FAITH
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Faith.
1 Blessed is she that believed ; for there shall be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord.'— Luke i. 45.
'I believe God, that it shall be even so as it hath been spoken unto me.'—Acts xxvii. 25.
'Abraham waxed strong through faith, being fully assured that what He had promised, he was able also to perform.'— Bom. iv. 21.
/^j OD has asked you to take and lay up His words in your heart. Faith is the proper avenue whereby the word is taken and received into the innermost depths of the heart. Let the young Christian then take pains always to understand better what faith is: he will thereby gain an insight into the reasons why such great things are bound up with faith. He will yield his perfect assent to the view that full salvation is made every day dependent
wSto-vft?' Let me now ask my reader to read over once again the three texts which stand above, and to find out what is the principal thought that they teach about faith. Pray, read nothing actually beyond them, but read first these words of God, and ask yourself what they teach you about faith.
They make us see that faith always attaches itself to what God has said or promised. When an honourable man says anything, he also does it: on the back of the saying follows the doing. So also is it with God: when He would do anything, He says so first through His word. When , the man of God becomes possessed with this conviction and established in it, God always does for him what He has said. With God, speaking and doing always go together: the deed follows the word: 'Shall He say it and not do it ?'i J®»- *, When I have a word of God in which He S^xslk promises to do something, I can always remain g£ J sure that He will do it. I have simply to take "i.&S?S and hold fast the word, and therewith wait upon God: God will take care that He fulfils His word to me. Before I ever feel or experience anything, I hold fast the promise, and I know by faith that God will make it good
tO me.2 SLukel.S8.4S;
John lit. 83, Iv.
What, now, is faith? Nothing other than the g-.gh&.'g; certitude that what God says is true. When God says that something subsists or is, then does faith rejoice, although it sees nothing of it.81"^}-."^ When God says that He has given me something, Mis/i?*- u that something in heaven is mine, I know by faith with entire certitude that it is mine.4 '*>»>> «, m
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When God says that something shall come toT,U.U
pass, or that He will do something for me, this Hsoulv8! *s *or te&h just as good as if I had seen it.i Fet!.-!-*'i Things that are, but that I have not seen, and things that are not yet, but shall come, are for faith entirely sure. 'Faith is the assurance of ■ Heb.xLL things hoped for, the proving of things not seen.'2 Faith always asks only for what God has said, and then relies on His faithfulness and power to fulfil His word.
Let us now review again the words of Scripture. Of Mary we read: 'Blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord.' All things that have been spoken in the word shall be fulfilled for me: so I believe them.
Of Abraham it is reported that he was fully assured that that which had been promised, God was also able to fulfil. This is assurance of faith: to be assured that God will do what He has promised.
Exactly thus is it in the word of Paul: 'I believe God that it shall be even so as it hath been spoken unto me.' It stood fixed with him that God would do what He had spoken.
Young disciples in Christ, the new, the eternal life that is in you is a life of faith. And do you not see how simple and how blessed that life of faith is? I go every day to the word and hear there what God has said that He has done and will do.1 I take time to lodge in my heart jcw.iLijai the word in which God says that, and I hold it PSLi.« 1 1 fast, entirely assured that what God has promised, He is able to perform. And then in a childlike spirit I await the fulfilment of all the glorious promises of His word. And my soul experiences: Blessed is she that believed; for the things that have been spoken to her from the Lord shall be fulfilled. God promises—I believe—God fulfils: that is the secret of the new life.
0 my Father, Thy child thanks Thee for this blessed life of faith in which we have to walk. I can do nothing, but Thou canst do all. All that Thou canst do hast Thou spoken in Thy word. And every word that I take and trustfully bring to Thee, Thou fulfillest. Father, in this life of faith, so simple, so glorious, will I walk with Thee. . Amen.
7. The Christian must read and search the Scriptures to increase hit knowledge. For this purpose he daily reads one or more principal portions. But he reads the Scriptures also to strengthen his faith. And to this end he must take one or two oerses to make them the subject of special reflection, and to appropriate them trustfully for himself.
[The Prayer and Bible Union has been established in order to be a help towards the regular reading of the Bible. Eoery year is issued an Almanac with a chapter from the Old Testament for the morning, and half a chapter out of the New for the eoening. And for the morning there is also gioen a oerse for reflection. Make application to your minister or to the secretary, Dr. J. J. Maquard of Bethulie ]
2. Pray, do not suffer yourseloes to be led astray by those who speak aa lf faith were something great and unintelligible. Faith is nothing other than the certitude that God speaks truth. Take some promises of Sod and
say to Him : l know for certain that this promise la truth, and that Thou wilt fulfil lt . He will do it.
3. Neoer mourn ooer unbelief as if lt were only a weakness which you cannot help. As God's child, howeoer weak you may be, you haoe the power to belieoe, for the Spirit of God is in you. You haoe only to keep in mind this : no one apprehends anything before that he has the power tc belieoe; he must simply begin and continue with saying to the Lord that he is sure that His word is truth. He must holdfast the promise and rely upon God for the fulfilment*