The Relapse of Faith

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 4, 1872

The Relapse of Faith.

PETER was in prison. Herod meant to kill him after the Passover. But the Christian friends of Peter did not forget him. “Ceaseless prayer” was offered up for his deliverance. A special prayer-meeting was held at the house of Mary Mark for that purpose. It was a solemn time. James was dead; his blood even then reddened the ground. Was Peter to die too? His precious life hung in the balance. Unless God stepped beyond the operation of natural law to interfere in his behalf, his useful years must end. They believed God could do it. They had not yet learned that God was a slave to the laws himself hath made, and could not suspend their operation, or go beyond it for man’s good, and in answer to prayer. It was left for the unbelief of a succeeding age to shut God up in a net-work of law, from which he could not escape.

They asked God, in the simplicity of their faith, to deliver Peter from jail; and God did it. While they were praying and believing, there was a knock at the door. Rhoda, a young girl who was there with them praying, tripped softly to the door, and asked, “Who is there?” “It is I—Peter.”

Immediately her soul overflowed with joy. “Glory to God! He has heard our prayers; Peter is free!”

She didn’t even think to open the door, but ran back crying to the others, “Peter is free; he is out of jail!”

Did they rejoice, praising God, too? No; they would not believe her word, but said, “Thou art mad!” Strange relapse into unbelief! Had been praying in faith for this very thing, and now when their prayer was answered in full, and one of their number reported Peter standing at the outer gate, free and well, they swung back into unbelief, and said it could not be. How natural is unbelief! Thus you, young convert, when under conviction of sin, prayed God to forgive you, and convert your soul. It was done. You were filled with the light of the morning. Joy, like a flood, poured in upon your soul, and testified of God’s grace.

But in a little while, the tempter suggested that it was a delusion, and you said, “Oh, I am afraid that I was mistaken!” You relapsed again into unbelief.

Mother, your child was sick. The crisis came; you knelt by the bedside; how you prayed God to raise your child; it was done. Next morning, when the physician came, he said the child was better, and would recover. Did you praise God for it? No; you hardly remembered that you had prayed to him in behalf of your child. You praised the physician, recommended him to all your acquaintances, but said nothing about the Great Physician, to whom you had applied in your trouble; you suffered a relapse of faith.

Or, you were sick yourself. The tide of life ran far down. Physicians gave you up. Some dear friend knelt at your side as knelt Luther at the side of the sick Melancthon, and wrestled with God for you. You felt in your soul that his prayer saved you.

But as you got better, you became ashamed of that impression, and spoke not of it, lest some one should consider you a fanatic; for that kind of faith is not fashionable in the churches. You relapsed into unbelief.

Or, you were in a financial strait; your note in bank was maturing. You had asked for help all around among your friends. No help was found; ruin stared you full in the face. You got down on your knees, and asked God to help you in some way; and, in a most unlooked-for way, the help came, and you were out of jail.

But did you glorify God for deliverance? No; you almost forgot that you had prayed, or, if you remembered it, perhaps you were ready to think your deliverance as much due to your own perseverance and skill, and to luck, as to any interference on the part of God. So you yielded to unbelief.—Methodist Home Journal.