1868 What is Faith, Charles Reply
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WHAT IS FAITH
In the September
number of the Australian Christian Pioneer there is an article
headed 'Faith-What is it?' The subject is introduced by
informing the reader that Faith has been much spoken and written
about, and that, notwithstanding this, it is a subject
concerning which there are many `indefinite ideas' abroad, and
we suppose that this will be disputed by nobody. The writer
further states that his object is to elicit truth, also to
impart information, and therefore to do something towards
increasing the happiness of all, whether saint or sinner. This
is a most praiseworthy motive and as the writer also states that
he cares not where the landing is made, provided that it be
within the domain of truth, we suppose there can be no objection
on his part, to a little more writing by another brother on the
same topic, and with the same purpose before us both. We must,
at the outset, own that we are not satisfied with the article,
and that it has failed to render our ideas on this subject
clearer, but that on the contrary there appears to be a haze
hanging over the article which we should like to see dispelled.
In other words, we feel sure that either we have mimed the track
in our investigations on this point, or that our friend S. has.
And the point at issue between us is this, is Faith simple or
compound in its essence? Our friend and brother considers that
at least there are two elements in Faith, we that there is but
one, and that one is belief, and that Christian Faith is the
belief of the truth ;-the truth as it is in Jesus. On reading
the article we were painfully reminded of the quotation from
Pollok, as given by our late brother Campbell:
Faith was bewilder'd much by men who meant
To make it clear; so simple in itself,
A thought so rudimental and so plain.
That none by comment could it plainer
make.
All faith was one; in object, not in
kind
The difference Iay. The faith
that saved the soul
And that which in the common truth
believed
In essence were the same. Hear, then,
what faith,
True Christian Faith, which brought
salvation,
Belief in all that God reveal'd to men;
[was,
Observe,-in all that God reveal'd to
men,
In all He promised, threaten'd,
commanded, said,
Without exception and without a doubt.
We by no means endorse
many of Pollok's sentiments as
delivered in 'The Course of Time,' but we certainly do this,
that `Faith is Simple,' and that the faith that saves a soul,
and that which receives common testimony are in essence the
same. But neither Pollok, nor S., nor M. is umpire here. `To
the law and to the testimony : if they speak not according to
this word, it is because there is no light in them.'-Isaiah
viii. 20. To the law and to the testimony, then, we go ; we
knock here and ask WHAT is Faith ? In the Old Testament we find
that the word occurs but twice, and possibly in one of these it
has not its New Testament application, but would be better
rendered 'faithfulness.' But let us turn to the New Testament
and see what light that will throw on the question-Are faith and
belief synonymous? Our translators
appear to have been very chary of the
noun 'belief,' its cognate verb `believe' occurs frequently, but
' belief" only once in the whole Bible. In Thessalonians 2, ii.
13, we read, 'But we are bound to give thanks alway to rod for
you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the
beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the
spirit and belief of the truth.' And on turning to our Greek
testament we find that this is the identical word which is
elsewhere rendered faith. In the first epistle of John v. 9,
10, 11, we read, 'If we receive the witness of men, the witness
of God is greater : for this is the witness of God which he hath
testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God bath
the ' witness in himself : he that believeth not God hath made
him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of
his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us
eternal life, and this life is in his Son.' Good reader, does
not this throw light on the nature of Faith ? Are not the
believer and the unbeliever placed in contrast? Is not the
believer, `he that believeth' ? Is not the unbeliever, `he that
believeth not ? Is not `he that believeth ' synonymous with 'the
man who has faith? Is not `he that believeth not'! ` the man who
has not faith'? And does, not this
passage also throw light on the guilt
of unbelief, and show us what an enormous crime it is? God,
through Jesus, has spoken to man. Jesus has produced evidence
that `He and his Father are one;' and although that evidence is
ample, men heed it not, and the awful consequence is that in
doing so 'they make God a liar,' i.e. they treat the God of
truth as though He were a liar, and unworthy of credit ! Such is
unbelief. The reverse of this is, receiving God's testimony as
true, and that is Faith ; for, says John in his iii. chapter and
33rd verse, 'He that hath received his testimony hath set to his
seal that God is true. Let us next examine the great commission
as given by Mark, xvi. 15-16, ` Go ye into all the world, and
preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be
damned.' ` Preach the gospel.' Why ? surely that it might be
believed, or, in other words, that
man might have faith in it. This looks in the same direction.
Once more, we listen to Paul
in his letter to the Romans, i. 16,
he writes, 'For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ ; for
it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that
believeth.' `It is the power of God unto salvation. To whom':
'To every one that believeth.' Is not this every one that has
faith in it. Other passages might be adduced, but we think these
sufficient, and, before turning our attention to the passage in
the Hebrews, we just remark that the word rendered faith, and
the word rendered believe are cognate ; and that, therefore, in
the original they appear to the eye more nearly identical than
in our English version, where we have one of them rendered by a
derivative from the Latin, and the other by one from the
Saxon.
Here we will rest for the present. We have a
word further for next month.
M
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