26th December 2020
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
What an eminent grace is the grace of faith! I call it, sometimes, the Queen of graces; for faith seems to lead the van, though hope and love follow almost side by side. But still, faith, as the Queen, seems to go in the foremost rank, and to claim the most eminent place. Now, what is faith? That is a question of questions, for on it hangs heaven or hell. God himself has given us a clear definition of it, where he says, “faith is the substance of things hoped for.” In other words, faith in the soul gives a realisation to the things in which we are brought to hope, takes what to most men are airy shadows, mere words and names, and gives them a substantial existence, a firm abiding place in the heart and conscience. The Apostle calls it also “the evidence of things not seen.” That is, faith, by believing the testimony of God, is to us an internal eye, whereby we see those things, which to the natural eye are invisible. Thus adopting the Apostle’s definition, we may call faith the eye of the soul, as we read, “By faith he endured, seeing him who is invisible.” For it is only by faith that we see either God, or the precious things of God. It is only by faith that we feel their power. It is only by faith that we know they have a real subsistence, or that we ourselves have a substantial interest in them. But this faith is the special gift of God. It is not the exercise of any intellectual faculty. It is not the result of reasoning or argument. Nor does it spring from any historical proof. It is a special gift of God, a grace of the Spirit raised up by the power of God in the soul, and acting upon the truth of God as the blessed Spirit draws it forth. Jesus is the Author; Jesus is the finisher of it; and we have no more, and I believe no less faith, than he himself, by his almighty power, is pleased to grant and to sustain.
But, looking at faith and some of its properties, we may branch out a little in describing how faith acts. There is an expression of the Apostle’s that casts a sweet light upon the work of faith, where he says, “Unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” Here he brings forward a special operation of faith, in that it mixes with the word of truth. And it does it thus. God the Holy Ghost applies God’s word to the conscience. He thus raises up the grace of faith; this grace of faith embraces God’s testimony, and so intermingles itself with this testimony that it enters into it, appropriates it, and gives it a substantial realisation and personal indwelling. See how this was done in the instance of Abram. God comes to him in the night visions, and says to him, “Fear not, I am thy shield and exceeding great reward.” But Abram, in a fit of unbelief, says, “What wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?” The Lord then takes him abroad into the air, shews him the stars of the sky, and tells him, “So shall thy seed be.” Now here was the testimony of God in a certain promise to Abram’s conscience; upon this, faith immediately sprang up in his soul; for we read, “Abram believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” When God spake to his soul, Abram believed it by the operation of God’s Spirit on his heart. So it is with every child of God. He believes what God speaks to him, he inwardly, spiritually credits it, because he feels what God the Spirit, applies to his soul with power; for the same Spirit that applies God’s word to his heart raises up the faith in his soul that mixes with the word applied, and thus gives the word a substantial realisation, a firm abiding place in his conscience.
J. C. Philpot 1802-1869
