Faith Shows Itself in Action

Faith Shows Itself in Action

By Harold Horton

"Faith without works is dead." James 2:20

One of the most important, and yet apparently one of the most

difficult lessons to learn, is that faith is not a doctrine or a theological notion or a religious

emotion or a healing principle, but an ACTION.

One of Brother Wigglesworth’s most often repeated axioms was that "faith is an act." There

is no evidence of the existence of faith except in our action. Faith has neither proof nor fruit

apart from action. James 2 says "though a man say he hath faith and have not works, can

that faith save him?” or (since the word for "save" and "heal" is the same in the original)

"can that faith heal him?" "Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone… Shew me thy

faith with- out thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." "Faith without works

is dead." Of Abraham, James says that "faith wrought with his works, and by works was

made perfect." The "works" here, in all these scriptures, are of course, not the works of the

law, but the works of faith. That is, the works by which alone the existence of personal faith

is manifested and operated and enjoyed.

Real, genuine, actual faith cannot be hid. It must inevitably be seen in action. Boiling water

issues in steam, and steam issues in mechanical motion. Faith that does not act is not faith. It

is, at the best, hope. Hope must progress far beyond its own territory if it is to receive from

from God the blessed things He so graciously promises us. The just shall live by faith - not

by theology nor desire nor profession - but by living, operative faith. So often our precious

sick saints say (when they are instructed to believe): "But I do believe!" Of course, in the

secret chambers of the heart they trust they are believing. They hope they are believing.

Therefore they say they are believing. But when vital faith is really present it will show itself

in immediate action. Faith does not merely proclaim its presence - it shows its presence in

fearless action. "I will show thee my faith by my works." "Believe only, and thou shalt be

made whole."

On the simple promise and the naked Word, faith obeys immediately, however impossible

the promise or absurd the command. The faith that does not act is still secretly arguing with

the Word instead of believing and obeying it. To look "at the promise and to begin to weigh

its practicability. To compare is not faith; it is doubt the seriousness of our case with the

simplicity of the divine provision is not faith; it is doubt. To look at symptoms and the

promise and stagger at the seeming lack of connection between the two is not faith; it is

doubt. All hesitation is doubt. Faith does not hesitate. It acts, works, launches forth, flings

itself with utter abandon on the promise, and seizes its desired object,

How difficult it is to tell sufferers the truth without seeming to hurt them! Even if it appears

harsh we must say that if we do not receive when we ask it is more than likely because we have not believed. If we ask a second time we certainly do no wrong, but it is a sign that we

did not succeed in believing the first time we asked. Ask again. As soon as we really believe

we realty receive. Every one that asketh receiveth. Everyone that seeketh findeth. If we are

waiting for anything after we have prayed it is because we have not believed we have

received. If we wait, it is not really healing we are waiting for, but faith. If we have not faith,

let us frankly admit it and wait on the Lord until we receive it. Do not say "There! I have

asked the Lord and believed Him, and He has not healed me!" That is putting the onus of

failure on God. God puts it on us. If you are not healed, rather say - "Lord, 1 cannot yet have

believed. Help Thou mine unbelief." Let God be true and every man a liar where there is

seeming failure.

You must believe if you are to receive. If we have believed we must have received, in spite

of appearances or feelings. I repeat, faith shows itself in action. It obeys immediately

without looking at the likelihood of success. "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam," Jesus once

commanded a man who stood before Him in need. If he had been disposed to argue, he

might quite logically have answered: "But, Lord, it is not 'washing' I am in need of, but

eyesight!" A mind that confronts God and His Word with arguments is choked with

unbelief. This man did not argue. He did not hesitate. He did not stay to estimate the virtue

of Siloam's water or the reasonableness of the instruction. He immediately went in

obedience to the strange command - and came seeing. HIS going proved his confidence. His

works testified to his faith. By his works, his faith was made perfect.

"Stretch forth thy hand," said the Lord to another man, this time in the synagogue. The man

might with perfect reason have said, "But, Lord, that is just what I cannot do. Perhaps you

are not aware of the symptoms, Sir. My hand is withered from birth. I have never moved it.

