I never realized how many people had this kind of faith. You remember the story from the Gospel of John:
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (John 20:24–29)
This is the Thomas type of faith.
It is sense knowledge faith.
We can believe in miracles if we can see them.
In many healing meetings, multitudes have sat in amazement when they have seen the sick instantly healed.
It has given them faith to dare ask for their own healing.
This was not faith in the Word. It is faith in what they see and hear or feel.
We see it again manifest in an instance like this: a sick person comes to me. They are in great pain. When I pray for them, the pain leaves them instantly, and they say, “Thank God I am healed.”
I ask, “How do you know you are?”
And they reply, “The pain is gone.”
They have no faith in the Word. It is meaningless to them. I read Isaiah 53:4–5 to them.
I ask, “Do you believe that?”
“Oh, yes; I have believed that for years.”
I read it again:
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4–5)
You see, this person is healed by my faith, or his faith in my faith.
They are like the one in James 5:14 who calls for the elders to come and pray over him and anoint him with oil, and the prayer of the elders heals him.
The only faith he had was in the elders.
That is sense knowledge faith.
He can see the elders. He can hear them pray, can feel their hands upon his head.
The Word actually means nothing to him.
Had he believed the Word instead of sending for the elders or asking anyone to pray for him, he would have looked up and said, “Father, you laid this disease on Jesus, and it is unseemly for me to bear it. I dishonor Thee in bearing it. So, in the name of Jesus, I command it to leave me, and I command Satan to take it with him. I have no use for it, and I refuse to have it.”
In Jesus’s name, he gets his personal deliverance.
He honors the Word, and the name.
He honors the Father and Jesus.
He has learned to take his place in Christ.
Jesus met only sense knowledge faith among the Jews.
In Matthew 8:5–13 is recorded the story of the centurion who came to Jesus beseeching Him to come and heal his servant, who was sick with palsy.
And Jesus said, “I will come and heal him” (verse 7).
The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed” (verse 8).
He illustrates his confidence in Jesus by saying, “I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it” (Matthew 8:9).
When Jesus heard this, He marveled at the centurion’s faith and said, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel” (verse 10).
This Gentile had faith in the Master’s Word that no Israelite had manifested.
In the Gospel of John, you catch a glimpse of the Jews’ faith in Jesus. It was exactly like Thomas’s faith.
“Well then,” they said, “what is the Sign you perform, that we may see it and believe you? What work have you to show?” (John 6:30 MOFF)
When they saw the miracles, they believed.
I question if a single one of the disciples who walked with the Master had anything but sense knowledge until after the day of Pentecost.
Luke 24:11 gives a picture of the disciples after Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them told the disciples that Jesus had risen: “And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.”
They couldn’t believe beyond their senses.
John 6:14 gives us another illustration: “Those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.”
His words filled them with wonder or with anger, but not with faith.
They had to have some physical evidence to prove His deity.
First John 1:1–3 also illustrates this perfectly:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us.
That which we have seen with our eyes, handled with our hands—that is in the realm of the senses.
God sent His Son down here into the realm of sense knowledge, and those sense knowledge folks saw Him, ate with Him, and witnessed His miracles, but not one of them actually believed He was going to rise from the dead, although He had told them so.
They didn’t believe that He was going to die for their sins.
They only believed what they could see and hear.
None of the disciples believed in His resurrection until they had some physical evidence of it.
You remember the dramatic scene of Peter and John coming to the tomb, finding the stone rolled away, and the empty grave clothes. John then said that he believed. (See John 20:1–10.)
One of the gravest dangers that we face as believers is sense knowledge faith.
The thing that He demands of us is that we accept His Word as it is, the very Word of God, and that we act upon it, independent of any feeling or any evidence that the eyes can see or the ears can hear.
Notice carefully what the Lord tells us in Paul’s letter to the Romans:
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (Romans 10:8–11)
You note He is challenging us to accept the Word that we may have heard so many times that we know it from memory.
So, He says, “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith.”
Then He demands that I confess my faith in the resurrection of Jesus with my lips; He demands that I confess my salvation and that I have become His righteousness in Christ.
I must confess this before I receive eternal life, before I am recreated, before I become the righteousness of God in Him.
And He says that if I do it, I shall not be put to shame.
This is acting on the Word independent of any sense knowledge whatsoever.
That is faith.
For me to act when I have evidence is not faith.
I require no faith when I have physical evidence.
You see, faith is giving substance to a thing that is not.
I am giving thanks to the Father for the money to pay the bills before the money has arrived.
Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:32–33)
My God shall supply all your need. (Philippians 4:19)
That is all I have. That is all I ask.
And that Word has given me the assurance that I will get the thing that I asked Him for.
Jesus said, “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you” (John 16:23).
I have asked the Father in Jesus’s name and now I am thanking Him that His Word cannot fail.
In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6–7 ASV)
“In nothing be anxious.”
Why should I be anxious?
Isn’t He my Father?
Don’t I know Him?
Didn’t He say that He would look after my needs, and whatsoever I ask in Jesus’s name, He will give to me?
Didn’t He say:
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)
How can I be otherwise than perfectly quiet?
The thing hasn’t disturbed me.
For instance, suppose my child is very ill. Doctors have given up, but that doesn’t disturb me. I have His Word and I know Him. He can’t fail me.
Didn’t He say, “They who believe shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover?” (See Mark 16:18.)
Supposing I can’t get to the child, then I have this Scripture: “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you” (John 16:23).
Do I need anything more?
Why, He says, “I watch over my word to perform it” (Jeremiah 1:12 ASV).
