The Victory of Faith by D. T. Bourdeau

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 17, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 37.

The Victory of Faith

By D. T. Bourdeau

SAVING FAITH; OR FAITH SEEN IN WORKS. No. 7.

BY D. T. BOURDEAU.

The Victory of Faith.

The path of faith is the path of success and victory. It is strewed with blessings of priceless value, and leads to a glorious and immortal inheritance and endless felicity in the kingdom of God. Tho we may not, from a human standpoint and shut up to our own wisdom and strength, see how we can overcome all the difficulties and trials in that path, yet God sees how we can overcome them, and has provided us with means whereby we can come off conquerors in every trial, and even turn failures and defeats into glorious victories.

And even the obstacles and trials that we are called upon to meet are, if improved upon, the very means by which faith is brought into requisition and strengthened. There would be no need of faith if we did not have obstacles and trials to meet that we can not meet by our own wisdom and strength. And how could we test the strength of our faith, if we had nothing calling for the exercise of faith? And so of the other virtues, of which faith may in a certain sense be regarded as the parent. How can we tell whether a man is strong physically, unless his strength is tested? And how can his strength be tested, unless his muscles are taxed by heavy burdens? And did you ever hear of a man becoming strong without exercise? So of faith.

Why, then, dread the difficulties by the way? Why not rather rejoice with Paul, Peter, James, and all the heroes of faith when our faith is tried, knowing that we have an opportunity of developing faith, of acquiring strength of faith, and that the trial of our faith is much more precious than gold that perisheth, tho it be tried by fire, and will “be found unto honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”? 1 Peter 1:7. See also Rom. 5:3-5; James 1:2-8.

We should, when our faith is tried, rejoice that we have an opportunity of showing our confidence in God. When we enjoy the approving blessing of God, and see the display of God’s power, and see every obstacle removed before us, it is a very easy matter to believe. But not so when we are reproved of God, when trials and difficulties beset our pathway, and when clouds obscure our mental vision, unless faith has previously gained strength, and the habit has been formed of taking God at his word under severe tests.

The plan and principles of faith are so clearly defined, and their truthfulness and reliability have been so often demonstrated, that we should not for one moment hesitate to adopt them and conform to them. Tho there may be certain points in God’s testimony and promises that are unexplainable to our minds, and which, when viewed from a human standpoint, present impossibilities, yet the fact that God has never deceived us, and that we do understand enough of his testimony to warrant us in believing that it is true, and the fact that we are complying with the conditions upon which depends the fulfilment of his promises, should suffice to

lead us to take him at his word, and claim as ours those things that he has promised.

But we have more than this: The fulfilment of God’s promises is guaranteed to us by the death of the Son of God. The death of Jesus Christ is a voice from God telling us: I will fulfil my promises to you if you will comply with the reasonable conditions that I have made obligatory upon you. The word and promises of God are sealed by the blood of his Son. How, then, can we doubt God’s word? How can we doubt God’s faithfulness to fulfil his promises?

Notwithstanding these evidences of God’s love and faithfulness, the tendency of hearts perverted by sin is to doubt God’s word, and to raise queries as to whether God will really fulfil his promises to those who exercise living faith in his Son. And even the masses of those who profess to believe in Christ come far short of venturing as much as they should in the direction of faith. Hence the spiritual weakness of most of Christians is seen in their efforts to overcome, and in their endeavors to further the cause of the Gospel.

When the prophet Elisha was about to die, Joash, king of Israel, called on him to show him sympathy and affection. The spirit of prophecy came upon Elisha, and he told the king to take his bow and arrows, open the window eastward, and shoot. The king did so; whereupon Elisha said, “The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria.” Elisha again told the king to take his arrows. The king obeyed, and Elisha said unto him: “Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it; whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.” 2 Kings 13: 14-19.

We have what we by faith venture for. If we venture nothing, we have nothing. If we venture little, we will have little. If we venture much, we will have much. To venture, we must cultivate faith, and in venturing our faith will grow, and with it all the other Christian graces. Christ tells us as he told the two blind men who came to him to be healed: “According to your faith be it unto you.” Matt. 9:29. The man who had a withered hand had to venture, do what he could toward stretching out his hand, for the Lord to restore his hand. Matthew 12. Christ says unto us, “Ask, and it shall be given you.” Matt. 7:7. “If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.” John 14:14. What more can we demand of him before venturing? He is anxious to do great things for us. He is anxious to do great things through us in making us instrumental in leading others to believe and in contributing to the furtherance of his cause on the earth.

