II. Its Order
II. Its Order
The gift of faith like every other gift of the Holy Spirit as a special endowment is inferior to the graces of the Spirit; for the apostle supposes it possible to have all faith so as to remove mountains, and yet be destitute of love, the very substance of Christian experience. Indeed, he teaches that if endowed only with the gift of faith, I am nothing. Several things suggest the inferiority of the gift of faith to the grace of faith in its saving exercise and the measure of its fullness.
1. The gift of faith is not obligatory
The Scriptures nowhere enjoin that the soul must have faith to remove mountains, or heal diseases, or work miracles. Such faith is not essential in order to please God. It is indeed rather the reward of pleasing him than a requirement for pleasing him. He that cometh to God [for salvation] must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him. He that believeth not [unto salvation] is condemned already.
These and other passages teach that saving faith as a voluntary act of the soul, or the fullness of faith as a gracious state of the heart, is obligatory.
The gift of faith is not optional, hence not obligatory. The holiest saint can not have it when he wills. It is neither commanded of us, nor at our command. The Holy Spirit divideth (apportioneth) it to every man (in Christ) severally as he wills, and that which is conferred upon one by divine sovereign endowment is not obligatory. The grace of faith is not an endowment, and is therefore a requirement. The possession of the grace of faith is a duty; the gift of faith is not. No one feels condemnation if he have not faith for the healing of his body, or any other supernatural result; but he does experience condemnation if he does not believe the record which God hath given concerning his Son for the salvation of his soul.
2. The gift of faith is not a constant experience
It is not an abiding manifestation of the Holy Spirit; it is transient, variable, occasional. It is not given once for all, for ail things, and in all degrees.
Paul had it for the healing of the father of Publius and others on the Island of Melita, but not for the restoration of Trophimus, whom he left behind at Melitum. But now abideth faith [the grace of faith], hope, charity [love]; that is, these are the staple graces the permanent experiences of Christian character. Whosoever believeth (present tense, meaning, begins to believe and continues to believe) shall be saved; that is, saving faith as a habit of the soul and the fullness of faith as a gracious state of the heart are the constant and not the variable qualities of Christian life. He who finds himself without the faith which brings marvelous things to pass may continue to rejoice, if he still have the grace of faith. But he who finds the faith which brings salvation wanting may well repine; for
Its work will not be done,
Till we the crown obtain.
3. The gift of faith is not essential
To salvation or Christian character
It has no saving efficacy; it is no ground of hope. The Savior warns us of the worthlessness of a hope based on miracle-working faith: Many shall say unto me in that day, Have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name done many wonderful works? but then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. When the gift of faith has been bestowed, it does not necessarily bring new or deeper grace into the soul. One may be full of the grace of faith; have all the mind that was in Christ; be complete in all the will of God; be as saintly as Fletcher or Wesley, and not have the gift of faith. It does not follow because one is fully sanctified that he will have faith for healing, or other wonders. Yet not a few persons who know of the eminent piety of Dr. Steele or other holy people expect them while full of faith in all its gracious power to also possess the gift of faith which they may not at all have, because it has not been divinely conferred upon them. Not long since a noted man of God-anointed doubtless as a teacher of the deep things of spiritual life, and doing a wondrous work of evangelism, though a great cripple and sufferer as he was entering for the first time a church where he was to labor, a brother present having heard that he was a man of faith, said to another: Why dont he throw away those canes? That remark only evinced how little that person knew of the divine method respecting faith revealed in the Scriptures; that one may be full of faith, and yet not have the gift of faith, or might have the gift of faith for a work of evangelism and not for the healing of the body at all, as happened to be the case which he commented upon. Since therefore the gift of faith is not obligatory, constant, or essential, it is inferior to the grace of faith. But while it under ranks the ordinary graces of the Holy Spirit, it is not to be discarded or depreciated, but coveted; for the apostle says, Covet earnestly the best gifts, and then enjoins this order: Follow after charity [love], and desire spiritual gifts; as though he would say: Attain saving and gracious faith, even unto perfection in love, then desire and expect if it be the will of God that he impart unto you the gift of faith with its accompanying endowments.