We often speak of a life of faith. In doing so, we quote such Scriptures as, “The just shall live by faith”; and, “We walk by faith and not by sight.” What, then, is a life of faith?

A life of faith in Christ, the Redeemer, is not one of continual, nor indeed frequent. enjoyment. There is an enduring of “hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”; and soldiers have to fight, often receiving painful wounds, and they are almost always in imminent danger. Satan, world, and flesh arc powerful and often subtle enemies, always looking for an opportunity to inflict a wound, to cause trouble and distress, and especially to distract the heart and mind from God and from Christ, the Author and Finisher of faith. Therefore, a true Christian is ever reminded to “fight the good fight of faith” and to “lay hold on eternal life.” In this way he learns, as Jesus has said, “Without me ye can do nothing.”

The strength of Christ is made perfect in our weakness; His victory is manifested in our defeat; His grace glorified i.n subduing sin within us. Thus the life of faith is a life of struggling, battling, and wrestling with and against these enemies of Christ and His Church. Sometimes the warriors are brought near to despair, yet they long to be strong and mighty so that they may at last attain the victory and enjoy rest and peace—but, alas1 how different is the way of faith. Why? Because we have to learn in this way what free, rich, full, sovereign grace really is. We think we know all about it, but find out that we do not, until the Lord leads us into the whole truth of the matter.

   

A life of faith looks to the Lord, believes the Lord, trusts the Lord, submits to the Lord, follows the Lord, and rejoices in the Lord. An example of this is given in Abraham, the father of all believers, and to this I direct your attention, according to the word written in Genesis 15:1: After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

He that converses much with God in prayer, and is endowed with childlike confidence in His Word, shall certainly be heard and answered in due time, according to the Lord‘s own promise, “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee; and thou shalt glorify me” (Ps. 50:15). These answers to prayer are the undeniable evidences of the truth, faithfulness, and love of God unto the strengthening of the faith of His people. In this way a believing sinner is brought to be more and more intimately acquainted with God. This was proved to be true time and time again in the life of Abraham.

It is an important thing to know that Scripture lists experience as a witness—for experience is the only positive proof of the truth of any matter—and that there is a real living relationship between believers and the Word, between the believer and Christ. Truly, religion without experience is empty. The true blessing is enjoyed on the basis of a heartfelt knowledge of the truth. Experience is the sure and secret mark whereby the Christian knows that the Scripture is of God, and whereby he feels his own interest in Christ. How often has such a person been helped out of darkness and distress by the sealing of the Word in his heart by the Holy Spirit!

Experience is a confirmation of the truth of the Holy Bible. Thereby we may “taste and see that the Lord is good.” The natural eye cannot behold this truth; experience cannot be obtained from books; it confounds the wise and the disputer of the world . . . but a regenerated heart, a humbled soul, may understand it well in all humility and love. Such, again, was the case with Abraham.

I have mentioned these matters about prayer and experience in Abraham‘s life; and if you and I may live a life of faith, even as believing Abraham did, we too have this inward testimony of a life of prayer and experience.

How beautiful and encouraging are the words of God to Abram, “Fear not Abram, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”

Observe, first, when these words were spoken by the Lord—After these things. This refers to the matters narrated in the preceding chapter about Abraham’s heroic deed in rescuing his relatives, friends, and neighbors out of distress, delivering them from destruction; and that not for a price or a reward, but in faith and in love.

After these things. Why? Because Abraham really needed a visit from the Lord. As he contemplated the things that had taken place, he was filled with fear. The very manner in which God addressed him proves this. God said, Fear not, Abram. These were the first words God spoke to him after his great victory. Only God can allay fear and give hope; and it was to this end that God appeared “after these things.”

Observe also the wondrous manner in which God came—The word of the Lord came unto Abram. “The word of the Lord”—this was direct communication from Cod in heaven with Abraham by and through His Word. Has the Word of the Lord ever come directly to you? We know God‘s Word comes to us every time we read the Bible, or hear a sermon. It comes to us in providence and in grace. Do we hear, heed, and enjoy the Word unto our benefit? By nature we do not; we resist it, disregard it; and, alas, so many, especially in our day, openly deny and oppose it. It must come personally, directly, with power and the unction of the Holy Spirit.

