FAITH IS THE ISSUE

Jesse Gistand

But without faith it is impossible to please God. If faith is what is needed to please GOD then faith alone is what we need. And faith indeed is what we all need. We do not need prayer, we do not penance, we do not need self esteem, we do not need wisdom, we do not need knowledge, we do not need perseverance. We need faith. While all these other things are good and proper and have their place, without faith every man will perish with these things. What then is this precious thing called faith? Faith is the point of contact between all that GOD has promised the sinner in Christ and the sinner realizing them.

There is no possible way in GOD’S heaven that a sinner can embrace and have hope in the glorious prospects of GOD’S everlasting blessing’s in Christ, though he may be vividly aware of them and instructed in the particulars of them. He may have known from his youth the doctrine of the atoning work of Jesus Christ, Christ perfect and everlasting righteousness, thorough and complete satisfaction of divine justice, Spiritual sonship, constant and endless fellowship with all three persons of the divine being, and everlasting glory through Jesus Christ, yet without faith these great and precious promise are as far from that man as was poor Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham from that rich fool was in Hell. The gulf was to great to cross over. And the gulf between sinful man and all the promises of Holy GOD are too great for him to cross over by any other thing than faith.

Now some speak of faith as though it were as easy to come by, as though it were as accessible as the morning newspaper or a cup of coffee. If this were true many more people would be pleasing GOD than appears. People all over the world and in every quarter would be rejoicing in the Christ of GOD. They would be resting, totally resting in the finished work of the Son OF GOD. They would be singing with grace in their hearts about GOD’S grace in Christ, But this is not so. The churches would be preaching the person and work of Jesus Christ as the amen to all of God’s promises, But this not so. Amongst those who profess to be Christian Christ would manifestly have the preeminence. But this is not so.

The fact is faith is despised by most people, and the things above that were afore mentioned are promoted way out in front of faith because they are truly more accessible, like the news paper or the cup of coffee, and so men go to it and lap those things up like a dog to water. The fact is that faith is not that easy to come by. The fact is that sense of dissatisfaction in your worship, in your praying, in your repentance, in your service, in your doing, is because it’s without faith. And you know as well as I that you’re not pleasing GOD by it. You see the real problem with sinners is not what they are doing or not doing, it’s a lack of faith! Now some will say that faith without works is dead. True! But I say that works without faith ,which is far more prevalent, is twice dead. And would constitute the majority of that which passes for Christianity today.

Let us be honest now my friends as we conclude our meditation on Faith. Your problem and mine is and will always be, if we’re not pleasing GOD, unbelief in the True and Living GOD! We don’t believe GOD! And get a hold to this. As it is impossible to please GOD without faith, which is the substance of things hoped for ,the evidence of things not seen, even so, it is impossible to have faith without GOD.

And here is the reason that men despise faith. It is the gift of GOD they can’t work for it.

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