Bible Review V15: October 1916 - March 1918 - Iapsop.com

1917 FAITH IN con 419
for the angel said to Daniel, "But the saints of the Most
High shall TAKE the kingdom:" and Jesus said, "The
kingdom of heaven suifereth violence and the violent
take it by force. "
Neither of these declarations indicate
that there are any especial favors to be given in that direction,
but as Jesus said, "He that is able to receive it
let him receive it." It follows therefore, that every man
who receives such powers is to take them by the application
of law. God is not necessitated to change, but he
has created all these laws; they exist everywhere, and
when man has developed sufiicient power of mindknowledge-to
comply with the requirements (cease
from sin) he will obtain the results, and as he obtains
the results, that unwavering faith in God and his
laws will come naturally to the individual. It will be
an unwavering faith, because the soul will know that
it has these powers, and when the reasoning mind
tries to believe from without, the soul will confirm
such belief from within, and such faith will cause the
individual to say I know that such and such will be the
result. This knowing is only faith, until actual experience
has been obtained, but the confidence in it will be
no greater after it has been proven than it was before.
Therefore, in the consciousness of the individual there is
no difference between faith and knowledge. All true
faith in the affairs of men is called by them, as a rule,
knowledge. You ask one, "Can you do so and so?" the
answer is an
emphatic "yes;" then ask him, "Do you
know that you can?" the answer will be "yes, I certainly
do." But this, however, is not absolutely true, for it is
faith until it is accomplished, and then it becomes knowledge;
therefore, faith in God is only obtainable by living
up to the requirements of the law until the soul consciousness
becomes so confirmed by reason of realization
in itself, that the individual is disposed to say, I know it