3895 — Faith to Thyself
By Editor
There is a Scripture text something like this: "Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God." I can not find it in the Bible. Will you kindly explain it to me through the columns of our much valued paper? The text is found in Rom. 14:22. It is not given as an excuse to evade any duty which God has Himself given us in His Word, but the whole chapter does give us this lesson,—that we are not to judge others. It does not mean that we are not to teach others the better way; it does not mean that we are not to bring before them the duty which they owe to God; but it does mean that we are not to take the place of judge. That must be left between themselves and God. We can show them that God will judge according to His Word, and we can plead with others to bring their life into harmony with His Word; but we must not be faith for them, nor must we set ourselves up as their judge. The meaning of the text is to bring home God's truth to our own hearts, and live so holily before Him that we shall not be stumbling-blocks in the way of others. As in verses 12 and 13: "So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge ye this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block in his brother's way, or an occasion of falling. . . . The faith which thou hast, have thou to thyself before God."