Now, with that as an introduction, let's go on
to this thing of faith. Volumes have been written.
Volumes more have been spoken regarding this
something that's called faith. And yet, in the
final analysis, we actually know so little about
this subject. And the more that I grow spiritually
and the deeper that I go into the spiritual things,
the more I will have to confess to you that I
recognize the fact that I know practically nothing
about faith. All that I can tell you is the fact
that faith is that quality or that power by which
the things desired become the things possessed.
That's the nearest to a definition of faith attempted
even by the very inspired Word of God. You cannot
weigh it or confine it to a container. It's not
something that you can take out and look at and
analyze. You definitely cannot put your finger
on it and positively say, this is it. To try
to explain it is almost like trying to define
energy in one comprehensive statement. In the
realm of... We're told that the atom is a world
within itself. That the potential energy contained
within this tiny world is such that it bewilders
the mind of the average person. Try to define
it. Try to define electricity. Attempt to define
these things. You'll run into difficulties. And
so it is with faith in the realm of the spirit.
But although it is not easy to define exactly
what faith is, we know what it is not. One of
the most common errors that we make in this regard
is to confuse faith with presumption. We must
be constantly alert to the danger of mistaking
one for the other, for there's a vast difference
between the two. Here's a pebble on the beach,
for example. But the beach is more than the pebble.
And when the pebble asserts that it is the beach,
then we say to it, you are assuming too much.
There are many who mix the ingredients of their
own mental attitude with a little confidence,
a pinch of trust. a generous handful of religious
egotism. They proceed to add some belief along
with many other ingredients. Mixing it all together
in a spiritual crucible, they label the total
result as faith. Actually, it's likely to be
more presumption than faith. Faith is more than
belief. It's more than confidence. It's more
than trust. And above all, it is never boastful.
If it is pure faith, Holy Ghost faith, it will
never work contrary to the Word of God. Neither
will it work contrary to His wisdom and His will.
Always remember that. Holy Ghost faith will never
work contrary to the Word of God. Never. It will
never work contrary to the perfect will of God.
There have been times when I've felt faith so
permeate every part of my being that I've dared
to say and do things that had I leaned into my
own understanding, my own reason, I would never
have done so. And yet, it flowed through every
word, every act with such resistible power that
I literally stood in wonder at the mighty works
of the Lord. And one thing I know, in you and
in me, apart from God, There are no ingredients,
there are no qualities which, however mixed or
combined, will create even so much as the smallest
seed of Bible faith. Let us just reason together
in a very simple understanding way. If I wanted
to cross a lake, And there were no means of getting
across except by boat. The sensible thing for
me to do would be to secure a boat. It would
be most foolish for me to seek the other side
of the lake when I needed to seek the proper
conveyance to get there. Therefore, get the boat.
And if I get the boat, it'll take me to the other
side of the lake. Now. Where do we get the faith
that will take us across the lake? The answer
to this question is positive and sure. Faith
is a gift of God or a fruit of the Spirit. And
whether it be gift or fruit, the source of faith
remains the same. It comes from God and is a
gift of God. If faith is powerless, it's not
faith. You cannot have faith without results
any more than you can have motion without movement.
The thing we sometimes call faith is only trust.
And although we trust the Lord, it is faith which
has action and power. The disciples and the master
were on the waters of... Galilee. It was a beautiful
day. The lake was calm and serene. There was
scarcely a cloud in the sky when suddenly a terrific
storm arose. The poor disciples were terror -stricken.
The wind was blowing in all of his fury, and
the little boat was about to capsize, and they
were certain that their very lives were at stake.
Finally, in desperation, they awakened the sleeping
Christ. He wasn't a bit perturbed. Very calmly,
he asked just one question. Where is your faith?
That's all that he said. Where is your faith?
Where was it? Had they left it on shore before
entering the boat? Had it dropped to the depth
of the sea on which their little boat was sailing?
Had it fled on the shoulders of the storm? Just
where was their faith? What a question. And that
question came from the lips of the author and
the finisher of our faith. Their faith had been
resting in the stern of the boat. Their faith
was with them all the time. It had never left
them for one second. It was right there in the
stern of the boat. He was their faith. But the
mistake that they had made was in forgetting
the... the fact of his presence while discerning
the fact of the storm. That's exactly what Jesus
meant when he said, without me you can do nothing.
Why? He then is our faith. Without me you can
do nothing. I can do nothing without him. Why?
Because He is my faith. Without Him, you can
do nothing. For He then is your faith. When we
become defeated, when we fasten our eyes on circumstances,
on our problems, on our weaknesses, on our physical
illnesses, The surest way in the world to be
defeated is to focus our mind on ourselves. The
storm will capsize our little boat. Of that I
am positive. If we get our eyes on ourselves,
the storm will capsize your little boat. And
yet the fact remains that our faith for victory
is nearer to us than our hands or our feet. No
person need ever be defeated on a single score.
No person needs to lack faith for the victory.
as long as they have their eyes on Jesus Christ.
He is our faith. I'm wondering if in the stillness
of this moment, he may be asking you the same
question that he asked the disciples on that
day. day as they were together on the waters
of Galilee, when that terrific storm arose. They
were terror -stricken, afraid. It was a moment
of seemingly defeat for them. And then, Jesus
asks just one question of them. Where is your
faith? Somehow, through the darkness of this
hour, can't you hear him asking you the same
question? Child of mine, where is your faith?
You've struggled so long. You prayed and yet
it seemed as though nothing ever happened. Your
waters have been so deep. The storm is still
raging round about you. Be quiet. Be still. He's
asking you the question. Where is your faith?
Why, bless you, your faith is resting right there
in the stern of the boat. Your faith is right
there, closer to you than you ever dreamed possible.
He is your faith. Feel his wonderful presence.
Get your eyes off of circumstances. Get your
eyes off of the storm. And put your sights on
Jesus.