The Development and Exercise of Faith
By Roderick S. Owen
The Medium of Contact with the Infinite—Ingredients of Faith—Made a Friend of God—The Experience Producing It THIS is the second of several articles that Elder Owen has prepared on the experiences of Abraham in developing the mighty faith that made him the friend of God. Each article is independent and complete in itself, and hence may be read with profit whether you have the opportunity or not to read all. The subject of faith is of paramount importance, and we bespeak for these articles a wide reading and careful study. “SEEST thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” James 2:22.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Heb. 11:1. Many people look upon the exercise of faith as some great or marvelous feat to be performed by the mind, whereas it is in reality a very simple operation. I do not mean by this that there is nothing marvelous connected with faith; for the results and achievements of faith are not only marvelous, but incomprehensible, as is shown by the examples given in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. THE CONTACT WITH THE INFINITE
Faith connects finite man with an infinite God. Faith introduces into our experiences an infinite power, even that power which shapes worlds out of nothingness. The marvelous part of faith lies in the results, which belong to God’s part. Our part, as I have said, is very simple. The text quoted shows that in the working of the mind, faith and hope are closely associated. Yet no one looks upon hope as a strange or mysterious thing. Let us analyze a little more closely. The mind will not hope for a thing until that thing is sincerely desired. Hence we say that hope is born of desire. But hope is made up of desire and expectation. We cannot expect a thing until we have some evidence that leads us to think that it may be attained. Desire may come without such evidence, but hope must have evidence on which to rest. Expectation, which, we see, is a prominent element in hope, is also a principal element in faith. With a sincere hope, we have already entered the domain of faith. Thus in the exercise of faith, we must first have a sincere desire; then we must have hope based upon evidence that leads us to expect; and then faith will come in and confirm our hope, “for faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” In all spiritual matters, the evidence upon which both faith and hope must rest is the promise or word of God. Standing on any other foundation, our supposed faith is nothing but fanaticism, and our hope must end in complete disappointment. The apostle James, in reasoning upon the subject of faith and its development, says: “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:17–20. FAITH AND WORKS INSEPARABLE
Here we are taught that faith and works are inseparable. Faith, a living faith, must find expression in works. Here we are also taught that saving faith is something more than belief; for devils believe, but they have no saving faith. Paul tells us that Enoch, before his translation, pleased God; but “without faith it is 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.” Thus we see that saving faith is made up of three things, works, belief,67and confidence; and these three, combined in Enoch’s experience, led him to translation. So with the remnant. Belief in God, confidence in God, and works in God, will bring them to the same experience. But what were the works by which Enoch came to God?—They were works which pleased God. Then they were works of obedience, for with works of disobedience God could not be pleased. They were works in which he walked with God. Then they were works that agreed with God; for how can two walk together, except they are agreed? Again, they are works of obedience; for no works of disobedience would agree with God. Then “coming to God” and “walking with God” mean to come into harmony with His will and to walk in harmony with that will; but as without faith it is impossible to please God, then all these works are works of faith, and works of faith and works of obedience are identical. THEIR EXPERIENCES MADE THEM FRIENDS
The apostle James, in chapter two, after stating that faith without works is dead, cites the case of Abraham, saying: “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of God.” Verses 21–23. “A friend of God”! Similarity of experiences, specially in suffering, always draws hearts together, and makes friends of the participants. So Abraham, in the three days during which he saw his son as dead, was led to appreciate the sacrifice of God, whose dear Son was slain for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquity. Could we all appreciate this fact, we would all be friends of God. Abraham is also called “the father of all them that believe.” A father is one who stands at the head. Abraham is placed at the head of all who have faith, because his faith was submitted to the severest possible trial, which is, to be placed where the command of God seems to cut off the fulfillment of His promise. God had said that in Isaac should all nations be blessed. Then God said to take Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering. This of course would destroy the one in whom the promise centered, and would seem to cut off the possibility of its fulfillment. But Abraham had acquired such confidence in God—such an assurance that God’s promise could not fail—that he by faith grasped something that never had occurred in the history of the world before; to wit, a resurrection from the dead, “accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.” The Jewish nation, the professed children of Abraham, were brought to a place where, if the people had walked in the steps of their father Abraham, and had accepted Jesus of Nazareth as the promised seed, they could have exercised the faith of Abraham. For even though the entire nation had accepted Jesus as the Messiah, still the Romans would have put Him to death; and the Hebrews, exercising the faith of Abraham, would have seen Him, the One in whom the promise centered, slain as a sacrifice, while they by faith would have grasped the thought that God was able to raise Him even from the dead, and they would have received Him not in a figure, but in the blessed reality of a risen Saviour. What a glorious triumph of faith that would have been! O, if they had known the day of their visitation! O, if they had known the things that belonged to their peace! But worldly ambition, blinding their eyes, hid the things of faith from their view, and they went down in the destruction that followed. There is great danger that the professed children of God to-day may fall after the same example of unbelief and worldly ambition. Thus we have found that God accounted Abraham righteous in response to an imperfect faith. Then during a period of about forty years, Abraham, by seeking to do just what God asked of him, although he often failed, at last developed a perfect faith, which enabled him to endure the severest possible test; and the righteousness which had been accounted or imputed to him, became a reality in his experience. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that said, “Abraham believed God.” So to-day God is seeking for children of Abraham—children of faith—who will do just what He asks of them, without stopping to know more than simply that God says so, and who will do just what He says, even though it may seem unreasonable—yea, even though it may seem to conflict with the promises of God. Such a people will agree with God, will walk with God, and like Enoch, will be translated. Such a people will have the faith of their father Abraham, and with him will share the inheritance.