Matthew 9:29

THE FAITH AND THE GIFT

‘According to your faith be it unto you.’

Matthew 9:29

The measure of our faith will be always the measure of the gift. But, as many and as different as are the benefits which God bestows on us, so many are the states of faith in a man’s soul.

I. An overcoming faith.—If this principle be true, it sends us down to our own heart, to find that we have not obtained any particular blessing, because we have had, at the moment, so very small a measure of faith. I believe there is more in the verse than is generally understood—‘This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.’ It is that the whole world, the whole universe, everything in it, every sorrow and every care, every temptation and every difficulty, faith can match with it continually, can ‘overcome’ it; but then the faith must be in proportion to the difficulty. ‘No faith’—all a blank. ‘Weak faith’—little peace, and little work. ‘Strong faith’—great things; delightful things; heavenly things. God is keeping to His own formula—‘According to your faith be it unto you.’

II. Faith is based upon promises.—God has given us, upon many subjects, and in many ways, certain distinct promises. Almost our first duty in life is to know God’s promises, and to gather them out and collect them up in our minds. Every one of these promises is good for eternity. It is with them faith deals—for its commission is to take the promise, and bring it to God, and get it honoured. Outside the boundary line of the promise, faith properly speaking, has no province.

—The Rev. James Vaughan.

Illustration

‘Whatever is poor or wrong about your soul, it is your faith which is at fault. Lay the blame in the right place. Attend to your faith. There are many of us who cannot find peace, though they seek it, and seek it honestly. The real clue to it all is, you are not taking God at His word. Another man feels, “I think I am forgiven, but I have no joy.” No; because you do not realise the fact that Christ, and the whole world, and life, and death, and heaven, and all things are yours. If you believed this, you would be happy. They are yours; nevertheless, “according to your faith be it unto you.” Another is entering upon some duty, and he enters tremblingly: he wishes to glorify God, but he feels it too much for him, and he is overwhelmed and afraid; and yet there stand by that man abounding promises. They are all written for you: and then, over them all, is this inscription, “According to your faith be it unto you.” ’