FAITH AND UNBELIEF

1. Faith believes the Word of God; but UNBELIEF questions the certainty of it (John 20:31; Ps. 106:24).

2. Faith believes the Word, because it is true; but UNBELIEF doubts it, because it is true (1 Tim. 4:3; John 8:45).

3. Faith sees more in a promise of God to help, than in all other things to hinder; but UNBELIEF, notwithstanding God’s promise, say “how can these things be?” (Ro. 4:19-21; 2 Kings 7:2; John 3:11-12).

4. Faith will make you see love in the heart of Christ, when with his mouth he gives reproofs; but UNBELIEF will imagine wrath in his heart, when with his mouth and Word he says he loves us (Matt. 15:22-29; 25:24).

5. Faith will help the soul to wait, though God defers to give; but UNBELIEF will take offense and throw all away, if God makes any tarrying (Ps. 25:5; Isa 8:17; 2 Kings 6:33).

6. Faith will give comfort in the midst of fears; but UNBELIEF causes fears in the midst of comfort (2 Chr. 20:20-21; Matt. 8:26; Lk. 24:25)

7. Faith will suck sweetness out of God’s rod; but UNBELIEF can find no comfort in his greatest mercies (Ps. 23:4; Num. 21:1-5).

8. Faith makes great burdens light; but UNBELIEF makes light ones intolerably heavy (Matt. 11:28-30; Mal. 1:11-13)

9. Faith helps us when we are down; but UNBELIEF throws us down when we are up (Matt. 14:30-31; Mic. 7:8-10; Heb. 4:11).

10. Faith brings us near to God when we are far from him; but UNBELIEF puts us far from God when we are near to him (Heb. 10:22; 3:12-13).

11. Where faith reigns, it declares men to be the friends of God; but where UNBELIEF resigns, it declares them to be his enemies (Ja. 2:23; Heb. 3:18; Rev. 21:8).

12. Faith puts a man under grace; but UNBELIEF holds him under wrath (Rom. 3:24-26; Eph. 2:8; John 3:36; 1 John 5:10; Heb. 3:17; Mark 16:16; John 8:24).

The Greek word translated "faith" (pistos) means primarily "firm persuasion." "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1), being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see. This faith is that conviction of the truths of God's word and His gospel wrought in the heart by God, and which leads one to rely upon the promises of God in Christ. It has three vital aspects: knowledge of the truth; belief of the truth; and trust in the truth. This faith is "the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8; Acts 16:14; 18:27; Philippians 2:19), given in regeneration and exercised forever more. He who possesses faith may say, "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day" (2 Timothy 2:12)

~~~ O ~~~

If salvation depends upon our being or doing anything, we shall inevitably be lost. Thank God, it does not; for the great fundamental principle of the gospel is that Christ is all: man is nothing. It is not a mixture of Christ and man---it is all of Christ. The peace of the gospel does not rest in part on Christ’s work and in part on man’s work; it rests wholly on Christ’s work, because that work is perfect, perfect forever; and it renders all who put their trust in Him as perfect as Himself! Christ must either be a whole Saviour or no Saviour at all. The moment a man says, “Except you be this or that, you cannot be saved,” he totally subverts the gospel; for in the gospel I find Christ coming down to me, just as I am--a lost, guilty, self-destroyed sinner; and coming, moreover, with a full remission of all my sins, and a full salvation from my lost estate, all perfectly wrought by Himself on the cross.