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The Sure Anchor of Faith, April 30
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear
what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall
be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath
this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
1 John 3:2, 3
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Here the eye of faith is directed to God, to look to the unseen, not upon
the things that are now apparent. Faith lives in expectation of a future
good; it discerns inexpressible advantages in the heavenly gift. The hope
of the future life is an essential part of our Christian faith. When we allow
worldly attractions to come in between the soul and God, the world is all
we can discern.... Look up higher, fix the eye of faith upon things unseen,
and you will become strong in the divine strength.
Our faith increases by beholding Jesus, who is the center of all that is
attractive and lovely. The more we contemplate the heavenly, the less we
see desirable and attractive in the earthly. The more continually we fix
the eye of faith on Christ, in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered,
the more our faith grows; our hope strengthens, our love becomes more
intense and fervent, with the clearness of our spiritual insight, and our
spiritual intelligence increases. More and more we realize the positive
claim of God upon us to purify ourselves from the customs and practices
of a world that knows not God, nor Jesus Christ whom He has sent.
The more we behold Christ, talk of His merits, and tell of His power,
the more fully we shall reflect His image in our own characters and the
less we shall submit our minds and affections to the paralyzing influences
of the world. The more our minds dwell upon Jesus, the less they will
be enveloped in the fog of doubt, and the more easily shall we lay all our
trials, all our burdens, upon the Burden Bearer....
Let faith pierce through the hellish shadow of Satan and center in
Jesus, our high priest, who hath entered for us within the veil. Whatever
clouds overcast the sky, whatever storms surge around the soul, this anchor
holds firm, and we may be sure of victory.
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