Chapter 15 -- The Glorifying of God by Faith
"He
wavered not through unbelief; but waxed strong through faith, giving
glory to God. Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for
righteousness." Rom. 4: 20, 22.
The question is frequently asked by those
who have not yet come to faith, and who on this account do not yet
fully understand it, What, pray, may be the reason why faith is so
highly esteemed by the Lord and is capable of such great things? The
answer is simple: It gives glory to God. It humbles the sinner in the
dust as one who deserves nothing and is capable of nothing, and must on
this account present himself to God as dependent on the promises of a
free compassion. It glorifies God in the acknowledgment of His power
and love which will bestow redemption; of His word and faithfulness
also, since these are held to be so strong and glorious that the
sinner, although he has nothing else, can commit himself to them. Faith
sets God and man in the right relation to one another -- God on the
throne of His sovereign grace, from whom all must and shall come; man
in his misery and nothingness, as one who has nothing in himself but
guilt and its curse.
In the other virtues of the Christian
life, such as humility and love, there is always something that is
wrought in man, that he can feel, and of which he might be able to
boast. True faith on the other hand is the confession of utter poverty
and helplessness. It says: "I have nothing left, I can also do nothing.
I must now simply remain silent to hear what God speaks, to see what He
will do, to receive what He will give." It is truly the attitude of a
beggar, by which man is laid in the dust. And yet no angel in heaven
can give God so much honor as faith, when out of the surrounding
darkness and sin and poverty it still relies on God and expects from
Him the certain fulfilment of that which He has promised.
Alas how great is the foolishness of the
heart of man. How many are there still, who really imagine that they
give glory to God by their unbelief. They fancy that, when they mourn
heavily over themselves and their misery, telling how unworthy they are
to appropriate such grace because they have so deep a sense of the
greatness and holiness of God, this is to the honor of God. On the
contrary, it is really to His dishonor: as if He were not sufficiently
gracious towards the unworthy, not sufficiently powerful to rescue the
utterly wretched, not faithful to perform His word. No: faith alone
gives glory to God, for it sets no limits to the Holy One of Israel, It
has but one question, What has God said? When it has once known this,
then it asks nothing further about possibility or truth or anything
else. The word of God is enough for the soul. Like Abraham, it gives
glory to God by being strong in faith.
Beloved reader, it is a terrible sin to
rob God of His honor. By being unbelieving you make yourself guilty of
this offence. As God has revealed Himself in the gospel more gloriously
than in the law, so is the sin of unbelief in relation to the promises
much more dreadful than that of disobedience to the commandments. For
this reason, I entreat you, believe what God says. Ask not what you are
or what you have, but if there is anything with respect to which God
will have it that you shall now believe, or if there is any promise
with which He comes to meet the ungodly. Here is one: "Christ died for
the ungodly." Receive that word, keep it in your heart, ponder and
believe it, and rest not until it abides as essential truth with you,
even as it is with God: "Christ is for the ungodly." Yes: this very
day, O souls, give glory to the Lord, by going to Him as the gracious,
almighty, and faithful Redeemer; commit yourselves to His word, be
strong in faith and thereby give glory to God, as you go to Him.
Anxious ones, in God's name, why do you
not believe? This is the only thing that you are to do, the only thing
that God will have -- only believe.