It is atrophied. It is dead. I cannot stretch it forth." If he had argued like that, no one could

have charged him with unreason. It is perfectly true that humanly speaking he could not

stretch forth his hand. If he had employed this justifiable logic there would have been an end

to all hope of healing. But he did the impossible at the Lord's command. His faith showed

itself in action. His works indicated the reality of his faith. He acted his faith, proving its

mighty presence. Faith accomplishes the impossible at the Word of the Master

A brother in Worcester, Massachusetts, had suffered from chronic colitis for 14 years,

always in pain - eating hardly anything. He had spent hundreds of dollars on doctors and

surgeons and psychiatrists. As he went to each new specialist, without exception they all,

when they examined him, shook their heads solemnly, giving him no shadow of hope of

recovery. I prayed for him in the Name of the Lord and told him to go home and eat

something that in his condition he could not eat! He went and did so. He came the next day,

fully delivered. I saw him months later, perfectly whole, eating everything he desired with

no uneasy effects, and 'working full-time with normal strength. He did not stay to wonder if

he could do the impossible. He did it in the Name of the Lord because he was told to. His

works proved and implemented his faith.

"Arise, take up thy bed, and walk," said Jesus to another man, in Capernaum. "But, Sir," he

might have replied, "that is impossible. Did you not notice that these four friends tore the

shingles off the roof and let me down at Thy feet helpless and motionless? I am paralyzed,

Lord. I cannot arise. I have no life in my limbs, and no nerves in my frame." All that would

have been perfectly true and logical. But it would have been an unmistakable proof of

unbelief. Unbelief gets nothing from God. Faith moves in consonance with the plan of God.

Faith does the impossible at the Word of the Lord. When the Lord commands, He enables -

always. He cannot aid the unbeliever. He can and will aid the believer every time. So the

man, without contrary word, arose and took up his bed and walked, finding that the

command, on obedience, empowered by the creative Word, immediaely performed the

miracle of deliverance. Faith is not professed credence. It is not ostentatiously nodding

assent to the Word. It is obeying the Word at once without question or fear. "The obedience

of faith."

A godly woman, Peter's wife's mother, was suffering from malaria, deadly eastern fever,

with no hope of recovery in the natural. Jesus touched her hand, and immediately she arose

and ministered to those who had so patiently ministered to her. Her utter confidence in the

Lord, and His Word and His touch, displayed itself in immediate faith; faith displayed itself

in immediate healing. Now, her friends might with reason have said to her "But Sister, take

care! Do nothing foolish. You know the temperature you have been running. You know how

weakened you are with long sickness. You know how bitter the weather is today. Be wise,

Sister. We know how courageous you are. BUT better rest a few weeks until the weather

improves and your strength returns. Your eyes are puffy through lack of sleep. Your pulse is

feeble. Your cheek is pallid, and your heart weak." All of which would have been perfectly

reasonable in the natural. But faith bounds beyond the natural. Faith does not consider

symptoms or circumstances or possibilities. Faith arises at the touch of the Lord. "She arose

and ministered unto them." This is where so many fail to get their healing. They do not arise.

There are many living like invalids who were healed long ago. They have not yet acted their

faith, proving that faith is really not present.

A woman in Detroit called me to pray for her. She had long been house-bound suffering

from heart trouble and nervous prostration. She began complaining that nobody had prayed

the prayer of faith for her." I spoke to her seriously for in this case it was necessary. I said,

"Why do you wear that invalid's house-coat all day long?" I dared to command her in the

Name of the Lord. I asked her to go at once and dress in reasonable and normal attire. Then I

told her I expected her to come to the meeting that night. She did what I said in spite of my

seeming harshness, and she came to the meeting, well and happy. She testified at once that

she had been for years seeking sympathy from others, but that now she had learned the

lesson of personal faith. She at last acted her faith. She obeyed the command. She arose and

ministered to her people, a whole woman. How she enjoyed the new victorious activity in

place of the old helpless lassitude!

To sit in a chair all day in a house-coat or dressing-jacket is to look like an invalid. To look

like an invalid is feel like an invalid. To feel like an invalid is to act like an invalid. Arise no,

beloved sufferer. Do not allow the enemy longer to have dominion over you. Release faith

and act according to its dictates. Lie down no longer. Arise and minister. “The spirit of a

man will sustain his infirmity.” Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Welcome him and

he will live with you.

This, I repeat, is where so many fail to get their healing, or lose it when they have it. They

fail to rise and minister. (Ministering, of course, means doing normal duties.) They lie down,

expecting others to wait on them till they are unable to lift themselves above their

circumstances. Do not feel defeated like that! If you have been prayed for, arise now

violently in the Name of the Lord and walk and begin to work. Cease to eat invalid food and

drink invalid drinks; eat and drink normally in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Faith is the

victory. Faith shows itself in action. Faith takes hold. Faith holds on. Faith arises. Faith steps

out. Faith is an act. “Faith wrought with works, and by works was faith made perfect.”