All those who, through God, have done deeds of valor in the past, have been persons of faith. They have asked for great things and have ventured much. Noah ventured much in building the ark and in preaching righteousness and a coming flood to a wicked and scoffing generation; but his venturing proved his salvation and that of his family. Abraham ventured when he left his country and people to go as a stranger in a strange land; but his venturing proved a great blessing to him and to others. He ventured still more when he raised the sacrificial knife to slay Isaac; but in this ordeal his faith was greatly strengthened, and he obtained a victory entitling him to the appellation of “the father of the faithful.”

Gideon ventured when he went out to meet the Midianites with only 300 men; but God wrought a great deliverance through him and his little army. David had to venture to slay Goliath. Elijah ventured a good deal when he took his stand against King Ahab and the hundreds of priests and false prophets that opposed him; but God was with him and wrought mightily through him, and translated him to heaven, making him a type of the righteous of the last generation. Mal. 4:5, 6; Matt. 16:27, 28; 17:1-5; James 5:1-18. Elisha was bold and ventured much when he asked for more of God’s Spirit than Elijah had; but his request was granted. 2 Kings 2. All the prophets and the early disciples of our Lord, and those who have since endeavored to follow their example in laboring to reform their fellow-beings, were men of faith, men who ventured all, and to whom God multiplied his grace, granting them wonderful victories.

God does not change; the plan and power of faith is the same that it was in olden times; and God is as willing to do great things for us and through us, if we have faith, as he was to do great things for and through men of faith in past ages. The riches of grace that come through faith are exhaustless. They are not like gold mines, toward which people rush, fearing that eager hands will exhaust their treasures before they can reach them. There is enough for all of us and for many more. So of the work of faith, which opens before us on every hand. There is no necessity here for fears and jealousies.

Why not honor God by magnifying in our lives and in efforts to carry forward the work of God, the grace of Christ, yea the fulness of God in Christ Jesus? Col. 2:9, 10, etc. Is not our God almighty? Are not his means and resources exhaustless? Is he not abundant in mercy and love, ready to forgive us and to relieve us under the most trying circumstances, if we truly believe? Ex. 34:6, 7, etc. May we not by God’s grace “be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might”? Eph. 6:10. Have we not in Jesus one who is mighty to save, and who can make to us his yoke easy and his burden light, if we will by faith copy his meekness? Isa. 63:1-5; 66: 1, 2; Matt. 11:28-30.

Have we not a mighty Spirit and unfallen angels who excel in strength, who will help us mightily and enable us to come off victorious, if we exercise living faith in the Crucified One? Is not God more willing to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask, that they may do the works that he enjoins upon them, than earthly parents are to give good gifts to their children? Luke 11:13; Matt. 7:11.

Is not God as willing to clothe us with power from on high as he was to clothe the early church with that power? Luke 24: 49. But in order that we may receive this inestimable favor, must we not esteem it above every earthly good, and be willing to give up all to obtain it? Must we not cleanse our hearts and claim the Spirit’s aid, by childlike, living, persevering faith, by a faith that will lead us to regard the conditions laid upon us by the word of God, and to entrench behind the promises of God, claiming what he has promised as ours, in the name of Jesus, who now pleads for us at the right hand of his Father, that we may have the very things that we ask for? And then why not honor God by talking and acting as tho we had the very things we have asked?

Does not faith have the promise of the life that now is as well as of that which is to come? Does not He who numbers the hairs of our heads, who feeds the birds, and clothes the lilies, clothe, feed, and care for those who truly believe? Luke 12: 13-26, etc. Is it not written that “the just shall live by faith”? Heb. 10: 38. Is it not true that without faith we are shut up to our sins and to the miseries that they bring upon us, and can not be truly happy, and that it is only those who have faith who enjoy true happiness? Does not God provide true believers with a perfect, complete armor whereby they are enabled to meet and defeat Satan and all the demons in the universe, and quench all their fiery darts, and do valiantly for God and his truth to the praise of Him who died to save us? Eph. 6: 10-20.

We are living in an eventful period of this world’s history. Signs are multiplying on every hand, which show that the day of Christ is very near. Improvements and facilities are also increasing, and are coming in as helps to advance the work of God in the earth. Satan and his myriads of evil angels are working with power, signs, and lying wonders to oppose the work and people of God, knowing that their time is short. Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:8-12; Rev. 12:12; 16:14, 15, etc. May God’s true children gird on the armor for the conflict, remembering to bring into requisition the shield of faith wherewith they “shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” If they do this, they shall certainly come off conquerors; for God, Jesus, and the loyal angels who cast Satan and his angels out of heaven (Rev. 12:7, etc.), are with them.

Reader, will you be on the side of God, of Jesus, of the mighty angels of heaven, and of those who stand by God’s truth and work in the earth? Will you see to it that you have genuine, living, saving faith?