“The word of the Lord came, unto Abram in a vision.” Paul declares in Hebrews 1:1, “God, who at sundry times and divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.” The divine communication of the Old Testament has ceased; God has fully revealed Himself in and through the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ, and now speaks to His people through His Word and Spirit. Abraham needed this as he looked about and within himself. Every servant of God and every child of God needs this in our dark and perilous times. We need strengthening of the life of faith in the defense of the faith against the infidels with their heresies and their perversion of the Truth as well as their departure from it.

What a blessed assurance and promise is given—I am thy shield! The shield in olden days was for protection of the warrior. We know it was one of the most important parts of his armor. If another could take away his armor, he could destroy the warrior. This is true also of God’s people. God is their shield, their protector, their assurance of safety; and, therefore, they are absolutely safe.

The Lord further declares that He was Abraham‘s exceeding great reward. Abraham refused gifts fro m Lot and from the King of Sodom. God was his reward. God made Abraham rich, not only in things natural, but especially in spiritual matters for He blessed him with the blessing of His eternal covenant of grace and redemption in Christ Jesus, the Savior. God was his “shield”; God was his “exceeding great reward.” Yes, God is everything for time and for eternity for all His elect. This is true of the Church in general throughout all ages, as well as of every individual believer.

It is through this Word of God’s grace that believers are founded, established, built up, and settled in their faith. Not by faith as a work, but as an apprehending of Christ. It is only by faith in Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, that we can and may lay hold on His Word and promises. This was true of the saints of the Old Testament as well as those of the New. This distinguishes the Christian religion from all religions or other systems of men; and thus to err in this is to err in the fundamentals of Christianity.

All who know the truth of these matters are blessed indeed. Encouraged by the blessed Word of promise, they may put their hope and trust in God alone; they walk before Him in truth and uprightness; they travel through the wilderness with steadfast step; and they shall one day pass triumphantly over Jordan into Canaan.

Thy Word, like silver seven times tried, Through ages shall endure; The men that in Thy truth confide Shall find Thy promise sure.

We live in perilous times. Men will not endure sound doctrine, but are more and more turning away their ears from the truth. We hear so little, or nothing, of such things as the Word of the Lord coming to a person with power and unction. Sermons are preached, heard, and soon forgotten. I know, God’s Word will not return unto Him void; however, for many, hearing the Word of the Lord is a curse and not a blessing.

Paul writes in Hebrews 4:2, “The word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” Many will curse forever the hour they became acquainted with the Scriptures, for they derive from them only an increase of guilt and condemnation. But this is not the purpose or design of Cod‘s Word; for the Bible is intended and given to do us good only; and this is the blessing the elect obtain, while unbelievers perish eternally as the result of their depravity and unbelief manifested in their refusal to hear and obey the gospel of God. God‘s Word is the means by which sinners are converted and brought to Him, and the Scriptures do good to all that walk uprightly, even as did Abraham, His friend.

Especially in our days, we see many, of whom we had hoped that they had some spiritual life in them, departing from the truth; and grievous as it is, it happens as in the days of old, for we read, “Many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him” (John 6:66). The Apostle Paul also complains of the same, “Many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ” (Phil. 3:18).

When the Word of the Lord comes with the power and unction of the Holy Spirit, it does good, according to His sovereign grace and divine pleasure, in the hearts of all His redeemed. It enriches their souls with the knowledge of God unto salvation and eternal life, as Jesus said, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). It is also true, however, that where this Word of the Lord is given as a means of grace, we must use it prayerfully. If the Word of the Lord is to do us good, we must read it, we must believe it, we must seek to understand it, we must reflect upon it, we must speak of it, and we must pray about it.

What benefit shall we then derive? This is a matter too great for anyone to attempt to describe. The bencfits are endless, they are eternal. They will do us good unto a life of godliness in faith, hope, and love. They will help us in our dark days in the battle against the adversaries of the Church and of the truth. They will prepare us to spend eternity in singing the praise of a Holy and Triune God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What millions have been blessed as the Word of the Lord came to them, even as it did to Abraham; for they are his spiritual seed throughout the ages.

Has the Word of the Lord thus come to us? This is a question we can and must answer for ourselves; and if we may, by grace, do so in the affirmative, the Lord Himself alone can confirm, establish, and strengthen it.

His word is this (poor sinners, hear): “Believe on me, and banish fear; Cease from your own works, bad or good, And wash your garments in my blood.”

Benjamin Densel is pastor of the Netherlands Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan.