Faith and Presumption
When I was a small boy I used to visit my grand father. He mostly stayed seated in his sofa. When we would go near him and greet him, right away he tried to look for his cane and tried to feel us. He called his servant to bring his glasses to see us clearly and called us by our names before he could see who we were. Sometimes he called my brother’s name or my cousin’s name but when he wore his glasses you couldn’t fool him. He knew us.
In spiritual life we see GOD like our grandfather. We cannot see him. But Faith grabs holds of the things we cannot see; our spiritual sight is given and the word of GOD comes to us. “Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of GOD so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear/'(Heb. 11:1-3.) “But without faith it’s 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.) But Satan tries his level best to hide these glasses. He makes sure that we won’t get these glasses. Many come under his snare.
Faith is like a plant, it grows and if we don’t practice it, faith becomes feeble and dies. For a Christian there are so many trials. Everything the LORD puts us through allows our faith to grow. However, people often get discouraged and complain. People should use the opportunity to exercise faith so that they can fight the good fight. However, because of discouragement many are lost. This is the reality. Let’s take the Bible. “Because all these men which have seen my glory and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not harkened to my voice,”( Num 14:22.) While it is said today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard did provoke howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was He grieved 40 years? Was it not with them that had sinned whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And entered not into His rest, because they believed not? So we see that they could not enter because of lack of faith.
I’ll tell you a story. There were two farmers. One’s name was Faith and the other was called Presumption. Both had the same size of garden, money, soil, equipment, talent etc. Faith woke up early every day and ate breakfast, had morning worship and dedicated his life into the hands of the LORD and prayed for strength to carry forward. Then he started his errands and added good fertilizer and plowed his field to make sure everything was done properly. Then, he planted the seeds and when his work produced enough fruits he sold them and became rich. He supported many poor and needy with his plenty. Presumption woke up late in the morning and prayed to GOD that the seed should grow. He never prepared the ground, never watered the field, and didn’t do any preparation for the ground. When time passed he presumed he would be successful but all his crops started to die and when the harvest time came there was nothing to harvest and everything perished. He complained like Cain and lost his faith and was lost. He thought himself to be a Christian but he was presuming.
Sometimes in one’s spiritual life, a man who refuses to use his limbs will lose all the power to use them. Thus, a Christian who doesn’t exercise his spiritual will becomes worse than in the beginning. Presumption only prayed to GOD but he forgot his other duties so he failed. Not only praying will save us but also application of our prayer. Faith and presumption look so similar sometimes they both look the same. But without the divine Spirit we cannot distinguish which is which. Many Christians are lost because of this.
When Satan tempted CHRIST he saw the SON of GOD’S humility and attempted to use presumption, saying to HIM, “Cast thy self because thy FATHER has given charge over you to protect you.” What did CHRIST say when He made the tempters plan clear? Satan was asking CHRIST to have faith in GOD and jump but CHRIST exposed him saying, “Satan this is not faith, don’t tempt the LORD thy GOD.” Don’t go and test the LORD GOD. This is disbelief and this is presumption not faith.
The following is a true story. There was an Adventist minister in Africa who wanted to increase his faith, so what was his plan? He proposed to his friends and the Church leader that they will do something great, they would walk on water. So all four of his friends took a boat and attempted to walk like Peter. They went to one of the Great Lakes in their country and all jumped in the middle of the lake. They all perished. Only one, who knew how to swim, swam to shore and reported this terrible ordeal. What they did was not faith it was presumption. Satan tries to tell us to increase our faith by presumptuous acts of so called faith.
Many a time CHRIST admired the Gentiles who acknowledged His divinity. “And a certain centurion’s servant who was dear unto him was sick and ready to die. And when he heard JESUS he sent unto Him the elders of the Jews, beseeching Him that he would come and heal his servant. And when they came to JESUS they besought Him instantly, saying, that he was worthy for whom he should do this. For he loveth our nation and hath built us a synagogue. Then JESUS went with them. And when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying unto Him, “LORD trouble not thyself for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof. Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee. But say in a word my servant shall be healed for I am also a man under authority having under me soldiers and I say unto one go and he goes the and the other come, and he cometh and to my servant do this and he doeth it. When JESUS heard these things and said unto the people that followed Him I say unto you, I have not found so great a faith no, not in Israel.” Now, the centurion was a worldly man plus he was a warrior. He didn’t have the light like the Jewish nation about GOD but still when he was working in Israel he heard about JESUS; he heard about the prophecy about the Messiah and he was amazed by the prophecy. He tried to help this nation by building a synagogue for them and he was a virtuous man. Even his motives were very clear; he was exercising faith.
