This principle also holds true with church projects. When the Lord directs in a new area or, requires a certain project to be done, we are not to give up due to lack of rneans. It is important to step forward by faith. It is only work by faith that will be effective. If we do not step forward by faith, trusting the Lord to provide, the work will not go forward. Instead it will go backwards. The Lord will not remove every obstacle until vve have put our foot forward and stepped ont by faith. The Lord is never lacking in means to provide for His work. It is us who often lack the faith that He will provide. We are trusting too much on sight – the sight of what we presently possess in the way of material goods or finances in the bank. The Lord’s treasury goes far beyond our human sight.

”Let us waste no time in deplonng the scantiness of our visible resources, but let us make the best use of what vve have. Though the outward appearance: may be unpromising, energy and trust in God will develop resources. Let us send in our offerings with thanksgiving and with prayer that the Lord will Mess the gifts and muitiply them as He did the food given to the five thousand. If we use the very best facilities we have, the power of God will enable us to reach the multitudes that are starving for the breacl of life.” T6, p. 466, 467.

Our faith today must be living and active if vve ever hope to continue in the faith during the final crisis. It is not enough only to keep the commandments, we need also the faith of Jesus and the faith of Jesus is a living faith. May we ali have this kind of faith is my prayer.
AMEN

Wendy Eaton.