p. 5 | Genuine Faith by D. T. Bourdeau

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 10, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 36.

Genuine Faith

By D. T. Bourdeau

SAVING FAITH; OR FAITH SEEN IN WORKS. No. 6.

BY D. T. BOURDEAU.

Genuine Faith.

GENUINE faith is not a myth, something so indefinite and so mysterious that we can not comprehend it. It is simple confidence in the word of God. How, then, can those have faith who are ignorant of God’s word—of the plan of salvation revealed in the Bible? Is it not evident that the reason why so many of those who profess Christianity have so little faith is because they neglect to study prayerfully the Bible, and because they are not duly impressed with the reviving truths which the Bible contains? Indeed, through this neglect the truths of the plan of salvation lose their force upon the mind, and, to a greater or less extent, leak out of the mind; for the best of human memories is imperfect, so that a frequent repetition of the impressions of revealed truth upon it is necessary. Faith itself needs new and numerous supplies of old and new truths to be kept alive, and to take upon itself strength and spiritual muscle and sinew to cope with sin and the powers of darkness and do valiantly for “Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.” Heb. 12:2.

Hence the importance of constantly searching the Scriptures, and giving to the great events clustering around Jesus our first thoughts and closest attention, ever aiming to glean from them new truths and new beauties. By so doing, the impressions of the great truths of the plan of salvation will become stronger and stronger, and the habits of faith will be so interwoven in every thought and emotion of the soul, that it will be as natural to believe as it is to breathe.

By faith we see Joseph of Arimathea gently and respectfully take the body of Jesus down from the cross, and, with the aid of Nicodemus and the holy women, prepare it for its interment, and then put it in a costly sepulcher with the rich, in fulfilment of the following prediction of Isaiah: “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.” Isa. 53:9; Matt. 27:66; John 19:38, etc.

By faith we see Jesus arise from the tomb and conquer death and the grave, opening up before us a door of hope; and by it we see him ascend to heaven in glory and majesty, attended by bright seraphs, who rejoice at his triumph and at the success that has attended his earthly mission, in fulfilment of the following inspired predictions: “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell [the grave, Hebrew]; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” Ps. 16:10. “When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.” Isa. 53:10, etc.

By faith we see Jesus welcomed in heaven by his dear Father, and by all the angelic host, in harmony with the following prophetic words of David: “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.” Ps. 24:7–10.

By faith we behold Jesus seated as king-priest on his Father’s throne and at his Father’s right hand (Zech. 6:12, 13; Heb. 8:1–3, etc.); and, as we contemplate him as occupying this honored and exalted position, the following words, with which he used to encourage his disciples, come to us with special force, greatly strengthening our faith: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Matt. 28:18. “If any man serve

me, him will my Father honor.” John 12:26. “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:24.

By faith we behold Jesus as our faithful and sympathizing high priest, pleading in our behalf the merits of his own precious blood spilt on Calvary, and hear him telling us, with yearning love and the tenderest pity: This blood was shed for you. My sufferings were to save you from suffering. I laid down my life that you might obtain pardon, escape the second death, and have eternal life. My righteousness that I wrought when on earth may be yours. All the means and resources of heaven are at your disposition, that you may be saved, and finally be with me in this blissful place, and enjoy its abiding riches and never-fading glories.

Living, saving faith removes the veil that separates us from Jesus, so that we can, in a certain sense, behold and enjoy his glory. By living faith we may enjoy the love, cheering words, and precious counsels and invitations of Jesus, and his pleading in our behalf. And, as we see the past faithfulness of Jesus, we rest assured that he will fulfil the repeated scriptural promises that he will come again to conclude the work that he commenced at his first coming, and we say in our hearts, “Come, Lord Jesus.” Rev. 22:20.

By this faith the sinner may plunge into the precious fountain drawn from Immanuel’s veins, wash all his sins away, and clothe himself with the pure robe of Christ’s righteousness. Zech. 13:1; Rev. 7:13, 14. By it he may secure the presence and help of the mighty Spirit of promise, and of the pure and mighty angels who rejoiced when God laid the foundations of our earth, and who are now “sent forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation.” John 14:16–18; 16:7, etc.; Job 38:6, 7; Heb. 1:14, etc.

Before genuine faith in lively exercise demons quail and flee, and apparently insurmountable difficulties disappear. By this faith, light, hope, courage, and strength come to the soul, and victories over sin, sinful habits, the flesh, the world, and the devil, are achieved; and by it it is possible for us to do all the works that God enjoins upon us; “for all things are possible to him that believeth.”

Faith and Unbelief.

Faith honors God, while unbelief dishonors him by making him a liar. “He that believeth not God,” says the beloved apostle, “hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.” 1 John 5:10. God says he will pardon and justify the repenting believer, and finally give him eternal life (providing that he will, after being pardoned and justified, live a life of faith); and he who truly believes, takes God at his word, and says, God is a God of truth. I comply with the conditions he lays down. I repent and believe, and know that pardon and justification are mine. I purpose to live a life of faith, to “live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20); and I believe God will show himself true to his promise, by giving me eternal life at last.

Unbelief says: You are too great a sinner to be forgiven and justified. God is a liar. He tells you he will forgive and justify you if you repent and believe; but before you can claim and reasonably expect to receive such blessings at his hands, you must wait till you are better; you must make yourselves better by your own efforts. And, besides, to venture all on faith is to take a leap in the dark; for you can not see how all that is promised you after you have commenced to walk and live by faith, can be brought about. There are trials, sufferings, and giants by the way.

Such is the language of unbelief, the language whereby Satan deceives souls, and deprives them of the benefits and blessings of the plan of salvation. Listen not to such suggestions of the arch deceiver, of the destroyer. If men can make themselves better without faith in Christ, what need is there of ever believing in Christ to improve and reform? What the soul that is burdened by sin and that is entangled and perverted by sinful habits and practices, wants, is the assurance of pardon and justification, deliverance from the bondage of sin, and power to do right and to break the power of sinful habits—all of which is secured by that faith which is accompanied by repentance. It is only by the help that comes through faith that we can become better.

We may therefore rest assured that when we are tempted to put off faith in Jesus for such reasons, Satan is at our heels, and is trying to deceive and ruin us by his insinuations. He admits that we should be better, as a mere matter of policy; for he does not want us to be better. He would shut faith out of our minds, and lead us to rely solely upon our own endeavors to do right, that we may remain in our sins, and perish at last. And what are all the giants with which he would frighten us, compared with the fearful wages of sin, with the portion of unbelievers in the lake of fire in the day of God’s just but fearful wrath?

How pained are faithful parents when their children distrust them, and how pleased they are when their children place implicit confidence in their word, and promises! And how must our heavenly Father feel toward us when we distrust him and doubt that he will be true to his word, and fulfil the promises he has made us, if we regard the conditions on which their accomplishment depends! On the other hand, how pleasing it must be to God to see us place implicit confidence in his word and promises, and to see us act accordingly!

The exercise of living faith involves venturing. In temporal things, those who venture nothing have nothing, while those who venture much, in harmony with prudent, well-defined plans, are those who reach encouraging results. They may not see at first the way clear in every particular; but they settle on general principles which have been thoroughly tested and which experience has shown to indicate the way to success.

So in spiritual things. We must venture by faith from first to last. If we do this, we shall succeed and make acquisitions that will as far surpass temporal acquisitions as heaven is higher than earth, and as eternal things are more precious than the fleeting things of this mortal life.

(Concluded next week.)