THE SECOND CONDITION OF SALVATION -- FAITH

If I should ask the children to tell me their favorite verse in the Bible, probably more would repeat John 3:16 than any other verse: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only

begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, hut have everlasting life." The last verse of the same wonderful chapter reads: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." To

these verses we will add Rom. 5:1: "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

I want to talk to you today about "believing in Jesus" or having "faith in Jesus." You see God tells us very plainly in these and a multitude of other Bible verses, that FAITH in Jesus is a condition without which we can not be saved. You all no doubt wish me to make it very plain what it is to believe on Jesus with a faith that will save the soul and bring you everlasting life and a home in heaven. But remember when I speak of faith as saving us, I mean that faith unites us to Jesus, and it is Jesus that saves.

Two other words, "confidence" and "trust," help to make plain what faith is. You put confidence in your mother when you believe what she tells you; and you trust her when you depend upon her for food and clothes and all needed things without anxiety or care. That restful confidence and trust is faith in your mother. A similar state of mind toward God would be faith in God.

A few simple stories will make plain what faith is. A house was one day on fire, and all the inmates but one boy had escaped from it. He was in a chamber and the flames cut off all escape by the stairs. He ran to the window and cried out, "O father! how shall I get out?" He could be seen by the fire in the room, but the thick smoke kept him from seeing the people below. He heard their voices, and he cried, "O save me!" "Here I am, my son!" said the father, and he held out his arms for Charles to jump into them. "Here I am; don't fear. Drop down and I will be sure to catch you." Charles crept out of the window, but held fast by it. He knew it was very high from the ground, and he was afraid to let go. "Drop down, my boy," cried the father. "O, I can't see you, dear father." "But I am here. You can trust me. I will save you." " I am afraid, father. 1 shall fall." "Let go, and don't fear," cried the people; "your father will be sure to catch you." And now Charles felt the flames. He was sure that if he hung there he would be burned. He knew that his father was strong, that he loved him, and was waiting to save him. At last he let go, and fell safely into his father's arms.

Now you see how faith works. Charles was in great peril. He knew his father's love and strength. He knew his own danger and that if he staid he would perish in the flames. So he yielded to his father's persuasion, and in faith dropped into his father's arms. Now each dear boy and girl is surrounded by the flaming, consuming perils of sin -- sin around you and sin within you. You know your peril: "The wages of sin is death." You can not see the face of Jesus; but you hear his words, saying through his Holy Book: "Whosoever believeth in me shall not perish, but have everlasting life." "Come unto me, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). Now in faith put confidence in these invitations, believe these promises and cast yourself upon Jesus for salvation. Take your Savior at his word, just as Charles believed his father, and you will be saved. Jesus will not disappoint you.

I will now give you a story that will illustrate faith in the CARE of God. "A lady and her husband were on the deck of a ship during an awful storm. The winds howled, and the ship was tossed like a feather over the great waves. The lady had to hold on with both hands to keep from falling. She was very much frightened and asked her husband if he was not afraid. He said nothing, but in a moment after he held a naked sword with its point close to her breast, and asked her: 'Are not you afraid?' 'No.' 'Why not! Do you not see the sword within an inch of your heart?' 'Yes, but I am not afraid, for it is my husband who holds it!' 'Yes,' said he, 'and it is my Heavenly Father who holds this storm in his hand, the winds and the waves, and why should I be afraid?'" This was faith in the care of God.

Now, just as the husband was pleased by the wife's confidence or faith in him, so God was pleased by the husband's confidence or faith in His care when the storm was raging and the ship seemed likely to be destroyed. And just so will you please Jesus when, troubled by sin, you go to him and commit yourself to his care and love. You are in a world full of stormy temptations that beat upon your souls as the waves dashed upon that ship. Jesus promises that if you trust him he will forgive your past sins, and "keep you from falling" or "stumbling" in the future. Will you believe on him and live?

Another story will illustrate to you faith in the love and goodness of God. A famous man once lived by the name of Richard Cecil. He was trying to teach his little girl how to believe in God. He came into the room one day and found her playing with a few beads which somebody had given her, and with which she was very much delighted. After a time he said to her: "My dear, you have some pretty beads there." "Yes, papa." "And you seem to be vastly pleased with them." "Yes, papa." "Well, now, throw them behind the fire!" The tears started into her eyes. She looked earnestly at him, as though she ought to have a reason for such a cruel sacrifice. "Well, my dear, do as you please, but you know I never told you to do anything which I did not think would be for your good." She looked at him a few moments, and then summoning all her resolution -- her breast heaving with the effort -- she dashed them into the fire.

The father smiled approvingly and said: "Let them lie there, and say no more about them now. You will hear about them some other time."

Some days after he brought her a box full of far more beautiful beads and toys, and said to her: "These, my child, are all yours because you believed me when I told you to cast the other beads into the fire. But, my child, remember as long as you live what faith is. I did this to lead you to trust your Heavenly Father. You threw your beads away when I bade you, because you had faith in my goodness and love. Put the same confidence in God. Many a time in life He will require you to give up and to avoid what you can not see the reason of; but if you trust the Heavenly Father as you have trusted me, you will find it best. Whether you understand or not, believe God's Word, and have faith in his goodness and love."