Sometimes, in the World, people are truer than in the Church. They exercise faith, they do good deeds and they love the LORD. They do everything their good conscience tells them. This shows that the Centurion was growing every day according to the knowledge he had. He could deliver everything and he saw His Creator who could create the universe. That’s why he sent his servants saying, “don’t come to my roof but say in a word, feeling his unworthiness, but having such a faith that the people who were so near to Him didn’t have. It’s marvelous to understand how a person who can have such a faith doesn’t need to be in the Church of GOD.
In this world if only everybody could have such a faith. If they would only exercise what the LORD has given unto them. They violate their conscience and grieve the SPIRIT of GOD and the SPIRIT of GOD goes away. That is why the world is in such darkness. GOD gave all humanity faith. Every human is born with this faith, “For I say through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you, according as GOD hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Rom 12:3. Some cultivate it but many don’t.
Another scene took place in Matt 15:22. “And behold a women of Canaan came out of the same coast, and cried unto Him saying have mercy on me, O LORD thou son of David, my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But He answered her not a word”. And His disciples came and besought him saying, “Send her away for she crieth after us. But He answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. Now a Canaanite woman who is an alien to the truth of GOD sees her Creator and cries behind him asking for help. JESUS is now testing her faith because faith can grasp hold of GOD and it can do anything, like Jacob did. It was faith that prevailed. It was not his intelligence, neither his strength, nor his knowledge that prevailed, only his faith.
Now came a terrible situation for this Canaanite woman. She approached CHRIST and he ignored her and even worse, his disciples beg to chase her away. It seems for a moment that CHRIST agreed with his disciples as the event unfolded. Then, she continued to worship Him saying, LORD help me. After being treated very indifferently she didn’t go. She started to beg after Him. But He answered and said, “it’s not meant to take the children’s bread and cast it to dogs.” She, hearing all these didn’t go away. She grabbed hold of her only chance. She answer’s Him truthfully, “LORD, yet the dog’s eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” So she sees the Creator who creates life and imparts his love to every living beings.
Without Him we cannot exist. Everything exists because of his goodness. Please don’t treat me like the children of the chambers of light but give me the share of which falls from the table of thy grace. CHRIST saw in this woman faith so great that He responded to her request. “Then JESUS answered and said to her O! Woman great is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour”. This was a great lesson for His disciples, to show how much He cares even for those who don’t have so much light but who are seeking after the light. To show them that the nation that was so privileged didn’t exercise its faith whereas the people far away from Him were willing to obey His will. Because, to reach GOD, we need faith. She had this virtue and she prevailed. Now let us go to His disciples who were His promised children. Let us check Matt 8:23. “And when He was entered unto a ship his disciples followed Him. And behold there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves but he was asleep. And His disciples came to Him and awoke Him saying LORD save us we perish. And He saith unto them why are ye fearful, 0! ye of little faith? Then He arose and rebuked the wind the sea and there was great calm”. Now CHRIST calls his disciples, “ye of little faith”; they proved to have little faith. They had some faith, but they didn’t cultivate their faith and began to lose their faith. When storms approach everything seems to work against you. In life sometimes this happens, when everything is failing we get discouraged. We become fearful, but CHRIST says, don’t be fearful because when He is with us we don’t need to fear. He will take care of us. HE is the LORD of the universe. If He is with us we don’t need to worry. Let us look at Revelation 21:8. “The first person to be cast into the lake of fire is the fearful, then the unbelieving”. If we believe in the providence of GOD we will not be fearful. Because of His assurances He will protect us. “When thou passes through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee, when thou walkest through the fires, thou shalt not be burned neither shall the flame kindle upon thee” Isiah 43:2.
