LIVING FAITH

 

(by Bishop W. C Hunter)

 

We are going to talk about a very important and special subject for everyday life:  Faith. We don't want you to take our word for it, but we do want you to go with us into the Word of God.   People talk a great deal about faith, but they seldom live it. 

 

Let's go to St. Matthew 8:23-27 and see what the Word of God has to say. 

 

"And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.  And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, in so much that the ship was covered with the waves:  but he was asleep." 

 

There are many times in our lives when it seems that great tempests of the world and the devil come up against us in a great way until it seems to cover everything.  Temptations, trials, and many other things come up.

 

" And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying , Lord, save us:  we perish."

 

Even though they were with the Savior all along, Jesus Christ, Salvation Himself, they feared.  The 26th verse says,

 

"And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? . . . "

 

I have received a lot of letters and telephone calls from people who are fearful.  People are dropping dead and having heart attacks because of fear.  Jesus said they were of little faith.  The scripture goes on to say,

 

". . . Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea.”

 

Troubles and trials come forth.  Many are overcome with fear and they cry out for rescue, but there must come a rebuking by faith before the rescue.  The Bible tells us that after Jesus' rebuke,

"and there was a great calm." 

 

The Word of God does the rebuking.  It was God's Word that rebuked the wind and the sea.  Today, preachers preach the Word, and the Word of God rebukes.  After the rebuke comes a great calm.  People cry and complain about this and that.  Yet, when a rebuke comes forth, they still will not see where they have been wrong or where they have fallen short.  Jesus' disciples did not have faith, and Jesus had to rebuke them also.  He said, "O ye of little faith."  The scripture says, 

 

"But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this?" 

 

Why should they have marveled?  They should have known that Jesus was God in the flesh.  They should have known that He was one hundred percent man and one hundred percent God.   They should have realized that He made the wind and the sea and that they were no problem to Him.  We should also know that He can control the storms and trials in our lives.  The disciples said,

 

"What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!"

 

The Word of God has spoken to many hearts, but people will not hearken to the Word of God. 

 

St. Matthew 7:24-25 says, "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not:  for it was founded upon a rock"

 

There are many who fall today because they are set upon the wrong foundation.  They don't have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

St. Luke 18: 1-8 says, "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”

 

They should not give up, but we know that the average person does just the opposite.  The scripture goes on to say,  " Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man . . .”

 

This man was self-willed, self-concerned, and self-made. 

 

"And there was a widow in that city; and she come unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.  And he would not for a while:  but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me." 

 

Jesus spoke this parable to get a point over to us.  We ought not cease to pray.  The scripture goes on to say, 

 

"And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.  Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" 

 

People lack faith today.  They ask God to give them more faith; some even try to send off through the mail for faith or ask preachers to pray that God will give them faith.  A person must understand clearly what faith is, where it comes from, and how to get it.  A person cannot buy faith, pray for faith, or send for mail order or prepackaged faith; a person could pray like the hypocrites, using vain repetitions, and all kinds of words that he doesn't even believe himself.  God won't answer that kind of vanity.

 

Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." 

 

This faith that Jesus is talking about is not something you see, but the evidence of things you do not see.

 

--by Bishop W. C. Hunter