| The power of faith transcends man's strength |
|---|
The
one word “faith” can have two meanings. One kind of faith concerns
doctrines. It involves the soul’s assent to and acceptance of some
particular matter. It also concerns the soul’s good according to the
words of the Lord: Whoever hears my voice and believes in him who sent
me has eternal life, and will not come to be judged. And again: He who
believes in the Son is not condemned, but has passed from death to life.
How great is God’s love for men! Some good men have
been found pleasing to God because of years of work. What they achieved
by working for many hours at a task pleasing to God is freely given to
you by Jesus in one short hour. For if you believe that Jesus Christ is
Lord and that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved and taken
up to paradise by him, just as he brought the thief there. Do not doubt
that this is possible. After all, he saved the thief on the holy hill of
Golgotha because of one hour’s faith; will he not save you too since
you have believed?
The other kind of faith is given by Christ by means of
a special grace. To one wise sayings are given through the Spirit, to
another perceptive comments by the same Spirit, to another faith by the
same Spirit, to another gifts of healing. Now this kind of faith, given
by the Spirit as a special favour, is not confined to doctrinal matters,
for it produces effects beyond any human capability. If a man who has
this faith says to this mountain move from here to there, it will move.
For when anybody says this in faith, believing it will happen and having
no doubt in his heart, he then receives that grace.
It is of this kind of faith, moreover, that it is
said: If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed. The mustard seed
is small in size but it holds an explosive force; although it is sown in
a small hole, it produces great branches, and when it is grown birds
can nest there. In the same way faith produces great effects in the soul
instantaneously. Enlightened by faith, the soul pictures God and sees
him as clearly as any soul can. It circles the earth; even before the
end of this world it sees the judgement and the conferring of promised
rewards. So may you have the faith which depends on you and is directed
to God, that you may receive from him that faith too which transcends
man’s capacity.
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