The Two Stages of Faith

The Two Stages of Faith

There is a human side of faith that is called wanting to believe. There are those who still do not have faith, but who want to believe. On the other hand, there are others who do not want to believe. It is about such people that John says, “He who does not want to believe the Son shall not see life . . . .” John 3:36.

Faith grows on the foundation of helplessness. Men’s eyes look around for help on the basis of a helpless and lost state. Then they hear the message about Jesus. They want to believe Him! However, they are not entirely helped by that alone. You can speak with many such helpless souls who say, “Yes, I would very much like to believe.” This can also be said differently: “I would very much like to possess this salvation.”

When a soul wants to believe, we see that this aspect of faith creates prayer in order to receive. The one who prays must believe that God is, and that He rewards those who seek Him. Heb. 11:6.

Now we know that God is full of mercy; He sees to the oppressed when he calls on Him, and to the one who has a broken and contrite spirit. Therefore He gives the soul what he is praying for.

From that moment the person’s faith has taken on an entirely different character. If you ask this person whether he wants to believe, he will answer: “Now it is no longer a question of wanting to believe; I have received what I have prayed for; I have faith.”

Now we come to the other aspect of faith:

The Gift of Faith

Paul says, “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Eph. 2:8.

When a person has received faith as a gift from God, he has the full and certain assurance of his salvation. Then he is not struggling any more with “wanting to believe”; he has faith. Peter writes to those who

Have Obtained Like Precious Faith

with us by the righteousness of our God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Pet. 1:1.

The gift of faith is the divine aspect of faith that creates joy because it possesses.

But as it is from the beginning, so it continues.

Some people seek the baptism of the Spirit. They want to believe God for this power, but they have still not received it. But on the day they have received the baptism of the Spirit in answer to their prayer from the foundation of their impotent state, they have received complete and full faith in this blessing. On the basis of this living and real faith they can proclaim this grace of God further.

We continue with healing for the body.

The sick person says, “Of course, I want to believe God who has all power; Jesus went about and healed all kinds of infirmities.” The sick person wants to believe. But this alone does not get him the help he needs. This is the beginning. If he has a sincere desire and need for healing, he will call out to the Lord in his need. And God answers. “He sent His word and healed them.” Ps. 107:20. Immediately the person’s relationship to God has changed. Now it is no longer: I want to have faith, but: I have faith. And in this faith you can also proclaim the glad tidings of faith to sighing and suffering souls.

Notice that this divine faith by its very nature gives us an assurance and a certainty that becomes like a different nature in us. It becomes like a seal in our inner man.

We Advance to Being Clothed With Virtues.

In Colossians 3:12-14 it says: “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”

God recommends that we put these things on. Try and see if it is possible. You cannot manage to do it. How are you going to do it? Take (for example) tender mercies. Put it on. How are you going to start? You realize that you are faced with the impossible. Perhaps you comfort yourself with the thought that in time God will surely mold us. It doesn’t all come in one day.” Yes, but what if you needed to forgive someone this very day as Christ has forgiven you? You think that it is so easy to forgive. Someone sins against you and asks for forgiveness. He is forgiven, but he sins again. You are annoyed because he has harmed you, was neglectful, talked behind your back; but he asks and receives forgiveness. Again he sins against you. Something rises up in you: This was the third time! He does it again; this was the fourth, fifth, sixth time. And he wants to call himself a Christian, a brother—bah! How about seven times seventy? Perhaps—in the midst of all this in order not to be like him—you say in your heart: “I want to forgive!” But you keep track of his sins and remember his transgressions, and you consider how he has harmed you. Is it easy to forgive and forget? We are to forgive each other as Christ has forgiven us! You need tender mercies. The Scriptures say, “Put on . . . .”

Oh, how we get to see our own wretchedness and helplessness, our impotence; our love is shown to be just an attempt that immediately ends in disaster as does everything else that is human.

Prayers and cries rise up on the basis of this acknowledgment. We want to believe God! And God hears us. We receive tender mercies. We receive the greatest power in life: to be able to forgive as we have been forgiven. Then we have put it on. We have complete faith that this can be received—a divine faith—because we have received it. This is how it will be. The disciples said, “Increase our faith.” We must receive this faith as a divine gift.

Put on! This presupposes need. It is a shame to declare that you are bereft of tender mercies and goodness. Therefore there are very few who see themselves as genuinely needy so that they seek out God’s clothes closet. Consequently, they persist in proudly walking in their rags, whereas those who are worthy and truly needy are humbly clothed in God’s shining and holy and fragrant garments that have the flavor of fragrant herbs. And over all of this we can drape love, which is the bond of perfection. It is truly perfection to be able to forgive seven times seventy. “Give us godly faith, Lord!” Nevertheless, not everyone wants to possess these garments. It could be nice to have something in reserve, so we can really get at them at a given opportunity—those who have annoyed us so much with their many sins against us. “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves . . . .” Rom. 12:19.

Can you not put on these virtues so that you are just as sure that you have them as you are that you are saved?

We are to show virtue in our faith. Peter speaks about the exceedingly great and precious promises through which we can be partakers of divine nature. 2 Pet. 1:4.

The person who wants to have faith receives faith in these promises, together with their entire content. However, no one receives them without first being willing to acknowledge his own wretchedness and denying his entire old life’s usefulness.

We Progress to the Believers’ Work.

We pray for revival, but we live in unbelief by complaining that it is “hard and dry.” The person who believes, receives. Seek God’s faith, the gift of faith. Then you will have revival. I saw a woman who lived in revival wherever she went. She did not doubt. She even prayed for a certain number of people to be saved. And she received them. It was like a game with destiny. She had faith. This is the faith that Jesus speaks about when He says, “If you have faith as a mustard seed . . . .” It is a faith full of vibrant life, a creative faith. All things are possible for someone who lives in such a faith.

A brother had faith for the salvation of sinners, and they were also saved wherever he went. But then he met other believers, who did not possess this divine faith; his faith ebbed away, and he became like the others.

One day a brother who was running a Christian work by faith lacked 3,000 marks for the work. He laid out the matter quite simply before God; then he returned to his chopping block and continued to chop wood—and the money came.

This is the kind of faith Jesus has in mind when He speaks about not being anxious for the future—what we shall eat and drink and clothe ourselves with. He points to the flowers and the birds and their carefree life, and God’s care for them. Shall God not clothe you much more, O you of little faith? Are you not worth much more than they? Ch. 6.

If we had faith, we would see God’s glory and power. Nothing is impossible for God. All things are possible to him who believes.