THE DAY OF REST. FAITH.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 241, 11 February 1888, Page 8 (Supplement)

THE DAY OF REST. FAITH.

Faith is absolutely necessary to the saving of the souJ. No man, that is, can be saved without it. It is, therefore, most important to know well what it means. Our object ia to explain it as clearly as possible. There arc two things which specially hinder an anxious soul from finding peace with God. 1. — One is, any mistake about the finished work of Christ. Those that think that Christ has left anything undone for them to do, before they can be saved, can have no peace. They aro never sure that their part of the work is properly done. But God has very plainly revealed that Christ has " put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself ;" and that, by Faith in Him, the believer has an interest in His death, and has the forgiveness of sins. 2. But another thing hinders the soul from finding peace. Some who understand that the Blood of Christ alone is sufficient for'fHeir pardon and acceptance with God, yet have no rest. It is because they mistake about the naturn and effects of Faith. We desire to help such as these. Faith is just taking God at His Word, believing what He says to be true, and acing upon it. Whatever our Faith may be exer?ised about, it ia the same thing. But we are now speaking of faith as exercised about the pardon of sins, on first coming to God, through Christ. It is the simple believing of His promises on the subject. People readily enough believe God in His threatenings. When they are awakened by tho Spirit to see their sin?, they believe tha^ they are under condemnation. Why ? Because God says so. They believe His Word. They expect that He will be faithful with his threateniogs. But saving faith is to believe that God will be equally faithful to His promises. Over and over again He promises, for Christ's sake, pardon and eternal life to all who accept Hit* promises as truo. He has received already, from His own Son, the price of their innsom. Redemption, the blood of Chiist, His death and resurrection, and God's promises of pardon because of them, aro all as real as sin and its condemnation. Faith ia to believe that God is as true to His promises as toflis threatenings. It is to trust Him, that, for Christ's sake, He really does what he promises— namely, forgives our sins. But this Faith is not a moy& general belief even in God's promises. It is an individual reliance upon them. It is the soul accepting the promises at applying to its own case, " Is this for wiftt" a«ks the anxious soul. Faith answers '* Yes !" Uftil it cornea to thn, there is no real Faith. Thus ie appears that Faith is a personal matter. It is the 4oul trusting itself, and its whole case, to the promises of God through Christ. It is a* so a personal trust in Christ, that He h»s mads, with Hii own blood, a ransom sufficient for all its guilt. Let us clear away & fow mistakes which many make about Faith. Remember that Faith itself does not save. We are saved by Faith, that is, through or hy vieans oj, Faith. It is Christ alone who saves. Faith is trusting him to save. We must not put Faith in the place of Christ. Faith is believing that there is salvation, not in it«elf, but in Christ. Faith is to the soul what the mouth is to the body. The mouth does not nourish the body, but receive* the food which does. So Faith does not tavo, but it is the receiving of Christ who does. You must be very clear about this. Some have a difficulty about the " weakness of their Faith." They think a veak Faith does not bring salvation. But it is not the strength or weakness of Faith that we are to look at, on first coming to Christ. If there is Faith at all— that is, a Bimple trust in Jesus, it brings salvation. Faith may also be described as being to the soul what the eye is to the body. It is "looking unto Jesus. ' You are not to look at your Faith, but at Christ. Just as, when you want to see anything, you do not think about your eyes, but just open them upon the object before you. The eye may be strong or weak ; but if it sees what is set before it, that is what is required. Strong Faith is, of course, a great blessing. But do not wnit for it before trusting Christ. Trust with what Faith you have. It will not grow by continuing to doubt. Then, remember that Faith is not a feeling. Some say they cannot believe, because they feel nothing. It would be very strange if they did feel anything, except the burden of condemnation, before believing in Jesup. You cannot "feel saved" before you really are. Just as you cannot feel rich, before you are so. But when the soul really believes in Christ, it not only "fe eh " thved, but, on the warrant of God'a word, known that it is. Faith does not rest upon any happy feelings, but upon Christ, and upon the Word of.Go-i. Again, Faith is not something which you can work up in your own heart, by "trying " to believe. Faith is not some method of self-help, bv which the sinner can save himself from condemnation. It is rather letting self go altogether. It is falling helpless into the arms of Christ, to be saved by Him. It is " flying for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us." It is not a work on our part at all. But ib is a giving up oj aJI mark for salvation, trusting to the work which Christ has done. There is nothing meritorious about Faith. H deserves nothing from God. Bather it is a throwing of yourself on His mercy. It is jujt believing that God, for Christ's sake, will deal with you in Grace— that is, as you >do nob deserve. Moreo\er, the Faith which brings salva tion is not a mere act of the intellect. Yoa way understand the way of salvation, and yet be unsaved Do not image yourself «aved, because you have had the Gospel put plainly before you. It is not enough just to know that there is salvation for sinners, and even for yourself personally. Faith is a process of the heart. " With the heart man foeiievetb unto righteousness." Faith is such a Irust in Christ, as brings rest to the anxious soul. It cannot be otherwise. The moment you really believe that sin was borne for you by the Lord Jesus Christ, your burden goes. You know that he left nothing of it for you to bear. He suffered for it that the believer might escape. Faith is the simple belief that this ia true. Lastly, Faith i§ a conscious act of the soul. When you really believe you will know it. There are many who think that it is impossible to be surest hat they believe. This is * mistake. It is simply impossible fco belisve without knowing it. You know if you are re»ting on the blood of Christ alone, and are perfectly satisfied that j through it you have forgiveness of sins. If you have any uneasiness about this, you are doubting the promises of God in Christ, in your own case. For if you believe them, they must assure you of God's forgiveness and favour. And therefore if you are nob sure that such a faith is yours, you had better earnestly consider the matter. May God enable you to do so.