p. 629 | A Practical Faith

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 21, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 40.

A Practical Faith.

The great apostle has quoted from Habakkuk, in each of his three great epistles, this declaration: “The just shall live by faith.” If it were necessary to give special emphasis to this great truth, this repetition of it would sufficiently set forth its paramount importance. But all readers of God’s word have already recognized that faith is the fundamental and only working grace of God’s people. Without it it is impossible to please God; and with it all things are possible to the believer, as concerning God and his grace and power. By it, we are told, the weakest saint can move the arm of omnipotence. All the mighty achievements of the ancient worthies were accomplished by it, whether by life or death. Faith was no less conspicuous under the old dispensation than under the new. The head of the Hebrew race was a man of faith; and because of his faith in God he was called “the father of the faithful.”

The sole condition of our salvation is “faith.” “Whosoever believeth in him is not condemned,” while “he that believeth not is condemned already, because he has not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God.” The gospel is preached because it is believed by those who preach it; and the Christian life is maintained only because these things are surely believed by us. Faith is the laboring oar in our work for Christ. Love may be the inspiration, but faith is the working grace. “Sir, I believe God,” was the sublime answer which Paul made to the centurion and the master of the ship which was going to wreck, and by which he, the little condemned Jew, was placed in practical command of the ship. When Luther saw this truth, as he was laboring up the stone stairway in Rome, seeking peace through bodily penance and human merit, he sprang from his knees and, as some one has said, put that sublime text, “the just shall live by faith,” to his lips, as a silver trumpet, and blew a jubilee blast upon it which awakened a sleeping world from Rome to the Orkneys.

It may seem needless to go over these trite truths which some of our readers may feel are mere platitudes; but we find it needful to remind ourselves of fundamental truth oftentimes, and make a further inquiry as to whether our apprehension of the truth is practical or only formal. Now, since faith is the essential grace of the believer, the question arises: “Have I faith; and, if I have, is it a real or vain faith; a theoretical or a practical one?”

It must be seen at a glance that, though there are not different kinds of faith, there are different conditions and different objects of faith. For instance, it is very common to hear men say they believe the Bible to be the word of God; but that is not practical faith, so far as salvation is concerned; for the Scriptures are not in themselves saving, they are but the witnesses which testify of Christ. Faith, then, to avail, must take hold on Christ himself, his person and his work. There are a great many persons who believe in Christianity; but are destitute of faith in Christ.

Not a few persons are troubled on this score. They are not sure whether their faith is a practical one—that is, a real, saving faith; but there need be no difficulty in settling that point. We may know, as a matter of mental observation, what is the direction and object of our faith. If, when we question ourselves as to the ground of our hope, our thought of faith flies to the church, or to the creed, or to the ordinances, or to any deeds of righteousness which we have done, we may be pretty sure that our faith is not very practical so far as salvation is concerned; for the faith that saves flies straight to Christ, as the needle to the pole; but, again, if our faith is a practical one, it will direct and control our lives. The ancient worthies “saw the promises from afar,” were persuaded of them, embraced them and confessed that they were pilgrims and strangers in the earth, and set out for another country, even an heavenly. Now, is our faith working such practical results in us? Abraham believed God, and, therefore, though sorely tried, did not stagger, but offered up his son. Test your faith. Does it control your life, and is it exercised toward God and Christ?—Independent.