SALVATION BY FAITH

"Kept through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." -- l Peter 1:5.

     While Peter looked to Jesus he walked on the water; when he looked at the waves he sank. In his trouble he cried to Jesus, "Lord, save me!" Tenderly taking him by the hand, and holding him up, in gentle reproof the Lord said, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" What a telling rebuke to a timid heart that would look on the waves, roll they ever so high! What a lesson to teach us that we should have confidence in God! And, again, what a marvelous display of God's power and care! No wonder, when they saw this miracle, and the wind immediately ceasing, that the disciples fell at Jesus' feet and worshiped Him, saying, "Of a truth Thou art the Son of God."

     It is not faith, in itself, that works miracles; but it is faith through which miraculous powers are set in operation. While true faith is all but omnipotent, -- "All things are possible to him that believeth," -- yet it steadfastly refuses to attempt a spectacular demonstration of its ability and thus tempt God; but false faith -- presumption -- foolishly casts itself down from the pinnacle of the temple and is dashed, helpless, on the pavement below. Faith may be wrongly grounded and hence be powerless, hut when once

     "Her feet are firmly planted on the Rock,

     Then 'mid the wildest storms she stands undaunted,

     Nor quails before the loudest thunder shock;

     She knows Omnipotence has heard her prayer,

     Cries, It shall be answered, sometime, somewhere."

     Faith leaves self and touches divinity. Faith leaves all else and stands alone, naked, trusting and confident, on Jesus Christ, the Rock of Ages. Phillips Brooks defines faith thus, "F-A-I-T-H means, Forsaking All, I Take Him."

     Faith is as necessary in pleasing Him as the confidence of a child in its parents is a necessity in pleasing them. "Without faith it is impossible to please God."

     Confidence in all of God's word is a necessity in order that we may trustfully and reverently approach any part of it; for as human beings, we would reason, "If His word fails once it may always fail."

     Trust in God's ability to fulfill His word lies at the foundation of all the miracle-working power of faith; for, if God cannot, because of impotence, perform any given act, how can I know that He is able to accomplish this thing for which I plead? But if I know that He is able to do, and that He desires to do, the thing for which I pray, I have strong grounds for believing that He will do that thing.

     Hence, we conclude, with Wesley, that genuine trust rests on a foundation that amounts to assurance. Is not this what John means when he says, "This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him"? What a firm foundation upon which to rest the feet of our faith! What an assurance of faith!

     Some teach that all men naturally have faith, and what all sinners need to do is to exercise powers that they already possess and they will be saved. But this is contrary to the word of God, which declares that "all men have not faith," and is one of the exploded tenets of the so-called semi-Pelagian heresy. "Faith," as well as grace, "is the gift of God," and He gives to all men who will receive, and gives liberally.

     Faith gets us into contact with God, the object of faith; faith connects us with God, the power of faith; saving faith brings into the heart and life God Himself, saving, cleansing, keeping, empowering and glorifying.

     Those who claim that it is impossible to live free from sin surely take this stand because they fail to realize the power possessed by a soul whose triumphant faith touches divinity. They are judging with reference to their own unaided powers, and are leaving God and His power out of the question. If we can, in the spirit, lose confidence in our own ability to stand, and, in faith, throw ourselves into the arms of divinity, we need never fail., for underneath are the everlasting, omnipotent arms.

     "Unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." Some think that the apostle means to say that the salvation of which He speaks is ready to be revealed in the last time; others, that the person who has salvation is ready to be revealed either here or in the last time. The revised version reads thus: "Who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

     The salvation of God saves both in this world and in the world to come. In this world we get only glimpses of its mighty glories, for, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."

     If a sight of the immortal glories of eternal salvation fail to rouse my sluggish powers to intense action that the prize may be gained, I am surely far from God. O God! win my earth-loving and heaven-rejecting self from the paltry things of time; so center and control my whole being, my affections, my desires, my ambitions, my mind, my body, my spirit, my all and in all, that they all may harmonize, like one strain in a grand orchestra, with those pursuits and tempers which make glad the angelic choirs.

     Salvation, in this world, is deliverance from sin. "His name shall be called Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins." Some one has said that we should not be ashamed of anything but sin. But God proposes to take away both guilt and pollution, and along with them, the shame for sin, by the incoming of His great salvation; then, they that trust in the Lord shall never be ashamed.

     But salvation in its final outcome means more than this. Let us note a few of these things.

     It means deliverance from temptation. In this world our adversary, the devil, the accuser of the brethren, goeth about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, or as an angel of light, attempting to deceive. But if the child of God is faithful he will finally and forever escape all these dangers.

     Salvation means deliverance from every bodily infirmity. The poet truly says:

     "No chilling winds or poisonous breath

     Can reach that healthful shore;

     Sickness and sorrow, pain and death,

     Are felt and feared no more."

     Salvation means deliverance from infirmities of the mind. Not that the saint shall ever be infinite or omniscient, but, in his sphere he will know all he should know, and will never err in judgment, for he will draw his wisdom fresh from the fount of all wisdom, and with unclouded vision will look into the face of the All-Wise.

     Salvation means to exchange an earthly home for a heavenly home. Some teach that we shall not go to heaven, but shall inherit, forever, this earth; others limit our habitation on the earth to a thousand years. Be this as it may, we will all admit that if the Paradise of the saints is on this earth, the earth, of necessity, must be renewed. Some have caught enrapturing visions of a glorified earth with luxurious vegetation, bursting fruits and perfect peace; but my soul catches a glimpse of that land where the ransomed have trod, a city which hath foundations, whose streets are paved with pure gold, whose walls are jasper, and whose gates are pearls; a city which hath no need of the sun or moon for light, for the Lamb is the light of it; a city in which there is no need of houses for warmth or shade from the heat, for neither shall the sun light on them nor any heat.

     Finally, salvation means eternal felicity. A happy deathbed, a glorious resurrection, a place with the glorified at the judgment, and an abiding seat at God's right hand; the companionship of angels and archangels, of the spirits of just men made perfect, and best of all, of the Man who died for us, His thorn-pierced but now glorified brow shining with heavenly radiance. With nail-pierced hands He will lead His ransomed to fountains of living water, to streams where they can drink forever of divine pleasure, and gaze eternally with enraptured vision into the face of benignant deity.

     O my soul, though great thy trials, greater still thy coming joys; though great thy burdens, greater still thy coming release; though great thy sufferings, greater still thy coming glory. Then weary not, if thy hands be torn with thorns; they shall be healed with leaves from the tree of life, and be given palms of victory to wave with the glorified. Though thy lot be sorrowful and thy trials severe, these conflicts shall soon have an end; and, if faithful, thy tired brow shall be crowned with never fading garlands of victory and thou shalt shine with the light which Christ has given thee as the stars forever and ever.