Our daily experiences since we became the Lord's followers have been guided and guarded apparently by the power unseen, to the intent that as pupils in the school of Christ, we may all be taught of Him and develop more and more of the graces of the Spirit, and particularly more faith. How important this item of faith is we probably cannot fully appreciate now. It seems to be the one thing that the Lord specially seeks for in those now called to be followers. … So according to our faith will we be able to rejoice even in tribulation. We cannot enjoy the sufferings; we can enjoy the thought which faith attaches to them, namely, that these are but light afflictions working out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
Faith is a mental appreciation of, and heart's reliance upon, some person or thing. Christian faith is a mental appreciation of, and heart's reliance upon, God and Christ. These exercise themselves toward God and Christ along certain lines set forth in the Scriptures, i.e., their persons, characters, words and acts. In these respects they have demonstrated themselves as being absolutely reliable and, therefore, worthy of our confidence. Our experiences have demonstrated this to be true in innumerable instances. And, for this reason, Jesus can, without any impropriety in Himself or disadvantage to us, appeal to us to trust the Father and Him.
Josh. 1:9; 2 Chron. 15:7; 20:20; 32:7, 8; Neh. 4:14; Job 35:14; Psa. 4:5; 27:14; 31:19, 24; 37:3, 5, 7, 39, 40; 55:22; 115:9, 11; Prov. 3:5, 6; Matt. 17:20.
