Smith Wigglesworth- By Faith
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourself; it is the gift of God.”
Ephesians 2:8
Everything God does is by faith, and everything we receive from Him is through faith. Unfortunately, we often fall back on trying to achieve and receive through works. Smith Wigglesworth said:
“We read in the Word that by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain; by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; by faith Noah prepared an ark to the saving of his house.”
We are told that without faith, it is impossible to please God, so how can we walk by faith and therefore walk in such a way that we are pleasing to God? It is by faith. Smith explained:
“There is only one way to all the treasures of God, and that is the way of faith. All things are possible, the fulfilling of all promises, to him that believeth. And it is all by grace.”
The Lord is an equal opportunity discriminator who will pass over a million to find the one who will, by faith, simply trust Him. Faith elevates us among the crowd and places us in the position of receiving. No wonder, Smith explained:
“There will be failure in our lives if we do not build on the base, the Rock Christ Jesus. He is the only way. He is the truth. He is the life. And the Word he gives us is life-giving. As we receive the Word of life, it quickens, it opens, it fills us, it moves us, it changes us; and it brings us into a place where we dare to say amen to all that God has said. Beloved, there is a lot in an ‘Amen.’ You never get any place until you have the Amen inside of you.”
When we look at the stories of Zacharias, John the Baptist’s father, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, we see the power of faith. Zacharias knew the Word and the account of Abraham, yet facing his own impossibilities, could not believe God. Smith explained:
“Zacharias he was filled with unbelief until the angel said, ‘thou shalt be dumb… because thou believest not my words’ (Luke 1: 20). Mary said, ‘…be it unto according to thy Word’ (Luke 1: 38). And the Lord was pleased that she believed that there would be a performance.”
Zacharias was looking to himself and his circumstances, while Mary looked to the Lord and the power of His Word. Mary, like Abraham, dared believe the Word and what the Word promised the Word is able to perform.
Many of us think we can achieve if we simply pray more or pray harder and we fall back into the trap of seeking to earn, instead of simply believing. In Acts chapter twelve, Peter is in prison, and it does not look good for him. The Lord has already shown is mighty power to deliver them through sending an angel, but we so quickly forget. We forget all the things He has done before for us.
“Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.”
Acts 12: 5
They kept in prayer, but even when Peter turned up knocking at the door, they were shocked. Smith explained:
“You will find that there were people waiting all night and praying that Peter might come out of prison. But there seemed to be one thing missing despite all their praying, and that faith.”
How much time are we seeking to earn our breakthrough or convince God to do something by how long or how hard we pray? When we don’t see the results we want, we determine we missed it, and we review our prayer time to see if we need to pray more or harder. We think that maybe we need to fast.
Smith explained:
“Beloved, we may do much praying and groaning, but we do not receive from God because of that; we receive because we believe. And yet sometimes it takes God a long time to bring us through the groaning and the crying before we can believe.”
Think about Cain and Abel and how they both brought an offering, yet Cain’s offering was a more excellent one because it was offered in faith. Faith separates what may look from the natural eye the same, to what touches the heart of the Father and moves Him.
Smith explained:
“I know this, that no man by his praying can change God- for you cannot change Him. Finney said, ‘Can a man who is full of sin and all kinds of ruin in his life, change God when he starts to pray?’ No, it is impossible. But when a man labors in prayer, he groans and travails because his tremendous sin is weighing him down, and he become broken in the Presence of God; and when properly melted he comes into perfect harmony with the divine plan of God, and then God can work in that day. He could not before. Prayer changes hearts, but it never changes God. He is the same yesterday, and today, and forever- full of love, full of compassion, full of mercy, full of grace, and ready to bestow this and communicate that to us as we come in faith to Him.”
Think of how the disciples had Jesus with them walking on the earth. They enjoyed intimate fellowship with Him, yet He tells them:
“Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.”
