THE FAITH OF JESUS by G.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 20, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 34.

“THE FAITH OF JESUS.”

By G.

In the eleventh chapter of Hebrews we have set before us a long list of examples of faith. But above all these towers conspicuously “the faith of Jesus.” Out of the judgments that shall come upon this world, as the culmination of its wickedness, there will stand out in grand conspicuity a company of whom it will be said, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14:12.

Men often think and speak of Jesus as tho His life-work on earth were merely a display of power; that He went about just as He pleased, showing the people what He could do. The fact is too often overlooked that His life on earth was purely a life of faith, and that whatever advantage He had over other men in the matter of overcoming the world lay in His greater exercise of faith. Were this not so, it would be inconsistent for Him to expect His disciples to overcome the world as He had overcome it. He said, “I can of Mine own self do nothing,” yet at the closing of His earthly career He could say, “I have overcome the world.” To this we may add the words of the apostle John, “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” How then did Christ overcome sin in the flesh (Rom. 8:3) when He was “in all points tempted like as we are” (Heb. 4:15)?—It is evident that He overcame by faith in the Word of God. And that is how He is able to help us to overcome in the same way. Ch. 2:18. It is robbing Him of all the credit of being an overcomer to assume that He had any advantage over those to whom He was to become an example. If He had strength of His own to overcome sin, what encouragement is His example to those who have no strength of their own. How can they follow Him? He had strength because of His faith and His constant communion with the Fountain of strength. Because He never allowed that connection to be severed, He was continually in condition to impart strength to others. Whatever others received through Him, they received because of His unbroken chain of faith in the Word of His heavenly Father.

We have three prominent instances of His temptation and faith in the very beginning of His ministry. The enemy, taking advantage of Christ’s supposed spiritual weakness from hunger, tempted Him to display His power as the Son of God to relieve His hunger. When the tempter came to Him he said, “If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”

But Jesus answered, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Here was absolute faith in “every word” of God. No variation from it whatever. Altho Jesus had fasted forty days, He would do nothing to please the adversary of truth in order to obtain food. He would rather continue hungry. He did not say, “I know it is not right, but one has to live. It is easy enough for people to talk who have plenty to live on; but when it comes to starving, that is another thing.” Altho He was in the wilderness, had fasted forty days, and still no bread in sight, there was no compromise with evil; His trust was in the Word of God. Such was “the faith of Jesus.”

Then the devil took another tack. He set Jesus on a pinnacle of the temple, and said, “If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down; for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee; and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone.” What an opportunity! Right there in the most public part of the city of Jerusalem; right in presence of the people of whom He was especially seeking recognition; would it not be grand to sweep down from that high eminence into their presence unharmed? Would they not all be convinced when they should see such a wonderful manifestation, such a plain fulfilment of prophecy? And then to think of convincing even the devil that Christ had come. Was Jesus caught by this beautiful prospect?— Not at all. Why?—Because something had been written away back in Moses’ time, (Deut. 6:16). He was not trusting in wonderful displays of miraculous power. His faith was in the Word of God; but not in that Word as interpreted, or perverted, by the enemy. “It is written again,” He replied, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” Such was “the faith of Jesus.”

Then the enemy tried Him again, in a way that would be quite tempting to ordinary men. He took Jesus up to a prominent place, and showed Him the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, and said, “All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me.” The devil here made himself known. Did not he have dominion of the earth? Had he not taken it from the first Adam, and therefore was able to hold it? Was he not the “prince of this world,” with power to give it to whomsoever he would? Now Jesus had come to win this world back from the power of Satan. He had planned to overcome through terrible trials and suffering and even death on the cross. Would it not be nice to have the controversy ended without this awful ordeal? Would it not be a great relief if the usurper of the dominion would just give it up without a struggle? Do men ever compromise true Gospel principle for the favor of the world?

But accepting the prize from the hands of the enemy to avoid the sacrifice incident to real victory would not be overcoming the enemy. The enemy’s terms always leave him master of the field. The way to victory over sin is not a path of roses. And none ever knew this better than He who saw the end from the beginning. So the Captain of our salvation chose the long, arduous way of suffering, of patient continuance in well-doing, rather than the apparent short cut by the way of the adversary’s suggestion. Again He falls back on the Word of God: “It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” Such was “the faith of Jesus.” He that would come up to the mark of such a faith must also stand in the commandments of God, as He did. John 15:10; Matt. 19:17. “The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” are inseparably connected. G.