Christianity Not Based on Feeling but Faith.
There are many who believe, or at least this is indicated by many expressions, that Christianity is largely a religion of feeling, emotion, or sentiment; that its chief evidence to its devotees is the feelings which it gives. It is freely granted that this misconception of Christianity exists among many professed Christians. They are only Christians when they are wrought into an ecstasy of feeling at revivals, under powerful exhortations, or at some warm social meeting. Unless such excitement, incitement, or association continues, the religion wanes. Such religion must necessarily be ephemeral and shallow. Christianity is based on faith, and faith on God's eternal, omnipotent word. Genuine, lasting faith is absolute submission to God, persistently maintained. The individual yields himself up wholly to God, not only with respect to those things which seem evil in his eyes, but in respect to everything, whether it seem good or whether it seem evil. Christ purchased all, the entire being,—physical powers, mental faculties, the soul's aspirations, the heart's affections,—all, therefore, belong to him. Faith acknowledges God's ownership, and yields all to him. All the power to accomplish what is required or promised is in that word of God which requires or promises. Does God command to us seeming impossibilities?—There is power in the word to do the command if faith will but submit to do. Does God promise to us a seeming impossibility in the washing away of sin, the creation of a new heart, the infusion of a new life?—There is in the promise the power to do all this, if the sinner will only submit to have it done. "No word from God shall be void of power." Luke 1:37 (R. V.). Faith simply lays hold of the power which is in the word by submitting to the word. The electric car stands on the track dead. The powerful electric current flows along the wire overhead. The order is for the car to move. The motorman makes connection with the current by the trolley, and the car becomes animated with new life, and moves forward. Faith to the Christian is just what the trolley is to the electric car; it connects him with the life of God, the source of power. The Christian's confidence, it will be seen from the foregoing considerations, is not based on feeling, but on God's word. And that word does not change. Feeling may be absent, emotion may die away, but God's word abides. We are sinners; but Christ purchased us as sinners; and we, therefore, confess our sins and yield all to him. He forgives the sins, for so has he promised. It matters not whether we feel like it or not, the sin is forgiven, because we have submitted to the conditions, we have made connection with the Power which takes the sin away. In that promise we may rejoice. Satan may recall those sins by taunting us with them; we may be grieved by seeing their results before us; dark clouds may at times shut out the light of heaven; but God's word changes not, and our faith rests on the word. The sins are forgiven, for God has spoken. This faith will be more manifest in the time of trial. The worldling and sinner may walk together in sunlight and prosperity with little to distinguish between them; but let sorrow come, business reverses take place, friends forsake us, our good name be reviled, death remove loved ones from our presence, then it is that faith is tested. He whose hope is based on the seeming, the feeling, the immediate surroundings, will fail, while he whose hope is in the sure promises of God, will stand secure in Christ Jesus. His house cannot fall; it is founded on the Rock. This is genuine Christianity and its basis. Would there were more of it.