"There was a time
when your hearth was cold-- not a sparkle of this fire could be found. How is
it that you love God so much now?
Faith supplies all
the graces with work. Faith is like a wealthy owner of wool who supplies
material to men who weave cloth. When the tradesman does not furnish supplies,
the spinners must stop their production. They have nothing to work with except
what the tradesman gives them. Thus faith gives out to each grace what it must
have to act upon.
Let us review one
or two graces as an example of all the rest. Repentance is a sweet grace but
faith has to make it work. For instance, Nineveh's repentance can be traced to
faith: "The people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put
on sackcloth" Jonah 3:5. Their repentance may have been nothing but
legalism, but it was as good as their faith. If their faith had been better,
their repentance would have been of a deeper quality too.
In the same way as
light causes the eye to focus on an object, faith uncovers sin in the
conscience. Thoughts soon arise like clouds and thicken into a storm until they
fill the soul with heavy black horror and trembling for sin. But at this point
the person is at a loss and cannot go any further into repentance until faith
sends in more support from the promise of pardon. When the sinner hears and
believes the promise, repentance can continue. And finally, the cloud of terror,
which the fear of wrath had gathered in the conscience dissolves into a soft
rain of evangelical sorrow.
Love is another
heavenly grace, but faith finds the fuel that makes it blaze. Was your soul
always flaming with love for God the way it is now? Undoubtedly there was a
time when your hearth was cold-- not a spark of this fire could be found. How
is it that you love God so much now? Surely you have heard some good news from
heaven!
Faith is the only
messenger, which can bring good news from heaven to the heart. It is faith that
proclaims the promise, opens Christ's riches, and pours out His name to
increase love in believers.”
Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings
in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell. http://www.moodypublishers.com/pub_productDetail.aspx?id=41823&pid=53617
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