Luke 22: 46
Prayer was still a critical part of their life and prayer would change them. Prayer doesn’t change the Lord but changes us. Prayer is our tool to lift us off this earth and the natural realm and brings us into the Heavenly places and the spiritual realm. Prayer is an essential part of our spiritual life, in which we sow to the Spirit and are transformed and strengthened.
Prayer is the way we come, and we ask the Father. Smith explained:
“Believe that when you come into the Presence of God you can have all you came for. You can take it away; and you can use it, for all the power of God is at your disposal in response to your faith. The price for all was paid by the blood of Jesus Christ at Calvary.”
Smith further added:
“And He purposes to transform us so that the greatness of His power may work through us. Oh, beloved! God delight in us, and when a man’s ways please the Lord, then He makes all things to move according to His own blessed purpose.”
The Lord calls us to come into His Presence, and as we pray, so transform us that we are lifted and brought into the place that as He is, so too, are we! A place where we are brought into fidelity with the Lord.
Smith added:
‘But remember this, translation comes only on the line of holy obedience and a walk according to the good pleasure of God. We are called to walk together with God through the Spirit. It is delightful to know that we can talk with God through the Spirit. It is delightful to know that we can talk with God and hold communion with Him. Through this wonderful baptism in the Spirit which the Lord gives us, He enables us to talk to Himself in a language that the Spirit has given, a language which no man understands but which He understands, a language of love. Oh, how wonderful it is to speak to Him in the Spirit, to let the Spirit lift, and lift and lift us until He takes us into the very Presence of God!”
We focus all our prayer time on convincing God to give us something instead of enjoying real communion with Him. Real fellowship is all about developing a deep relationship. Relationships are deeper than things but on communication and be transformed.
Smith explained:
“I believe there are two kinds of faith. All people are born with anural faith but God calls us to a supernatural faith which is a gift from Himself.”
Paul explained:
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in flesh I live by the faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Galatians 2: 20
Through prayer, we are transformed as we are crucified and brought into the new life where we now walk by faith. Smith then added:
“The faith of the Son of God communicated by the Spirit to the one who puts his trust in God and in His Son. I want to show you the difference between our faith and the faith of Jesus. Our faith is limited and comes to an end. Most people have experienced coming to the place where they have said, ‘Lord, I can go no further. I have gone so far, and I cannot go on.’ But God can help us and take us beyond this.”
As we abide in real fellowship with Him and His Word in the Secret Place of His Presence, a transformation occurs in which we trade faiths. Our faith in His. Smith explained:
‘I saw there, in the presence of that demented girl, limitations to my faith; but as I prayed there came another faith into my heart that could not be denied, a faith that grasped the promises, a faith that believed God’s Word. I came from the Presence o the glory back to earth. I was not the same man. I confronted the same conditions I had seen before, but in the Name of Jesus. With faith that could shake hell and move anything.”
The Lord wants to bring us to a place where we are fully persuaded by a faith from Him. Smith said:
“Enoch walked with God. During those many years of his life he was penetrating the heavens, laying hold of and believing God, living with such cooperation and such a touch of God upon him that things moved on earth and things moved in Heaven. He became such a heavenly being that it was not possible for him to stay here any longer.”
He wants us to come to a place where we stand fully persuaded by His Word, knowing He watches over His Word to perform it. Further, He imparts to us faith to believe Him. Smith added:
“I believe that all our failures come because of an imperfect understanding of God’s Word. I see that it is impossible to please God on any other line but by faith, and everything that is not of faith is sin.”
Yes, He longs to bring our whole lives into fidelity with Him. As we learn how to really pray, we gain ears to hear and eyes to see so that we truly hear His Word. It is here, in the hearing of His Word, that faith arises.
Smith explained:
“Can He not speak the Word that will produce a mighty faith in us? Ah, this One who is the author and finisher of our faith comes and dwells in us, quickens us by His Spirit, and molds us by His will. He comes to live His life of faith within us and to be to us all that we need. And He who begun a good work within us will complete and perfect it.”
