The Preferred Faith

The Preferred Faith

What might be termed the "preferred faith," as evaluated by Jesus Himself, was discussed by Kenneth Millspaugh in his comments on John 20:29. The occasion of reference was that of Thomas' being convinced by sight of Jesus' resurrection, and our Lord's accompanying observation. "Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed," said the Savior: "blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." Thus, He anticipated that faith which is the belief of competent testimony in the case, and implied that it is more highly valued by God than that virtually forced upon one by sight, as was so with Thomas. Peter, apparently taking his cue from Jesus here, spoke in like commendation of such faith, saying with reference to Christ, Whom, having not seen, ye love; in whom, though ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (I Pet. 1:8).

In enunciating this appraisal of faith-based-upon-testimony, both our Lord and the Apostle recognized and stressed the genius of the whole new-covenant economy, it was noted. In the very next verses of his account, John emphasized that the spiritual life which the new order was to make possible would be simply by believing the Apostles' testimony concerning Christ (vv. 20-21), and that the production of such faith was the objective of their writing. Thus also John's representation of the situation in First John 5:13-19, where he traces the possession of "that eternal life" (ch. 1:2) to the fact of one's believing "the record that God gave of His Son."

This being the case, all the current agitation in some religious circles about miraculous gifts for today as necessary for, or even especially conducive to, faith in the Father and the Son is exposed and refuted as the error which it certainly is. We have a testimony which has been amply confirmed by miracles and given to us by infallibly-guided men—not the testimony presumptuous and lying claims. We believe what these chosen witnesses of God have said of Jesus of Nazareth, and believing, ''have life through His Name" (Jn. 20:31), that faith being energized and empowered by the Holy Spirit, who operates through our faith, Brother Ken pointed out. How blessed, indeed, are those who, having not seen, yet believe, and so have Christ dwelling in their hearts by faith (Eph. 3:17), and leading them to heaven through this dark and evil world. –Noted and recorded by Fred O. Blakely