Again another incident occurred which is recorded in Matthew 14:25. “And in the fourth watch of night JESUS went unto them, walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying it’s a spirit, and they cried out for fear”. But straightaway JESUS speaks unto them saying, “be of good cheer. It is I be not afraid, and Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be thou bid me come unto thee on the water, and He said come, and when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to JESUS. But when he saw the wind boisterous he was afraid and beginning to sink. He cried saying, ‘Lord save me’. And immediately JESUS stretched forth His hand and caught him and said unto him. ‘O! Thou of little faith wherefore midst thou doubt?'” Why did CHRIST permit the boisterous wind to take Peter? He allowed it so Peter could exercise his faith. Instead, he started to doubt CHRIST. Since CHRIST chose him for a great position he wanted him to be faithful. Peter should not have doubted CHRIST. Peter’s current position revealed his human heart that was fearful most of the time. Fear creates doubt and disbelief takes hold and we sin.
Luke 17:5,6. “And the Apostles said unto the LORD, increase our faith. And the LORD said if ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamore tree, be thou plucked up by the root and be thou planted in the sea. And it should obey you”. Now for their request CHRIST shows them how to increase their faith, He shows them the mustard seed, which is a very tiny seed. It is nicely explained in the Desire of Ages, pg. 431. “In order to succeed in such a conflict they must come to work in a different spirit. Fervent prayer and fasting, and humiliation of heart must strengthen their faith. They must be emptied of self, and be filled with the Spirit and power of GOD”. Earnest, persevering supplication to GOD and unreserved consecration to His work can alone avail to bring men the HOLY SPIRIT’S aid in the battle against principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and wicked spirits in high places. “If ye have faith like as a grain of mustard seed, said JESUS ye shall say unto this mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove. Though the grain of mustard seed is so small it contains those same mysterious life principles which produce growth in the loftiest tree. If you have faith like this, you will lay hold upon GOD’S word and upon all the helpful agencies He has appointed. Then your faith will strengthen and will bring to your aid the power of heaven. The obstacles that are piled by Satan across your path, though apparently as insurmountable as the hills, shall disappear before the demand of faith. Nothing shall be impossible unto you.
I will give you some medication to increase your faith:
1) Prayer is the key to unlock heaven’s storehouse where it has reserved the boundless treasures of the OMNIPOTENT. If you will find voice and time to pray, GOD will find time and voice to answer.
The life of the soul depends upon habitual communion with GOD. Secret prayer sustains the inner life. When it becomes the habit of the soul to converse with GOD, the power of the evil one is broken, for Satan cannot abide near the soul that draws nigh unto GOD. We must learn to distrust self and to rely wholly upon GOD for guidance and support, for knowledge of His will and for strength to perform it. We must be much in communion with GOD. Prayer in secret, prayer while the hands are engaged in labor, prayer while walking by the way, prayer in the night season, the heart’s desires ever ascending to GOD is our only safety. In this manner Enoch walked with GOD. Daily prayer is as essential to growth in grace and even to spiritual life itself as is temporal food to our physical well being. We should accustom ourselves to often lift the thoughts to GOD in prayer. If the mind wanders we must bring it back, by persevering effort, habit will finally make it easy.
2) We have to read the Bible every day. The word of GOD is compared to a sword to fight against the enemy. It is important that we do this.
3) We must do missionary work. It can be visiting a hospital, or giving water to a thirsty soul, or giving a Bible study. Please read Matt 25:31-46. Simple daily tasks are important.
4) We must use our talents, like money for good deeds. If we can sing we should sing praises to GOD, etc. There are many talents GOD has given us. Are we using these ones for His glory?
5) If we do all these, our faith will become like Elijah’s. He was a man like us but diligently he prayed and he did everything GOD commanded him to do and he became a powerful servant of GOD.
I will tell an another story and then I will end this topic. This is a true story. When they wanted to build a bridge across the Ontario River they could not take the building materials across the river, but without the materials it was impossible to build. So what they did was take a kite and flew it across the river. They tied a small gauge thread on to the end of the kite and the kite flew to the other side. They made the kite land on the other side. Then they slowly pulled the small string attached to it and on the other end of the string they attached a little bigger string and so forth until they slowly increased the gauge of the string until it became strong metal high-end ropes. Now they were capable of pulling all the material tied to the rope and transport all the material to the other end. Finally, they finished the bridge. What did we learn from this story? Our faith is also little but slowly we gain victories and grow more until we are able to do the impossible tasks. I hope now you understand what faith really means. This is my wish and prayer.
AMEN.