THE LIFE OF CHRIST RECEIVED THROUGH FAITH.
By Wm. Covert
The unbroken flow of life from God to man was ordained to pass through the channel of faith. But when unbelief entered the mind, the channel was clogged, and the vital current shut away, and death took the place, and reigned where once life had supremely ruled. The Saviour bears this testimony: “He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.” John 3:18. Jesus, in speaking of the effect of the Holy Spirit upon man, said it convinces “of sin, because they believe not on me.” John 16:9. One thought in the last-quoted text shows that the Spirit of God enables the sinner to see that unbelief has severed his connection with the spring of life, and placed him in the current of death. The principle is thus stated by Paul, “To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Rom. 8:6. The truth herein shown is that man’s condition as related to life, is maintained through the attitude of his mind. If in his mind he receives and retains the truths of Christ, then in them he has life. But if through his mind he rejects Christ, he is at the same time rejecting eternal life. The exercise of unbelief toward Christ is but the fermentation of sin,—the actual product thrown off by the working power of the father of lies. It is the false testimony which Satan bears against the love of God. This startling announcement is made upon the subject, “He that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.” 1 John 5:10. God can not lie (1 Sam. 15:29; Titus 1:2), and when man disputes the Word of God, man is himself telling a grievous falsehood. He is not only telling a lie, but if he continues thus, he actually becomes the embodiment of falsehood, a veritable incarnation of deception. But some men will ask, “What good things can be accomplished by faith?” The answer is,7“All things.” Faith is to the mind of man what the stem is to the growing fruit, or the rootlets to the living plant. Faith is the pipe of life through which vital connection with God is maintained. Paul says, “We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:2), or, as stated in another place, “Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Gal. 2:20. As truly as the electric current is placed upon the wire through its actual contact with the dynamo, so surely is man vitalized with new life when his mind through faith comes into living touch with the mind of God. See those cars standing helpless upon the track. The wires are properly arranged above and beneath; but it is powerless to move because an enemy down the line has cut off the connection between the motor and its source of life. Thus the vehicle is left dead upon the road. Such incidents do occur, and those who have been thus placed at a disadvantage can appreciate the inconveniences connected therewith. Just as severing the wire checks the electric flow, and stops the moving car, so does unbelief shut off from man the power and life of God, and leave him dead and helpless in his sins. It was Satan’s studied effort and strong desire to cut man away from his hold on the Lord. His first malicious stroke was therefore aimed at the cord of faith, because upon faith everything depended. Understanding came through faith. Joy grew up in faith. Obedience was but the fruit of faith. Faith gave hope. Courage was born of faith. Wisdom flourished in faith. Peace and love were twin sisters of faith. Industry and vigilance dwelt side by side in faith. Victory was in faith, and the works of God were all made to exist and abound through faith. That he might extinguish all these, Satan purposed to destroy faith. He knew that unbelief in the mind of man would nullify all that is good and true, and finally put out all there is of the light of life. Therefore it is written, “The god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Cor. 4:4. This dreadful darkness with an ever increasing density will prevail as long as unbelief remains; and with this darkness, death and destruction will stalk abroad, even at noonday, and like a legion of demons will it spread pestilence. Satan’s power has always been negative. By Satan nothing has ever been created, nor anything kept. Through him nothing either good or noble has at any time been upheld. Not one cause of worth has he ever carried forward. His nature and his work are to kill, to tear down, and to destroy. The Lord Builds Up and Beautifies.
The Lord’s work is to bring into being, to give form and beauty, to sustain and make happy. His nature is positive, to keep, and all his works are manifestations of love. “The Lord is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all his works.” Ps. 145:9. The Lord is just what man needs. “God is love,” and it is only necessary for him to be known in order that he may give to man eternal life. “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3. This knowledge, and with it life, must reach man through faith. It can come in no other way. “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.” Heb. 11:6. God speaks to man not only in his written Word, the Bible, but all nature announces the presence of his love, his wisdom, and his power. Those who have never learned to read in books, neither have been situated so as to hear the instruction of a Gospel missionary, may, notwithstanding all these unfavorable circumstances, study him in all the universe. Paul spoke of God to the heathen worshipers at Lystra, and said, “He left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” Those pagans had just witnessed the impartation of new life to a poor cripple who exercised faith in Christ, and they were attributing to the apostles the power that had done this miracle. The circumstances enabled Paul to teach them an important truth regarding the significance of nature as proclaiming the perpetual presence and manifestation of God’s power and love everywhere. If man would but properly exercise his senses he need not be ignorant as to the true source of all things. In all life’s surroundings God may be seen through his works. Every shower of rain, the great beauty and variety in the growing crops, the coming and the going of the fruitful seasons, the multitude of kinds and conditions in the animal kingdom—everything, individually or collectively studied, bears witness to the same gracious truth before quoted, that God “is,” and that he is a “rewarder” of those who seek him. The worshipers of Jupiter and Mercury then listening to the apostle were accountable to God for the manner in which they received or rejected the message which was on that occasion delivered to them. So it is with every people on the earth. These witnesses regarding the existence and character of God are ever kept before their eyes, in heathen lands as well as in the more enlightened portions of the world. Every grain of wheat in that large field has been severally endowed with life from the Lord for the benefit of mankind, and both the reaper and the eater should understand this lesson. But often they do not. Blindly and wickedly they partake of the bounties of nature without even a thought of the One who in love supplies all their needs. Of the treatment which the Lord receives from the unthankful and thoughtless, he says: “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib; but . . . my people doth not consider.” Isa. 1:2, 3. Less appreciative or thankful for the Creator’s benefits are many of the human family than is the ox for the privilege of eating at his master’s crib. The Lord speaks of the migratory birds having understanding superior to those men who turned away from the wisdom and light of life. The birds have retained the wisdom of instinct, which their progenitors possessed ages ago, while man has retrograded and gone into heathen darkness. In calling man’s attention to this lamentable condition, the following language is used: “Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord.” Jer. 8:7. O faithless man, made a little lower than angels, created to have dominion over the beasts and the birds, why have you fallen so low, in many cases even lower than the creatures of your charge? To you are these words addressed: “Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things [the stars above], that bringeth out their hosts by number; he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.” Isa. 40:26. In the beginning of this world man’s vision was unclouded by sin, and many were the reasons for believing. With the eyes creation gave him, much was plain to his view which can now be seen only by the aid of the telescope or the microscope. As he now looks into the heavens through the telescope, he should not praise himself for constructing the instrument, but, instead, let him adopt the language of David where he exclaims, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork.” The person who can do no more than to discover and note down in a book a few of the wonderful things which the Creator is doing, has but little reason for taking glory to himself on account of the discovery. WM. COVERT.