Faith Without Sight

Those who saw and believed not, were far from being blessed.

Those who saw him, and believed, were undoubtedly blessed.

Those who have not seen, and yet have believed, are emphatically blessed.

There remains the superlative degree of blessedness in seeing Jesus face to face without need of believing in the same sense as now.

But for the present this is our blessedness, this is our place in the gospel history,—we have not seen, and yet have believed. What a comfort that so high a degree of blessedness is open to us!

I. DO NOT LET US DIMINISH THIS BLESSEDNESS.

1. Let us not diminish it by wishing to see.

   • By pining for some imaginary voice, or vision, or revelation.
   • By craving marvelous providences, and singular dispensations.
   • By hungering for despairs or transports.
   • By perpetually demanding arguments, and logical demonstrations.
   • By clamoring for conspicuous success in connection with the preaching of the word, and the missionary operations of the church.
   • By being anxious to believe with the majority. Truth has usually been with the minority.

2. Let us not diminish it by failing to believe.

   • Believe practically, so as to act upon our faith.
   • Believe intensely, so as to laugh at contradictions.
   • Believe livingly, so as to be simple as a child.
   • Believe continually, so as to be evenly confident.
   • Believe personally, so as to be assured alone, even if all others give the lie to the doctrines of the Lord.
   • Believe thoroughly, so as to find the rest of faith.

II. DO NOT LET US THINK THIS BLESSEDNESS UNATTAINABLE.

1. This blessedness is linked forever with the faith which our Lord accepts: in fact, it is the appointed reward of it.

2. God deserves such faith of us. He is so true that his unsupported word is quite enough for faith to build upon. Can we only believe him as far as we can see him?

3. Thousands of saints have rendered, and are rendering, such faith, and are enjoying such blessedness at this moment. We are bound to have fellowship with them in like precious faith.

4. Hitherto our own experience has warranted such faith. Has it not?

5. Those of us who are now enjoying the blessed peace of faith can speak with great confidence upon the matter.

   • Why, then, are so many cast down? Why will they not believe?

III. DO NOT LET ANY OF US MISS IT.

The faith which our Lord described is exceedingly precious, and we ought to seek after it, for—

1. It is the only true and saving faith. Faith which demands sight is not faith at all, and cannot save the soul.

2. It is in itself most acceptable with God. Nothing is acceptable without it (Hebrews 11:6). It is the evidence of the acceptance of the man and his works.

3. It is a proof of grace within: of a spiritual mind, a renewed nature, a reconciled heart, a new-born spirit.

4. It is the root-principle of a glorious character.

5. It is exceedingly useful to others: in comforting the despondent, in impressing unbelievers, in cheering seekers, etc.

6. It enriches its possessor to the utmost, giving power in prayer, strength of mind, decision of character, firmness under temptation, boldness in enterprise, joy of soul, realization of Heaven, etc.

   • Know you this faith?
   • Blessedness lies that way. Seek it!

Contributions

But why specially blessed? Because the Holy Spirit has wrought this faith in their hearts. They are blessed in having a believing heart; they are blessed in the instrument of their belief; blessed in having an evidence that they are passed from death unto life: “whom, having not seen, you love.” It is more blessed to believe than to see, because it puts more honor upon God’s word. It is more blessed, because it presents us with a more invariable object. He who can trust an unseen Savior may trust him in all circumstances: shut him up in a dungeon, separate from all sight and light, it matters not; for he has always a heart to believe unto righteousness, and his soul rests upon a rock that shall never be moved. The same faith that takes hold of an unseen, risen Savior, takes hold of every other truth in the gospel.—Richard Cecil.

“With men,” says Bishop Hall, “it is a good rule to try first, and then to trust; with God it is contrary. I will first trust him, as most wise, omnipotent, merciful, and try him afterwards.”

By constant sight, the effect of objects seen grows less; by constant faith, the effect of objects believed in grows greater. The probable reason of this is that personal observation does not admit of the influence of the imagination in impressing the fact; while unseen objects, realized by faith, have the auxiliary aid of the imagination, not to exaggerate them, but to clothe them with living colors, and impress them upon the heart. Whether this be the reason or not, the fact is true that, the more frequently we see, the less we feel the power of an object; while the more frequently we dwell upon an object by faith, the more we feel its power.—J. B. Walker.

Faith makes invisible things visible, absent things present, things that are very far off to be very near unto the soul.—Thomas Brooks.

The region of unbelief is black with God’s frown, and filled with plagues and wrath; but the region of faith is as the floor of Heaven for brightness. Christ’s righteousness shelters it, the graces of the Spirit beautify it, and the eternal smile of God comforts and glorifies it.—Dr. Hoge.

It would grieve an indulgent father to see his own child come into court, and there bear witness against him and charge him of some untruth in his words, more than if a stranger should do it; because the testimony of a child, though, when it is for the vindication of a parent, it may lose some credit in the opinion of those that hear it, upon the suspicion of partiality, yet, when against a parent, it seems to carry some more probability of truth than what another that is a stranger says against him; because the band of natural affection with which the child is bound to his parent is so sacred that it will not be easily suspected. He cannot be supposed to offer violence to it, except upon the more inviolable necessity of bearing witness to the truth.

O think of this, Christian, again and again—by your unbelief you bear false witness against God! And if you, a child of God, speak no better of your heavenly Father, and present him with no fairer character to the world, it will be no wonder if it be confirmed in its hard thoughts of God, even to final impenitency and unbelief, when it shall see how little credit he finds with you, for all your great profession of love towards him and near relationship to him.—William Gurnall.