Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1318
“The Apostle said unto the Lord, increase our faith.” Luke 17:5.
THE sermon of last Sabbath morning, [#1317, Overcome Evil with Good] in which I earnestly endeavored to inculcate the doctrine of overcoming evil with good and the frank and full forgiveness of all injuries for Christ’s sake, has raised much discussion. I know that it startled a great many of you and that you have a great many questions among yourselves as to whether such precepts are practicable by ordinary Christians. At that I am not at all surprised, because when our Lord preached the same doctrine, His disciples were so astonished that the Apostles exclaimed in surprise, “Lord, increase our faith.”
It is most important in this case to see the connection of the text, or you will fail to see its drift and bearings. It was not for the sake of working miracles that the Apostles sought increased faith. It was not in order to bear their present or future trials and neither was it to enable them to receive some mysterious article of the faith. Their prayer referred to a common everyday duty enjoined by the Gospel—the forgiving those who do us wrong—for the previous verses are to this effect, “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother trespasses against you, rebuke him. And if he repents, forgive him. And if he trespasses against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turns again to you, saying, I repent; you shall forgive him.”
And it was upon hearing this that the Apostles cried, “Increase our faith.” If you have been surprised, dear Friends, at the high standard of Christian duty which my Lord has laid down for you, I only trust your surprise may drive you to the same resort as it did those first servants of the Lord and compel you to appeal for help to Him who issued the command. Will He not help us in walking in His ways? When we feel that His commandments are exceedingly broad, to whom should we appeal for aid but to Him who is our Leader in all holy conversion and godliness? He will not set you the task and refuse you His assistance in performing it!
Observe that these Apostles did not, because of their having sinned against this precept in former times, conclude that they had no faith. They did not conclude, because the precept was so much above them that, therefore, they were unbelievers. Despair is no help to Christian duty! To doubt our discipleship will not help us to obey our Lord. If any of you have cut yourselves off from the household of faith because you fall short of the noblest forms of Christian love, I entreat you to begin again and, instead of doubting the existence of your faith, ask to have it increased. There is a Fountain opened for your past uncleanness—and sanctifying power for your future lives! Apply to Jesus, at once, for the double deliverance, and doubt not that He will deal graciously with you.
Neither did the disciples reject the precept as utterly impossible, nor excuse themselves from it on the ground that in their peculiar circumstances it must be modified. They did not complain that it was too much to expect of human nature, nor did they regard the command as only fit for dwellers in Utopia. No, they respected the precept which surprised them and admired the virtue which astonished them. As loyal followers of the Lord Jesus, they felt bound to follow where He led the way, for they believed that He was too wise to issue an impossible command, too good to teach an impracticable code of morals and too honest to set up a standard to which no mortal could, in any measure, attain. They looked on His command and they felt such confidence in Him that, instead of drawing back, they resolved that it should be obeyed at all costs.
Their resolve was to do His bidding, but feeling that they could not achieve it in their own strength, they began to pray and their prayer was for faith. They felt that only faith could work such a wonder of patient love! It was far out of the ordinary line of action—flesh and blood could not accomplish it, mere resolve would not achieve it—faith must do it and even faith, itself, would need strengthening or it would fail in the attempt. They felt, also, that the kind of faith
which could forgive to 70 times seven must be supernatural and not such as they could grow in their own breasts without Divine assistance and, therefore, they said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” They needed such faith as He could give in order that they might perform such duties as He enjoined.
Beloved, imitate the example of these Apostles! Whenever you feel that you have something to do that is beyond you, stop a moment and breathe a prayer for more strength. If ever the leap is too wide, draw back, take a breath, ask for strength and then, in the name of Him that will surely bear you over it, take your leap and succeed! He has not brought you into a condition in which you shall feel your infirmities so abjectly as to lie down and die, but He does intend you to feel your weakness so much that you may importunately pray for His aid and then, in the strength which you have gained by prayer, may attain to heights of virtue which otherwise had been far above and out of your sight. We are all the more likely to rise to holiness when we have seen our own incapacity for it.