The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-24
FAITH WITHOUT WORKS
Not the True Belief, Says Rev. j. #.
stout.

SIOut.
Rev. J. F. Stout's third sermon of the
series on Great Christian Themes"
delivered at the First NJ e. church
yesterday, was on Faith" His text
was John Xxx, ~, BE not faithless. but
believing" He said:
Nothing Is more important, according to
the teachings OF Jesus, for the Individual
Inan Iaith, and yet 1t is difficult to define.
It Is the purpose Of this discussion to state
the things about faith that Jesus plainly
teaches, leaving each one to form for himself
MS own definition. The word which, in the
lief, Is not q word which has to do with the
head, but with the heart. The noun is we'll
represented by the word faith, but there
was and Is no English verb Ito faith" SO
It was necessary to express 1t by the word
that came nearest to tho meaning, and hence
the verb ito believe was adopted because no
better one could be found. This selection has
led the many false conceptions Of the sub
Ject. chief among which is that which could
make faith mere belief or truth. Jesus uses
the word In its various forms upward OF g.
hundred times, and not once does he use 1t
In the sense of believe. The text has in 1t
the same word twice. and to bring out the
translation, which is the requirement of God
on us: BE not faithless. but faithful
The teachings OF Jesus assume, first OF all
that there Is in every human heart the basis
of faith. AS sight is universal, except in alb
normal cases, this inner perception or
power OF faith is everywhere present Sight
is matter OF COQQluOOS, anu WQ6u tuOSo
conditions are met. then the man can see, SO
faith Is matter of conditions and when
these are met the man has faith. 1t is not
to be sought as something that can be given
Of God outright but rather as something
which a man should have through oDedlence
to divine requirements. Faith is the name
of personal relation between the soul ana
God. This is assumed and stated. All the
quotations which could be given from the
words of Jesus, would reveal to US that faith
is in God revealed in Jesus Christ, and
No. dc IF God or a teachings
Christ. God has finished his work and re-
tired from business, Signalling that retire
ment by the event of the crucitixion. Jesus
is the assurance of the perpetuation OF the
divine presence among men. 1t was the
worlds look at God in Jesus Christ, that
great personality that made faith possible In
men all through the Christ life. The sermon
at the last supper is a revelation of that close
personal relation to which faith STANDS as
revelator and sponsor, for without fa1tn that
divine life is impossible, but with 1t all the
glories of 1t are made real to the one that has
faith This personal relation hangs on latin.
Yes, even the Holy Spirit is so revealed.
This faith in the third place, Is farther
revealed in the things which it includes, for
there are expected as component parts OF
real faith, three things which when present
declare that faith is regnant They are con-
fidence courage and obedience. Confidence
is so thoroughly recognized as part OF faltn,
that some have identified 1t with faith 1tseif.
He that hath faith must have commence
The individuals in all ages who Deneve IN
Him must have a confidence that in spite OF
prosecutions, sorrows, disappointment and
threatened death, shall buoy them up in the
hope of the victory of the truth. even though
the kingdom of God may, like the boat on
Galilee, seem plunging to its ruin-a con-
fidence such as the poet desired when ne
prayed.
The second factor is courage. The dis
cples believed that they had the confidence
but the presence Of seeming peril dtsslpateo
it. whether it was the storm-tossed waves or
Galilee, the sneering, wrathful Pharisees
menacing them or the mob that swarmed up
the slopes of Olivet from which they lied,
and to which they left their Lord. 1t Is a
puzzle still that faith seemed dormant while
Christ lay in the grave. 1t was possible to
have builded such an argument from his lie,
so outlined by prophecy, even up to resur-
rection, that there should have been conf
dence that should have made them laugh
while he slept, only sorrowful for his suffer-
ings, buoyed up with the glad expectation
of tomorrows triumph. But they were recre-
ant to their trust Cowardice surrendered
them to despair. He who lacks courage be-
comes faithless, and he who dares, faithful.
The third factor is obedience, which Is the
practical consummation of definite conf
dence and true spirit of courage. 1t Is a
necessity of the relation, and proof Of the
reality of faith. 1t Is the outer activity re-
sulting from the inner convictions. There is
a spurious faith which is mere sentiment
which gives itself to the inception of states
of mind, and grades of belief, but does not
issue in unquestioned obedience. 1t is not
faith unless 1t has works.