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‘We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God Which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in Whom we trust that He will yet deliver us.’
2Co_1:9-10
I. This idea of trust is illustrated in the case of St. Paul in connection with the trouble which befell him in Asia, and for which he sought relief on every hand (2Co_1:8). There has been much argument as to what was the trouble of which he speaks, but I care not what the occasion was; it suffices to say that in Paul’s experience there came a moment when he realised that he was in the very face of death, and the pressure upon him was so great that it seemed impossible for him to obtain deliverance. He looked out, he looked around, he even looked up; but it seemed as if there was no possibility of escape. At last he looked in; and then he says, ‘Moreover, we have the sentence of death in ourselves.’ He looked in as a man might who is in a sinking ship in the midst of the broad Atlantic, and who realises from the face of the captain and the sailors that there is no hope, no possibility of a near sail, no lifeboat ready, and who at last looks within and says, ‘It is death; there is no escape.’ But just as human despair seizes upon him, St. Paul turns from man, he turns from circumstances, he turns from all earthly conditions, and he looks up into the face of God and says, ‘We have the sentence of death in ourselves,’ that what?—‘that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God Which raiseth the dead.’ Like Abraham on Mount Moriah, in one instant his gaze goes up to God, and he feels that God can deliver, but no one else can. So St. Paul felt that there was no deliverance in man, no hope in himself, but that this was the moment for trusting God, for giving up his whole being to Him. This is trust far more than faith; faith takes, trust gives; by trust you commit into the hand of God, with perfect certainty of deliverance and blessing, that which in itself brought you nothing but the absolute certainty of death.
II. But there is something further which is meant by this word ‘trust.’—It is very distinct in the original from our word faith. The noun only comes six times in the New Testament, and is only once translated trust (2Co_3:4). In the other five passages it is translated confidence—a very blessed word, but it is not the same as trust, because confidence and boldness are the outcome of faith and trust. Faith takes into the soul what God in His mercy reveals, and believes God against all comers. Trust hands over to God what God has given us, and says, ‘Keep, Lord, and use, for I cannot.’ Then comes a holy confidence and assurance of soul which prevents us from ever being disturbed under any circumstances whatever, and out of that confidence there comes a boldness which enables us to act for the glory of God. Faith, when it has conceived, bringeth forth trust; and trust, when it is finished, bringeth forth confidence and boldness.
III. In the Bible faith is distinguished from trust in that by faith we take Jesus Christ, and trust takes us to God through Christ.—Let us see how it acts. Notice how sin is treated of in the Epistle to the Romans. First there is the sense of guilt. Faith takes the doctrine that in Christ God was satisfied in regard to me as a sinner; trust goes to God through Christ and says, ‘I have now no fear of judgment. I walk up to God with perfect confidence as to my guilt, for it is put away.’ Then faith takes the word of God that Christ is a Saviour from the power of sin; trust steps out into the place of difficulty into which God calls me, believing that the Christ will really deliver me. Faith takes the doctrine that I am delivered from the action of death in sin; trust, when I yield myself to God as a man that is alive from the dead, passes my whole being into God’s hands for keeping, for power, for service. Faith takes the fact that there is no condemnation; trust believes that there is no separation, and that I am joined to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thus trust is to be exercised in every department of salvation. God alone knows your trial, and He will help you.
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Rev. Prebendary Webb-Peploe.
Illustrations(1) ‘A friend went one morning to the house of the great Sir Robert Peel, and found him with a large number of letters lying before him: he was bowed over them in prayer. The friend retired, and returning a little later, said, “I beg your pardon for intruding upon your private devotions.” Sir Robert replied, “No, those were my public devotions; I was just giving the affairs of State into the hands of God, for I could not manage them.” If you will just hand the letter-bag over to the Lord you will find that you can trust it to Him. It may contain vital matters to your firm, to your nation, perhaps, which you think only you can manage. Try trusting the living God with your letter-bag or your housekeeping; do not ever fret or fidget again; put everything into His hands, and say, “Now, Lord, undertake for me.” That is quite distinct from faith.’
(2) ‘When in York Minster I was suddenly moved by the beauty of the place to say aloud, “What a grand building! what a wonderful building! how splendid! thank God!” A voice at my side said, “Yes, it is very beautiful.” I turned, and there at my left sat an old man about seventy-five years of age, in a smock-frock, with a stick in his hand; he looked very sad, and very, very hungry. After talking with him for a moment I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out eighteen-pence. I know not why I did it. In an instant the old man said, as I rose up to go, “Stop, sir; you won’t be ashamed to take an old man’s blessing, will you? Do you know what you have done for me? You have just saved my life. I had word last evening that my daughter was dying, so I started off and walked into York last night, and arrived with fourpence in my pocket. I went to a lodging-house, and found they would give me a dirty bed for twopence and a clean one for fourpence. My Father told me always to keep clean, and I did not think, though I was hungry, that He would wish me to go to bed dirty; so I took the clean bed for fourpence, and trusted Father. I came here at seven o’clock this morning to Father’s house, that I might talk to Him, and I have been waiting until Father sent the bread. I knew He would send it, and you are His messenger.” I said, “You don’t mean that you have been here since seven o’clock this morning?” “Yes.” “It is seven o’clock at night; and have you had nothing?” He said, “I have just been waiting Father’s time. It is Father’s time now, and He has sent you.” That old man knew what it was to trust God.’