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Hope
Unlimited
Chapter
11: The Increase Of Faith
HOW CAN WE OBTAIN an increase of faith? This is a very earnest
question to many. They say they want to believe, but cannot. A great
deal of nonsense is talked upon this subject. Let us be strictly
practical in our dealing with it. Common sense is as much needed in
religion as anywhere else. "What am I to do in order to
believe?" One who was asked the best way to do a certain simple
act, replied that the best way to do it was to do it at once. We
waste time in discussing methods when the action is simple. The
shortest way to believe is to believe. If the Holy Spirit has made
you candid, you will believe as soon as truth is set before you. You
will believe it because it is true. The gospel command is clear;
"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be
saved." It is idle to evade this by questions and quibbles. The
order is plain; let it be obeyed.
But
still, if you have difficulty, take it before God in prayer. Tell
the great Father exactly what it is that puzzles you, and beg Him by
His Holy Spirit to solve the question. If I cannot believe a
statement in a book, I am glad to inquire of the author what he
means by it; and if he is a true man his explanation will satisfy
me; much more will the divine explanation of the hard points of
Scripture satisfy the heart of the true seeker. The Lord is willing
to make himself known; go to Him and see if it is not so. Repair at
once to your closet, and cry, "O Holy Spirit, lead me into the
truth! What I know not, please teach me."
Furthermore,
if faith seems difficult, it is possible that God the Holy Spirit
will enable you to believe if you hear very frequently and earnestly
that which you are commanded to believe. We believe many things
because we have heard them so often. Do you not find it so in common
life, that if you hear a thing fifty times a day, at last you come
to believe it? Some men have come to believe very unlikely
statements by this process, and therefore I do not wonder that the
good Spirit often blesses the method of often hearing the truth, and
uses it to work faith concerning that which is to be believed. It is
written, "Faith comes by hearing"; if this is the case
then we should hear often.
If I earnestly and attentively hear the gospel, one of these days I
shall find myself believing that which I hear, through the blessed
operation of the Spirit of God upon my mind. Only do make sure that
you hear the true gospel - do not distract your mind with either hearing or reading
that which is designed to stagger you.
If
that, however, should seem poor advice, I would add next, consider
the testimony of others. The Samaritans believed because of what the
woman told them concerning Jesus. Many of our beliefs arise out of
the testimony of others. I believe that there is such a country as
Japan; I never saw it, and yet I believe that there is such a place
because others have been there. I believe that I shall die; I have
never died, but a great many have done so whom I once knew, and
therefore I have a conviction that I shall die also. The testimony
of many convinces me of that fact.
Listen, then, to those who tell
you how they were saved, how they were pardoned, how they were
changed in character. If you will look into the matter you will find
that somebody just like yourself has been saved. If you have been a
thief, you will find that a thief rejoiced to wash away his sin in
the fountain of Jesus' blood. If unhappily you have been unchaste,
you will find that men and women who have fallen in that way have
been cleansed and changed. If you are in despair, you have only to
get among God's people, and inquire a little, and you will discover
that some of the saints have been equally in despair at times and
they will be pleased to tell you how the Lord delivered them. As you
listen to one after another of those who have tried the word of God,
and proved it, the divine Spirit will lead you to believe. Have you
not heard of the African who was told by the missionary that water
sometimes became so hard that a man could walk on it? He declared
that he believed a great many things the missionary had told him;
but he would never believe that. When he came to England it came to
pass that one frosty day he saw the river frozen, but he would not
venture on it. He knew that it was a deep river, and he felt certain
that he would be drowned if he ventured upon it. He could not be
induced to walk the frozen water till his friend and many others
went upon it; then he was persuaded, and trusted himself where
others had safely ventured. So, while you see others believe in the
Lamb of God, and notice their joy and peace, you will yourself be
gently led to believe. The experience of others is one of God's ways
of helping us to faith. You have either to believe in Jesus or die;
there is no hope for you but in Him.
A
better plan is this - note the authority upon which you are commanded
to believe, and this will greatly help you to faith. The authority
is not mine, or you might as well reject it. But you are commanded to
believe upon the authority of God himself. He bids you believe in
Jesus, and you must not refuse to obey your Maker. The
foreman of a certain works had often heard the gospel, but he was
troubled with the fear that he might not come to Jesus. His good
master one day sent a card around to the works - "Come to my
house immediately after work." The foreman appeared at his
master's door, and the master came out, and said somewhat roughly,
"What do you want, John, troubling me at this time? Work is
done, what right have you here?" "Sir," said he,
"I had a card from you saying that I was to come after
work." "Do you mean to say that merely because you had a
card from me you are to come up to my house and call me out after
business hours?" "Well, Sir," replied the foreman,
"I do not understand you, but it seems to me that, as you sent
for me, I had a right to come." "Come in, John," said
his master, "I have another message that I want to read to
you," and he sat down and read these words: "Come unto me,
all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest." "Do you think that after receiving such a message from
Jesus that
you can be wrong in coming to him?" The poor man saw it all at
once, and believed in the Lord Jesus unto eternal life, because he
perceived that he had good warrant and authority for believing. So
have you, poor soul! You have good authority for coming to Jesus,
for the Lord himself bids you trust Him.
If
that does not breed faith in you, think over what it is that you
have to believe - that the Lord Jesus suffered in the place
and stead of sinners, and is able to save all who trust Him. Why,
this is the most blessed fact that ever men were told to believe;
the most suitable, the most comforting, the most divine truth that
was ever set before mortal minds. I advise you to think much upon
it, and search out the grace and love which it contains. Study the
four Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, study Paul's epistles, and then see if the message
is not such a credible one that you are forced to believe it.
If
that does not do, then think upon the person of Jesus - think
of who He is, and what He did, and where He is, and what He is. How
can you doubt Him? It is cruelty to distrust the ever truthful
Jesus. He has done nothing to deserve distrust; on the contrary, it
should be easy to rely upon Him. Why crucify Him anew by unbelief?
Is not this crowning Him with thorns again, and spitting upon Him
again? What! is He not to be trusted? What worse insult did the
soldiers pour upon Him than this? They made Him a martyr; but you
make Him a liar - this is worse by far. Do not ask how can I believe?
But answer another question - How can you disbelieve?
If
none of these things avail, then there is something wrong about you
altogether, and my last word is, submit yourself to God! Prejudice
or pride is at the bottom of this unbelief. May the Spirit of God
take away your enmity and make you yield. You are a rebel, a proud
rebel, and that is why you do not believe your God. Give up your
rebellion; throw down your weapons; yield at discretion, surrender
to your King. I believe that whenever a soul throws up his or her hands in
self-despair, and cries, "Lord, I yield," faith
immediately steps in and starts to flourish. It is because you still have a
quarrel with God, and resolve to have your own will and your own
way, that therefore you cannot believe. "How can ye
believe," said Jesus, "that have honor one of
another?" Pride creates unbelief. Submit, O man. Submit, O
woman. Yield to
your God, and then shall you sweetly believe in your Saviour. May
the Holy Ghost now work secretly but effectually with you, and bring
you at this very moment to believe in the Lord Jesus!
He
loves you. He waits. Amen.
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