p. 5 | THROUGH FAITH TO LIFE by William Covert

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 20, 1904

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 16.

THROUGH FAITH TO LIFE.

By William Covert

FAITH is that manifestation of God's life which enables the mind to grasp and to appropriate truth. It is the communicator of life through the perceptive faculties. The living current flows to man through this channel. "Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Gal. 3: 26.

Faith is the avenue by which all the supplies of grace are brought to man. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for." Heb. 11: 1. Can anything do a more wonderful service for man than faith, which carries him into the future, and gives to him the very "substance of things hoped for"? Faith is the counterpart of things yet to be.

Faith a Connecting Link.

Faith is to the mind what the stem is to the growing fruit. Through the stem the life and quality of the vine flow into the fruit. As the plant rootlets drink in the food elements, and conduct them through the stem to the fruit, so does faith convey the power of God's Spirit to the soul, establishing and maintaining connection with the divine life. "We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand." Rom. 5: 2.

Standing by faith in God's grace, places the believer where a thousand glorious things are seen. Faith unlocks all the chambers in the palaces of God. Looking in upon the riches and the glory of their treasures, its possessor rejoices at what the eyes of his understanding behold. He sees into eternity, and senses that all things are good.

The Living Touch.

Christ had just returned from Gadara, over the lake, to a town on the western shore of Galilee. There He was met by a needy throng. Among them, Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, came, and, kneeling at His feet, asked that his dying daughter might be healed. On hearing this request of paternal love, Jesus followed Jairus, to restore her. As the people pressed hard upon Him, impeding His steps, a feeble and timid woman, who had long wanted to see Jesus and be healed, extended her hand with an effort, and gently touched the hem of His garment.

Christ's Life Goes Out to Meet the Touch of Faith.

In a moment she felt the impulse of renewing life. "And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him, turned Him about in the press, and said, Who touched My clothes?" He had been jostled from every side by the multitude, but only this afflicted woman had touched Him by faith. That faith, as real as the electric current, thrilled His being, and He felt the responsive power of life go out to her in answer to her soul's desire for relief.

That one touch halted all the throng; and the woman, knowing she was healed, prostrated herself before Jesus, and told Him all the story of her affliction, her confident touch, and her restoration. Tenderly she was assured that her faith had made her whole. She could now depart in peace, and be well. Through faith a new life had taken possession of her whole being.

While Jesus was dismissing the modest, but now happy, woman to her home, a bearer of sad tidings announced to Jairus that his daughter was dead, and that it was needless now to ask the Master to come. Hearing the sorrowful news from the messenger, Jesus said to the grief-smitten father, "Fear not; believe only, and she shall be made whole."

The multitude were then sent away, and Jesus, with the parents, accompanied by Peter, James, and John, entered the chamber where the lifeless daughter lay. Death had slain its tender and beautiful victim; but the Conqueror of death was present; and, stepping to the bedside, He took the cold, pale hand in His, and mildly said, "Damsel, I say unto thee, arise."

Jairus' Daughter Raised from the Dead.

Immediately the living power did its work, and the damsel was well. The father's strong faith believed that altho his child was dead, Christ would then and there restore her to life, and the Saviour would not disappoint his fond hopes. Who would not go to such a Saviour for help?

Tho commanded not to report her restoration, nor even to mention it to their neighbors, it was impossible to keep such glad news from spreading abroad. Jairus, his wife, and their restored daughter were to go about as tho nothing unusual had occurred. Ah! the blessed work of Jesus always tells its own story.

This is a wonderful lesson in modest humility. The joyful faces of the father and the mother, the living presence in the neighborhood of one whom the people knew to have been dead, published the wonderful story of life more effectively than words could make it known.

Unbelief a Destroyer.

"Without faith it is impossible to please Him." Heb. 11: 6. Wisdom, knowledge, vigilance, courage, industry, love, joy, peace, gentleness, victory, loyalty to God, and all other good qualities in man, are the fruits of faith.

Could Satan destroy faith, then all these would be nullified. Satan's studied effort is to cause man to doubt God's Word. The apostle says, "The god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." 2 Cor. 4: 4. The darkened mind is the missile of death. The intent and effect of unbelief is to keep the life of Christ from the mind. While unbelief remains, death prevails. He that abides in darkness is kept from life.

The Night-bird Can Not See the Sun.

Satan's stronghold is unbelief. His deepest pit is doubt. His highest wall is reared by one who says, "I can not." Satan's widest ditch is dug by him who shuts his eyes. His widest field is ignorance. Of those serving in his ranks the apostle says they are "without God in the world." Of them in action the poet Coleridge wrote:—

"Forth from his dark and lonely hiding-place, Portentous sight! the owlet Atheism, Sailing on obscene wing athwart at noon, Drops his blue, fringed lids and holds them close, And, hooting at the glorious sun in heaven, Cries out, 'Where is it?'"

Unbelief is always negative. It has made nothing but mischief. It has kept nothing better than dread. It has forwarded nothing that would help. It has saved nothing lovely or good. It has done nothing but kill, tear down, or destroy; and of these it has done and is doing all.