p. 8 | ABOUT FAITH by Wm. T. Heald

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 20, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 16.

ABOUT FAITH.

By Wm. T. Heald

BY WM. T. HEALD.

“WITHOUT faith it is impossible to please God.” This text carries with it the idea that faith is pleasing to God. But there comes to the mind of some a question as to what faith is. Let me illustrate this by the figure of an artist. When he begins to sketch there are two distinct pictures in his mind; one is that of the object which he is going to sketch, and the other is of the picture which he designs to sketch of that object. Now notice particularly that one is the picture of an object which exists, while the other is a picture of a picture which will exist in the future. Notice again that all the material exists for the making of the picture which the artist is going to draw, and that his second mind picture has to do only with the arrangement of that material.

Of these two pictures which are in the artist’s mind, the first will not represent faith because of its basis being before the eye; but the second will answer for a representation of that principle, because, while all the material for the making of its basis exists, still the basis itself will not exist until the future. If the artist did not have this second picture in his mind, it would be impossible for him, as an artist, to please those whose approbation he deserved. This similitude may be carried still farther. For instance, take this text: “Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” Supposing the artist did have this second picture in his mind; although it would be possible for him to execute it, yet if he did not do so he would still fail to please. Indeed, he might say, “I have a picture in my mind,” but the public would say, “Show us the picture.” So we might say to God, “I have faith,” but his reply is, “Show me your faith by your works.”

“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Again we use our artist and his pictures for a comparison. His first mind picture came by seeing, but with the second it is not so. His second came by hearing, yes, by much hearing. Rule after rule had he listened to; time and again had he heard the repetition of those rules. From those rules he learned how to form his picture, and from the practicing of them he pressed on toward perfection in art.

Just as the artist’s second mind picture comes by the hearing of rules, so faith comes by hearing the word of God. The basis of our faith picture is Christ. Without his likeness in our minds and in our lives, it is impossible for us to please God. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory.” 2 Cor. 3: 18.

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The Christian’s hope lies in attaining to the character of Christ. If we look at the hoped-for home of the Christian, we may see that only with the character of Christ could the peace and happiness of that home be maintained. So we see that in a true picture of Christ’s character we have the substance of what we should hope for.

Also faith is the evidence of things not seen. This might be called the distinguishing feature between faith and credence. Faith and works are so closely allied that the former can hardly be imagined to exist without the latter. When the Bible speaks of faith without works, it speaks of it as being dead, which is about equal to saying that it is out of existence. It is because of the works that accompany it that “faith is the evidence of things not seen.”