The Faith of Jesus by W. E. HANCOCK

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 21, 1915

The Faith of Jesus

By W. E. HANCOCK

W. E. HANCOCK

THE faith of Jesus is an experience accompanying the act of keeping the commandments of God. It is not sufficient to have faith in Jesus. We find many believers in Christ: it is safe to say that today the whole civilized world has more or less faith in him. But the apostle John in holy vision saw a people who had “the faith of Jesus;” and these had the patience of the saints and kept the commandments of God. Rev. 14:12.

This is not a fanciful distinction. Faith or belief in Christ may mean nothing more than an intellectual assent to the facts relating to the historical Christ; but “the faith of Jesus” is an experience affecting the life of the one who possesses that faith. It is the experience by which we are adopted into the family of God as his sons, joint heirs with Christ.

Sometimes we meet those who claim to have so much faith in Christ that they feel released from all obligations of obedience to God’s commandments. One said to me, “Your doctrine of keeping the law for salvation denies faith in Christ.” I replied, “Our doctrine does not teach any one to keep the law for salvation, neither will ‘faith in Christ’ save one; but ‘the faith of Jesus’ and obedience to God’s law go together.” Faith in Christ may lead to great religious movements, the building of great churches and institutions, and a great zeal for the kingdom of Christ on earth, all of which have their place in the Christian church; but “the faith of Jesus” is the vital bond of union with Christ, and the seed which carries with it, and in it, the germ developing finally into complete obedience to God’s law.

Jesus denounced unsparingly the class of believers whose faith in God is such that when the hungry ask for food, they can reply, “Depart and be filled;” and can say to the naked, “Be warm.” With such he will profess no acquaintance. In other words, “faith in Jesus” may abound under the cloak of hypocrisy, but “the faith of Jesus” expresses itself in humble obedience to God’s commandments and good works toward our fellow men.

There is another way in which “faith in God” assumes too much and presumes

upon the mercy of God. Dr. Pierson tells of a conversation with a man who said, “Well, I have faith in God; and I believe I am willing to take my chances with him.” To this, Dr. Pierson promptly replied, “You can safely take your chances with God only on God’s own conditions.”