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Today, Charles gave the second sermon in a planned three-part series dealing with faith. It was a wonderful message, and I would encourage everyone to listen to it HERE, along with the first message in the series given on 12/28.
In light of that message, I thought this quote from Conrad Murrell was helpful (In the immediate context Conrad had been talking about how faith is the "underlying support and basis of the things for which we have hope.") :
"Matthew 14:25-31 records an incident when Peter walked on water. When Peter stepped out of that boat on to the water what was the substratum under his feet? The water would not support him. What did hold him up? It was nothing less than the word of God, Jesus' invitation to 'Come.' What convinced, persuaded him to leave the boat and stand upon the water? It was no evidence of anything there to support him. It was not because of past experiences in walking on water. What, then, convinced him? The same thing that supported him in the act of faith, the word of God. Christ's command to come.
Nothing else can convince and nothing else can support. The same word that convinces is the word that supports. Faith that comes from God is supported by God. If anything else other than God and God's word gives corroborative or supporting evidence or if we are depending on other than God to support us in our act of faith, then it is not pure faith. 'They that come to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.' Most everyone believes in the first 'is,' that is the existence of God. But how difficult it is to believe in the second 'is.' He is now, presently my rewarder, my support, my strength and my salvation."
-Conrad Murrell, Faith Cometh, pgs. 85-6
In light of that message, I thought this quote from Conrad Murrell was helpful (In the immediate context Conrad had been talking about how faith is the "underlying support and basis of the things for which we have hope.") :
"Matthew 14:25-31 records an incident when Peter walked on water. When Peter stepped out of that boat on to the water what was the substratum under his feet? The water would not support him. What did hold him up? It was nothing less than the word of God, Jesus' invitation to 'Come.' What convinced, persuaded him to leave the boat and stand upon the water? It was no evidence of anything there to support him. It was not because of past experiences in walking on water. What, then, convinced him? The same thing that supported him in the act of faith, the word of God. Christ's command to come.
Nothing else can convince and nothing else can support. The same word that convinces is the word that supports. Faith that comes from God is supported by God. If anything else other than God and God's word gives corroborative or supporting evidence or if we are depending on other than God to support us in our act of faith, then it is not pure faith. 'They that come to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.' Most everyone believes in the first 'is,' that is the existence of God. But how difficult it is to believe in the second 'is.' He is now, presently my rewarder, my support, my strength and my salvation."
-Conrad Murrell, Faith Cometh, pgs. 85-6
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