Faith

What is faith concerning

which it is said,

"By grace you are saved,

through faith" ?

Faith is the simplest of all things,

and perhaps because of its simplicity

it is the more difficult to explain.

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?"

It is vitally important

to want to be

informed of a fact

before believing it.

"Faith comes by hearing"

We must first hear,

in order that we may know

what is to be believed.

Search the Scriptures and learn

what the Holy Spirit teaches

concerning Christ and His salvation.

Seek to know God:

"For he that comes to God

must believe that He is,

and that he is a rewarder

of them that diligently seek Him."

Know the gospel:

Know what the good news is,

how it talks of forgiveness,

and of change of heart,

of adoption into the family of God,

and of His amazing work.

"For the kingdom of God

is not a matter of talk

but of power."

Know especially Christ Jesus

the Son of God.

This is the lifelong adventure

of sensitizing ourselves

to the invisible presence of Jesus.

"Oh that we might

know the Lord,

let us press on

to know Him,

then He will

respond to us

as surely as the coming

of the dawn

or the coming rains

in early spring."

Endeavor especially to know

the sacrifice of Christ:

"God was in Christ,

reconciling the world

unto himself,

not imputing

their trespasses

unto them."

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 unchanging truth

which God has revealed by His Spirit.

Then the heart believes

that the Lord Jesus is,

and truly our God and Saviour,

the Redeemer of men

and King of His people.

"The blood of Jesus Christ,

God's dear Son,

cleanses us from all sin"

His sacrifice is complete

and fully accepted

of God on man's behalf,

so that in truth,

he that believes in Jesus

is not condemned.

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."

Commit yourself to God,

the one that was and is

and is to come;

rest your hope on

the gracious gospel;

let your sins be washed away

in His atoning blood;

accept His perfect righteousness.

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,

for faith trusts,

and stakes its destiny

upon the truth of revelation.

The Lord's records tell us:

"He rose from the dead,"

"He ever lives

to make intercession for us"

He will shortly come again

and we will be judged as He says,

"He that rejects me,

and receives not my words,

has one that judges him:

the word that I have spoken,

the same shall judge him

in the last day."

If we are honest with ourselves

we know we need forgiveness.

We must receive Him,

"Yet to all who received Him,

to those who

believed in His name,

He gave the right

to become children of God"

He will be what He says He is,

and He is the way, truth, and life.

Whatever our dangers

and difficulties,

whatever our darkness

and depression,

whatever our infirmities and sins,

those who truly believe

in the Lord

are not condemned,

and shall never

come into condemnation.

They are truly free.