«　WEEK 3　DAY 3　»

　　Heb. 12:2 Looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down on the right hand of the throne of God.

　　11:6 But without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to Him, for he who comes forward to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

　　Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. This is a very strong word. To please God is to make God happy. Without faith it is impossible for you and me to make God happy….This shows the importance of faith.

　　Only faith can make God happy, and faith is to believe that God is. It is not I, but Christ. To believe that God is, is the only way, the unique way, to make God happy, to please God…. While you are combing your hair, you should say, “No longer I, but Christ.” But with many sisters it is not Christ, but them. If Christ were doing the combing, He would not comb your hair according to your way. You have to remember this. When you comb your hair, you should be able to say, “Praise the Lord. It is no longer I, but Christ.” You and I have to do everything in this way. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 1, “Crystallization-study of the Epistle to the Romans,” pp. 275, 280)

　　When brothers come to visit me, quite often I pray, “Lord, the brothers are coming to see me. I am not the one who can meet their need. Lord, You are the One.” This is faith—believing that I should be out and believing that He should be in. I must deny myself in everything and trust in Him in everything. To deny yourself and to trust in Him is faith. This is to believe that God is. Even at the end of a ministry meeting, we may say, “Saints, now it is your turn to share.” But we have to say, “It is not our turn, but Christ’s turn.” If we live in this way, the riches of Christ will come out of our mouth. Quite often before coming to a meeting, I pray to the Lord, “Lord, I should not be the speaker, but You. I have been crucified, but You live in me. You should be the speaker.” This makes a big difference—to deny the self, to trust in the Lord, that is, to believe that God is. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 1, “Crystallization-study of the Epistle to the Romans,” pp. 280-281)

　　Faith is for receiving Him (John 1:12), and love is for enjoying Him (14:23). In the Gospel of John we are told first to believe in the Son in order to have eternal life (3:15). To believe in the Lord Jesus is to receive Him. The Gospel of John also emphasizes love. In chapter 21 the Lord asks Peter concerning his love for Him (vv. 15-17). Furthermore, in 14:23 the Lord speaks of the Father and the Son making an abode with the one who loves the Lord Jesus. Therefore, by faith we receive the Lord Jesus, and by love we enjoy Him. For this reason, in 1 Timothy 1:14 Paul puts faith and love together.

　　Also in 1 Thessalonians 5:8 Paul speaks of faith and love. In this verse he encourages the saints to put on “the breastplate of faith and love.” Comparing this verse to Ephesians 6:14, we see that there are two kinds of breastplates, one for our daily living and the other for fighting. For our daily living we need the breastplate of faith and love. Faith and love are both tender; they are signified in the Bible by the breasts. Such tender parts of our being, our spiritual breasts, need to be covered with the breastplate. By means of the breastplate, our faith and love, which are necessary for a proper Christian life, are preserved. The breastplate of righteousness in verse 14, on the contrary, is for fighting. Whenever we take part in spiritual warfare, our conscience must be protected from Satan’s accusation by the breastplate of righteousness. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 3472-3473)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 1, “Crystallization-study of the Epistle to the Romans,” chs. 7-8, 11; The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 345; Life-study of 1 Timothy, msgs. 1-2, 12