Now all you children who hear or read this beautiful story, have a kind Heavenly Father and a blessed Savior. "God so loved the world, that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." How our Heavenly Father must have loved us! How patient and loving and good Jesus must have been to leave his beautiful home in heaven, and come to earth and die for us! Can you not believe in the goodness and love of such a God and Savior, and put your faith in him just as the little girl trusted her loving father about the beads, only very much more so? God is so much more loving and good than any earthly father can be, that we ought to love him and believe in him. When he offers to forgive us our sins and save us from death, let us believe and trust him with all our hearts.

Perhaps not long ago sickness came to your home, to yourself or your brother or sister, or to father or mother. For some time you did not send for a physician. You neglected the sickness for days, or gave some little remedies yourselves -- pills or poultices or hot applications. But the loved one kept continually getting worse until, in alarm, you sent for a physician and told him what you had done, and you threw away your own medicines and put your case in the doctor's hands for a cure. That was faith in the doctor.

Dear boys and girls, our souls are all sick with the fearful malady of sin. The mistake we are all inclined to make is that we try to doctor ourselves. We take a little pill of shame over our bad behavior, and vainly think that will answer; but we soon learn that shame can not save us. At another time we apply the poultice of a good resolution, and vainly imagine for a time that we feel better; but we soon find that the old sin breaks out as bad as ever. Then we try the plaster of a written pledge to do better, or we put on the hot application of a very solemn confession and promise, and then, in spite of the resolutions and confessions and promises -- we sin worse than ever before. If we keep on in this way our souls will certainly be lost forever, for "The wages of sin is death."

But here stands Jesus the loving Physician of souls, who died "that we might not perish" (John 3:16). He says: "Come unto me" (Matt. 11:28). "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13). Now if we treat Jesus as you treated the doctor, and call upon him in the prayer of faith: "O Lord Jesus, Savior of sinners, heal my soul, for I am sick; have mercy on me and forgive my many sins," he will not disappoint us. The blessed Savior will say to your heart: "Thy sins are forgiven. Thy faith hath saved thee. Go in peace" Luke 7:48, 50).

Suppose you had fallen into a river, with dark, deep, swift and turbulent waters. You have gone down and have come up again, and are almost drowned. A strong man runs to the bank and calls to you and throws you a rope. How quickly you would seize it in the faith that he would pull you out and save your life. Well, that is just like Jesus. We are perishing in the "deep waters of sin." All other hopes and helps are utterly worthless. But Jesus rushes to the rescue, and cries: "Look unto me and be ye saved" (Is. 45:22). Just as in faith you would seize the rope if drowning, so look in faith to Jesus: call upon him with all the earnestness of your heart; pray to him, asking him to pardon and cleanse your soul, and believing that lie will do it. He will not be untrue to his promise. He will pull you out of your guilt and sin to the rock of eternal safety.

Now you will notice about such a faith that:

1. It is natural and very easy for a child. The exercise of faith is not something very difficult and unnatural, which only mature people of many years can perform. Very little children exhibit the most wonderful faith that is ever seen in this world. Nothing seems to frighten them or give them any concern if they are in their mother's arms. The roar of the waves or waterfall, the rushing, puffing locomotive, the approach of fierce animals, the crash of the thunder only makes the babe nestle a little closer to the mother's bosom, as if there was absolute safety. Faith in a superior being is natural; for it smiles from the infant's cradle, and lives on through all the rudest storms of life. We can believe in the care and saving love of Jesus, if we will. Even young children can do that.

2. I call you to notice that each of us who would be saved must have a faith of his own. It will not do for one of you boys or girls to think that you can get to heaven on the religion of your father, or the faith and prayers of your mother. In Gideon's camp every soldier had his own pitcher; among Solomon's men of valor every one wore his own sword; the five wise virgins had every one oil in their vessel with their lamp, and only those entered with the bridegroom. You might as well think to have your hunger appeased by the food which your father eats, or your thirst quenched by the water which our mother drinks as to expect to be saved by their religion and their faith in God. No, you children must all have your own personal faith in Jesus. That unites your life to him and brings his salvation into your heart.

Take this child's prayer upon your lips, and offer it with all your heart, and God will hear and answer you: "O God, be merciful to me for Jesus' sake. I have often sinned by disobedience, and unkind acts, and wicked words. I have not loved thy Word, and I have not loved thee, O Heavenly Father, as I should, and I have not loved thy dear Son who suffered for my sins as I ought. O Lord, blot out all my sins and give me a new heart, and help me to love thee and serve thee, for Jesus' sake. Amen!"

QUESTIONS

1. What is the favorite verse in the Bible?
2. What is the second condition of salvation?
3. What other two words explain faith?
4. How did Charles exercise faith when the house was on fire?
5. How did the lady exercise faith in her husband?
6. How did he exercise faith in God during the ocean storm?
7. How did the little girl show faith in her father?
8. Can we put a similar faith in the love and goodness of God?
9. How do you show faith in a doctor?
10. How do we show similar faith in Jesus?
11. How does one drowning in a river show faith?
12. Is faith natural to young children?
13. Must each child believe for himself?

Sing: "Only Trust Him." Also "My Faith Looks Up to Thee."