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It becomes us to be modest in
answering such a question, for God's ways are not
always to be understood; nor are we allowed
presumptuously to question them. Humbly we would
reply that, as far as we can tell, faith has been
selected as the channel of grace, because there is a
natural adaptation in faith to be used as the
receiver. Suppose that I am about to give a poor man
a gift: I put it into his hand - why? Well, it would
hardly be fitting to put it into his ear, or to lay
it upon his foot; the hand seems made on purpose to
receive. So, in our mental frame, faith is created
on purpose to be a receiver: it is the hand of the
man, and there is a fitness in receiving grace by
its means.
Do let me put this very
plainly. Faith which receives Christ is as simple an
act as when your child receives an apple from you,
because you hold it out and promise to give him the
apple if he comes for it. The belief and the
receiving relate only to an apple; but they make up
precisely the same act as the faith which deals with
eternal salvation. What the child's hand is to the
apple, that your faith is to the perfect salvation
of Christ. The child's hand does not make the apple,
nor improve the apple, nor deserve the apple; it
only takes it; and faith is chosen by God to be the
receiver of salvation, because it does not pretend
to create salvation, nor to help in it, but it is
content humbly to receive it. "Faith is the tongue
that begs pardon, the hand which receives it, and
the eye which sees it; but it is not the price which
buys it." Faith never makes herself her own plea,
she rests all her argument upon the blood of Christ.
She becomes a good servant to bring the riches of
the Lord Jesus to the soul, because she acknowledges
where the riches come form, and acknowledges that
only grace and grace alone entrusted her with these
riches.
Faith, again, is doubtless
selected because it gives all the glory to God. It
is of faith that it might be by grace, and it is of
grace that there might be no boasting; for God
cannot endure pride. "The proud He knows from afar,"
and He has no wish to come nearer to them. He will
not give salvation in a way which will suggest or
foster pride. Paul says, "Not of works, lest any man
should boast." Now, faith excludes all boasting. The
hand which receives charity does not say, "I am to
be thanked for accepting the gift"; that would be
absurd. When the hand conveys bread to the mouth it
does not say to the body, "Thank me; for I feed
you." It is a very simple thing that the hand does
though a very necessary thing; and it never
arrogates glory to itself for what it does. So God
has selected faith to receive the unspeakable gift
of His grace, because it cannot take to itself any
credit, but must adore the gracious God who is the
giver of all good. Faith sets the crown upon the
right head, and therefore the Lord Jesus chose to
put the crown upon the head of faith, saying, "Thy
faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
Next, God selects faith as the
channel of salvation because it is a sure method,
linking man with God. When man confides in God,
there is a point of union between them, and that
union guarantees blessing. Faith saves us because it
makes us cling to God, and so brings us into
connection with Him. I have often used the following
illustration, but I must repeat it, because I cannot
think of a better. I am told that years ago a boat
was upset above the falls of Niagara, and two men
were being carried down the current, when persons on
the shore managed to float a rope out to them, which
rope was seized by them both. One of them held fast
to it and was safely drawn to the bank; but the
other, seeing a great log come floating by, unwisely
let go the rope and clung to the log, for it was the
bigger thing of the two, and apparently better to
cling to. Alas! the log with the man on it went
right over the vast abyss, because there was no
union between the log and the shore. The size of the
log was no benefit to him who grasped it; it needed
a connection with the shore to produce safety. So
when a man trusts to his works, or to sacraments, or
to anything of that sort, he will not be saved,
because there is no junction between him and Christ;
but faith, though it may seem to be like a slender
cord, is in the hands of the great God on the shore
side; infinite power pulls in the connecting line,
and thus draws the man from destruction. Oh the
blessedness of faith, because it unites us to God!
Faith is chosen again, because
it touches the springs of action. Even in common
things faith of a certain sort lies at the root of
all. I wonder whether I shall be wrong if I say that
we never do anything except through faith of some
sort. If I walk across my study it is because I
believe my legs will carry me. A man eats because he
believes in the necessity of food; he goes to
business because he believes in the value of money;
he accepts a check because he believes that the bank
will honor it. Columbus discovered America because
he believed that there was another continent beyond
the ocean; and the Pilgrim Fathers colonized it
because they believed that God would be with them on
those rocky shores. Most grand deeds have been born
of faith; for good or for evil, faith works wonders
by the man in whom it dwells. Faith in its natural
form is an all-prevailing force, which enters into
all manner of human actions. Possibly he who derides
faith in God is the man who in an evil form has the
most of faith; indeed, he usually falls into a
credulity which would be ridiculous, if it were not
disgraceful. God gives salvation to faith, because
by creating faith in us He thus touches the real
mainspring of our emotions and actions. He has, so
to speak, taken possession of the battery and now He
can send the sacred current to every part of our
nature. When we believe in Jesus, and the heart has
come into the possession of God, then we are saved
from sin, and are moved toward repentance, holiness,
zeal, prayer, consecration, and every other gracious
thing. "What oil is to the wheels, what weights are
to a clock, what wings are to a bird, what sails are
to a ship, that faith is to all holy duties and
services." Have faith, and all other graces will
follow and continue to hold their course.
Faith, again, has the power of
working by love; it influences the affections toward
God, and draws the heart after the best things. He
that believes in God will beyond all question love
God. Faith is an act of the understanding; but it
also proceeds from the heart. "With your heart you
believe and are justified"; and this is why God
gives salvation to faith because it resides next
door to the affections, and is near akin to love;
and love is the parent and the nurse of every holy
feeling and act. Love to God is obedience, love to
God is holiness. To love God and to love man is to
be conformed to the image of Christ; and this is
salvation.
Moreover, faith creates peace
and joy; he that hath it rests, and is tranquil, is
glad and joyous, and this is a preparation for
heaven. God gives all heavenly gifts to faith, for
this reason among others, that faith works in us the
life and spirit which are to be eternally manifested
in the upper and better world. Faith furnishes us
with armour for this life, and education for the
life to come. It enables a man both to live and to
die without fear; it prepares both for action and
for suffering; and hence the Lord selects it as a
most convenient medium for conveying grace to us,
and thereby securing us for glory.
Certainly faith does for us
what nothing else can do; it gives us joy and peace,
and causes us to enter into rest. Why do men attempt
to gain salvation by other means? An old preacher
says, "A silly servant who is bidden to open a door,
sets his shoulder to it and pushes with all his
might; but the door stirs not, and he cannot enter,
use what strength he may. Another comes with a key,
and easily unlocks the door, and enters right
readily. Those who would be saved by works are
pushing at heaven's gate without result; but faith
is the key which opens the gate at once." Reader,
will you not use that key? The Lord commands you to
believe in His dear Son, therefore you may do so;
and doing so you shall live. Is not this the promise
of the gospel, "He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved"? (Mark 16:16). What can be your
objection to a way of salvation which commends
itself to the mercy and the wisdom of our gracious
God? |
