Article October 20, 1923 Issue

"I have kept the faith"—Where?

NANCY B. TOMLINSON

Paul says, "I have kept the faith." It is also written, in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." In this chapter are recounted, one after another, instances where seekers after Truth have triumphed over untold difficulties through faith in God. For ages, spiritually hungry ones had been groping after this faith; but it seemed to them so illusive, so intangible. In this age, Mrs. Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, explains in the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," what faith is, and how to exercise it in order to obtain freedom from every enslaving condition.

When Jesus and his disciples were together on a ship, and he was asleep, there came up a great storm, filling the boat with water; and the disciples, being afraid, roused the Master. He arose, rebuked the winds and the waves, and the raging ceased. Then, turning to his disciples, he said, "Where is your faith?" It was evidently not where his was placed, or they could have produced the same result. Jesus' faith was in God, the governing, controlling, divine Principle. The disciples' faith must have been in the winds and the waves, in material things, else fear could not have controlled them as it did. The only power error seems to have is the power we bestow on it by having faith in it. It appears to be so easy to place our faith in material things! They seem so near at hand. To believe in them takes no effort. But whither does the belief in them lead? "Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction," said the Master.

Are we sick, sinful, discouraged, dissatisfied? Are we lacking the comforts of living, congenial surroundings, pleasant work? Stop, and consider! Are we placing our faith in matter and so-called material law; or are we placing it in God's ability to heal each and every false condition? We cannot be neutral. We place our confidence on one side or the other. Possibly we think we can divide it. Divided faith, however, brings us no profit.

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