“No Word from God shall be void of power” (Luke 1:37 ASV).
Now you can understand the rest of this: “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6 ASV).
Did you notice “with thanksgiving”?
I can’t help but be thankful.
I can’t help but praise Him.
Why, this sickness or this impossible financial obligation simply gives Him an opportunity to reveal Himself as my Father, and Jesus as my Lord and provider.
If I didn’t have that need, I would never know the riches of His grace; so, I thank Him for every added burden that comes, for it gives Him an opportunity to reveal Himself to my heart.
Did you notice the next verse?
When I begin to thank Him and praise Him, “The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7 ASV). The peace of God throws a garrison of faith’s soldiers around my heart, guarding it, and guarding my thoughts so that no doubt can come.
Why, I am just as quiet as God is, because God’s peace has garrisoned my heart.
Did Jesus ever get disturbed?
Was He anxious when He saw the waves dashing over the little vessel in which He and the disciples were riding?
Not a bit; He simply said, “Peace, be still.”
He knew that every Word He spoke was the Father’s Word; and it was the Father saying through His lips, “Peace, be still,” and the waves became quiet.
When the demonic, fierce, dangerous man came out and intercepted them in the Gadarenes, the Father said through Jesus’s lips, “Be still; come out of him.” (See Mark 5:1–20.)
And the demon said, “May we go into that herd of swine?”
Jesus answered, “Go.”
Jesus was speaking the Father’s words; He wasn’t excited or anxious.
He knew that what the Father said through His lips would master that legion of demons, or quiet that raging sea.
And that same peace of God comes into your heart that was in the heart of Jesus.
THE BITTER FAILURE OF SENSE
KNOWLEDGE FAITH
“I think I am losing faith in God.
“I have had such strong faith. Why, I have been healed so many times. Every time that I have been sick and have asked prayer from my friends, I have been instantly healed; but now, I have had ever so many pray for me and I get no relief.
“I tell you; I am beginning to lose faith.”
I asked him, “What are you losing faith in?”
He answered, “Faith in God, to be sure.”
And I said to him, “Why, you’ve never had any special faith in Him to lose. You’ve had many healings, but have you ever gone to Him for your own healing?”
“No, I’ve always had you people pray for me.”
“Then all you have had is sense knowledge faith. You have trusted in other people’s faith.
“You have been a spiritual hitchhiker ever since we first became acquainted. You have never trusted the Word for yourself. You have been a leaner rather than a burden-bearer.
“You have leaned on other people. You have never taken your place in Christ, and the hour has come when their faith can’t carry you any longer. You must take your place yourself.
“Are you a son?”
“Oh, yes, I know I was born again years ago.”
“But you have never grown any. You are but a babe yet. You live in the realm where you were when I first found you. You have never come out of the sense realm.
“Don’t you think now that you had better begin to study the Word?
“Take our correspondence course. Get to know what you are in Christ; what belongs to you.
“Get to know your authority over sickness and disease through the name of Jesus.”
He said, “I thank you for speaking so plainly to me. I can see where my difficulty lies, but you see, I have been so busy with my business and I have been struggling so hard to make good, I guess I have failed to get the best out of life.”
“No, you have just awakened, and now you will get it. It is a short road. It is only a few blocks up, and you will be rejoicing with the rest of them having your own faith, having your own place in Christ.
“You will be praying with sick folks. Men will be coming to you and saying, ‘Won’t you pray for me?’ or, ‘I wish you would pray for my child,’ and, oh, the joy that will be yours.”
Sense knowledge holds one a prisoner. One is always looking for physical evidence, and as long as one does that, faith doesn’t have an opportunity to exercise itself.
You pray for something. Then you must act as though you had it. You must talk as though you had it.
You are never to go back on your prayer, never to allow your lips for one moment to say that you are not certain that you have it, that you are not sure of your answer.
You remember Mark 11:24: “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
Then there is only one thing to do. We must begin to praise Him for it.
I remember that years ago, I was praying for money to meet our rent bill. I had prayed. Then I went out on the street and I began to wonder how I could get it.
Before I realized it, I had destroyed my prayer. I had nullified the Word.
I came to myself, asked for forgiveness, and then began to thank Him for it. I held myself steady and kept my heart singing songs of victory. That was the beginning of my life of prayer.
Then I remember how I grew out of that and came to the place where, when I had asked Him for something, I forgot it; I left it; I walked away from it.
If it came back to my mind, I thanked Him; I praised Him for it.
Then I learned that when someone brought the subject up, to tell him that it was settled. “I have it.”
Once, a man said, “If you have it, then there is no need of my helping you.”
I smiled and said, “I have it according to the Word, for no word from my Father is void of fulfillment; so I praise Him as though I had it now.”
One day while walking down Halsey Street in Chicago, I was facing a great need. I asked Him for it in Jesus’s name, and began to praise Him for it.
It seemed as though I could feel it in my pocket. I wouldn’t put my hand in to verify it, but I walked down the street hardly touching the sidewalk. My heart was full of laughter.
When I reached the house where I was called upon to pray for a sick woman, the money was handed to me. It was more than I had asked for.
“In nothing be anxious” (Philippians 4:6 ASV). Is He not for you? Is He not working for those who trust Him?
There is no ground for anxiety or fear if you know His Word.
“Whosoever believeth…shall not be put to shame” (Romans 10:11 ASV).
I know this to be an absolute fact.
You see, your heart will learn to welcome the impossible, the “beyond reason” task; for the greater One is in you, with you, and for you.