The worker’s way about faith - Chambers, Oswald
1. Faith and the ancient witness (Hebrews 11:440)
. . . And these all, having had witness borne to them through their faith . . . (Hebrews 11:39)
Faith is never defined; it is described, as in Hebrews 11:1, but never defined. Definitions can only be given of things that are perfectly understood and are inferior to the mind that defines them. It is absurd to try and put god into a definition; if i can define god i am greater than god. Intellectual definition is of no use whatever in the spiritual life. Faith cannot be intellectually defined; faith is the inborn capacity to see god behind everything, the wonder that keeps you an eternal child. What is your faith to you a wonderful thing, or a bandbox24 thing? Satisfaction is too often the peace of death; wonder is the very essence of life. Beware always of losing the wonder, and the first thing that stops wonder is religious conviction. Whenever you give a trite testimony the wonder is gone. The only evidence of salvation or sanctification is that the sense of wonder is developing, not at things as they are, but at the one who made them as they are. There is no set definition of faith into which you can fit these men and women, they were heroes of faith because they endured, as see- ing him who is invisible. The acts of faith the writer Refers to were not performed by astute-minded men and women who made defined statements about god, they were not tortured for convictions sake, but for the sake of their faith. There is no mention of salvation from sin, the one point insisted on is their faith, and god is training us to do what they did, viz. , live a life of tenacious hold upon god in spite of everything that happens. Do we know anything about this life of confidence in god, or are we everlastingly hunting in our theological wardrobes for definitions to work to? Faith is the indefinable certainty of god behind every thing, and is the one thing the spirit of god makes clearer and clearer as we go on.
2. Faith and the abiding witness
. . . Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. (hebrews 12:2)
The abiding witness is our lord Jesus Christ, and the writer gives three characteristics of his life joy, renunciation, and reward. The first element in the life of faith is joy, which means the perfect fulfilment of that for which we were created. Joy is not happiness; there is no mention in the bible of happiness for a christian, but there is plenty said about joy. . . That they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves, said Jesus. The next element is the realisation that we have the delight of giving our lives as a love gift to Jesus Christ. He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. Reward is the ultimate delight of knowing that god has fulfilled his purpose in my life; it is not a question of resting in satisfaction, but the delight of being in perfect conscious agreement with god.
3. Faith and the alert witness (Hebrews 12:13)
let us also . . . Lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. . . . (Hebrews 12:1 rv)
Run light nothing clings to us more closely (rv mg) than trying to live up to the ideas we have got from saintly people. We have nothing to do with saintly people, we have only to do with looking unto Jesus. How much cargo are you carrying in the upper storey? How many definitions to fit your teaching into? No wonder people have nervous breakdowns! Avoid definitions as you would avoid the devil. Immediately your mind accepts a definition you will learn no more about that thing until the definition is smashed. Definition and human authority are the two things that kill faith; with Jesus christ there are no definitions at all. Jesus Christ always taught vaguely; in the beginning of our christian life we think he teaches definitely, and we get hold of trite definitions until we find the marvellous life of god is not there at all. Run looking keep nothing in view but the vision of the lord Jesus christ. To rest in any experience apart from him, even though he gave it you, is to be away from the main centre. Jesus christ is first, second and third; let the revelation of his life keep you full of wonder, love and praise. Run learning despise not . . . The chastening of the lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. Never stop learning. People stagnate, not through backsliding, but because they stop learning and harden into a wrong mental poise.
We learn through chastisement, because god is supplying heaven with sons and daughters, not with precious stones. Sons and daughters must grow, and god is never in a hurry with us. As you go on in the life of faith you find everything is becoming so simple that you are afraid it cant be true, it is so unlike what you had been taught. Beware of being in bondage to yourself or to other people. Oppression and depression never come from the spirit of god. He never oppresses, he convicts and com- forts. It is unconscious stubbornness that brings us into bondage.
In the presence of Jesus we find how perverse and timid and unfaithful we have been, when god was going to enlarge our life we shrank back. The summing up of the life of faith is the teaching of Jesus in the sermon on the mount be carefully careless about everything saving your relationship to God.
