Ⅴ
The way to receive such a linking faith is to contact its source, the processed and consummated God, by calling on Him, praying to Him, pray-reading His word, and musing on His word; this faith links us with God and imparts, transfuses, God into us; then we will become men of faith—Heb. 4:16; Rom. 10:12-13; 2 Tim. 2:22; Eph. 6:17-18; Psa. 119:15 and footnote 1:
A
This faith links us with God and imparts, transfuses, God into us to become our living faith; this is the faith of the believers in its progressing stage.
B
The initial stage of faith is the faith that comes from the hearing of the word; the Spirit was installed into us through the hearing of the word; now this Spirit, or this faith, which has been installed into us, stays within us and grows—Rom. 10:17; 12:3.
C
Romans 1:17 says that “the righteous shall have life and live by faith”—this verse reveals that the structure of the gospel of God is the righteousness of God, the life of Christ, and the faith of the believers; this verse can also be considered as the banner of God's eternal economy.
D
To have life by faith is the initiation; to live by faith is the going on, the progressing stage of faith; faith in the second stage, the progressing stage, is the linking faith that comes to us through our contacting the Triune God.
E
If you contact God, faith grows in you, which means that God increases in you; we all have the same faith in quality, but the quantity of faith we have depends upon how much we contact the living God so that we may have Him increased in us; when God increases in us, the linking faith in the second stage grows in us—cf. Col. 2:19.
Morning Nourishment
Heb. 4:16 Let us therefore come forward with boldness to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace for timely help.Rom. 1:17 For the righteousness of God is revealed in it out of faith to faith, as it is written, “But the righteous shall have life and live by faith.”
The way to receive such a [linking] faith is to contact its source, the Lord, the processed and consummated God, by calling on Him, praying to Him, and pray-reading His Word (Heb. 4:16; Rom. 10:12; 2 Tim. 2:22; Eph. 6:17-18). We have to come forward to God’s throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace. This means that we have to contact God to receive faith… At any time, anywhere, you can contact Him. Just call on Him and say a little word to Him. Then you will receive faith. This faith links you with God and imparts, transfuses, God into you. In this way you will have the living faith. Actually, that is God Himself moving within you. Then you will become a man of faith. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 1, “Crystallization-study of the Epistle to the Romans,” p. 304)
Today’s Reading
Faith has different stages… Faith comes from the hearing of the word (Rom. 10:17). That is the initial stage of faith. When we were sinners, one day under God’s sovereignty we heard the preaching of the gospel, that is, the word of Christ. Through that hearing of the word, faith came into us. This faith brought us into a life union with Christ. This union is a kind of linking. We had the Spirit installed into us through the hearing of the word… Now this Spirit, or this faith, which has been installed into us, stays within us and grows.The faith through which we were saved became a linking faith within us. This is not just in the initial stage but also in the progressing stage… We have… the initial faith produced in us. It remains in us and goes on all the time, unless we stop it. We not only have life but also live by faith [1:17]. To live is a matter of continuation… The Christian life is not just a matter of having life by faith. You have to live by faith for your whole life. We are not believers for just a small amount of time. We are believers for eternity. We not only have life but also live by what we have. We live by faith. This is the linking faith that continues with us in our living.
Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God.” Many among us know this verse, but actually Galatians 2:20 is difficult to understand. If I am crucified without Christ, that is pitiful, but I have been crucified with Christ. He takes care of the matter. He bears the responsibility. Christ does not live by Himself alone. Christ lives “in me.” We should circle the words in me in our Bible. If we saw that Christ lives in us, we would be excited. You were crucified. It is no longer you, yet Christ still lives in you. You say “no longer,” but something is still going on. So Galatians 2:20 continues by saying, “And the life which I now live in the flesh.” Christ lives in me, and I now live a life in the flesh. I live this life in faith. It is no longer I who live, but still I live. The “I” who no longer lives is the old creation. The “I” who now lives is the new creation… I live this life in faith. This means that faith is going on. In Romans 1:17 to have life by faith is the initiation. But here Paul says, “I live in faith.” Faith is going on.
Faith in the second stage, the stage of living Christ,… comes into you by your contacting God in Christ. So you have to contact the Triune God all the time. All the time you should contact the Son. Then you will also touch the Father and the Spirit. Faith in the second stage comes to us through our contacting the Triune God. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 1, “Crystallization-study of the Epistle to the Romans,” pp. 307-309)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 1, “Crystallization-study of the Epistle to the Romans,” chs. 5-6