When He Comes, Will He Find Faith?

Q: What does the Bible say about saving faith?

The Bible describes saving faith as a gift from God that perseveres through trials and is characterized by trust in Christ. According to Scripture, saving faith is not merely mental assent but a heartfelt trust in Jesus Christ. It is a gift from God, as Ephesians 2:8-9 states, 'For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.' This faith is a mark of God's elect and is described in Titus as 'the faith of God's elect.' True saving faith produces a heart confession, as seen in Romans 10:9, and is characterized by endurance, exemplified in Hebrews 10:38-39, which states, 'Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.'

Q: How do we know God answers our prayers?

God answers our prayers not always immediately, but He hears them and will respond according to His perfect will. God's relationship with His people assures us that He hears our prayers. Psalm 139 assures us that He knows our movements and thoughts completely, emphasizing that He is never unaware of our circumstances. In Luke 18, Jesus encourages persistent prayer by using the parable of the unjust judge, showing that if an unjust judge can ultimately respond to a plea, our just and loving God will certainly avenge His elect who cry out to Him day and night. The timing and manner of His responses may not align with our expectations, but Romans 8:28 reminds us that 'all things work together for good to them that love God.'

Q: Why is perseverance in prayer important for Christians?

Perseverance in prayer is important because it reflects our faith in God's timing and character, demonstrating sincerity rather than mere formality. Persevering in prayer is crucial for Christians as it signifies our trust in God and His ways, even when answers seem delayed. Jesus teaches His disciples the necessity of persistent prayer in Luke 18, assuring them not to lose heart. Rather than relying on the strength of our faith, which may waver, it is the sincerity and depth of our devotion that pleases God. Paul encourages believers in Philippians 4:6-7 to present their requests to God with thanksgiving, emphasizing a continuous communion with Him. This steadfastness in prayer not only strengthens our faith but also aligns our hearts with God's purposes.

Q: How does God’s providence affect our prayers?

God’s providence assures us that He is always in control, even when our prayers seem unanswered or delayed. Understanding God's providence is fundamental to how we view our prayers. Even when we don't see immediate results, we are reminded through Scripture that God is in total control of every situation. This is illustrated through the trials faced by Biblical characters like Jacob, who wrestled with grief over Jacob's apparent loss of Joseph. God's hand was at work, orchestrating a much larger plan that Jacob could not see at the time. In Romans 8:28, we learn that God works all things for the good of those who love Him. Therefore, persistent prayer becomes an act of faith, trusting that God's sovereign will is at work, even behind the scenes.

All right, let's look at this
passage in Luke 18, Luke 18. Now, the title of the message
is, When He Comes, Will He Find Faith? The kind of faith he talks about
here, the kind of faith that's called saving faith. All right, let's look at it. Luke 18, verse
1. And he spake a parable unto them,
to his disciples, to this end, for this reason, to encourage them to pray, that
men ought always to pray. Secondly, to encourage them to
pray with perseverance. to continue in prayer, and not
be discouraged, and not quit, and not faint. That's what it
says. He spake this parable to them to this end, that we ought
always to pray. There's no special time designated
for prayer. We pray any time. Any time is
a time to pray. We pray any time. No special
time is designated. If we're not careful, if we set
these times, we put more emphasis upon the spirituality of the
time than the prayer, or the one to whom we offer the prayer.
So prayer is to be offered any time, any time, any, and no special
place. We don't need a church building.
We don't need a wall, a wailing wall. We don't need a picture
to sit before or a statue. We don't need a confessional
booth. We don't need any other voice or any other ear to hear
our voice. No special place. Anywhere. Anytime is the time to pray.
Anywhere is the place to pray. And we need no special season.
I know we pray in trouble, but we're to pray in joy and happiness
too. We're to pray all the time. The
providence of God may smile and the providence of God may frown.
But pray, keep on praying. William Cowper wrote a hymn in
which he said, Judge not our Lord by human sense, but trust
him for his grace. Behind a frowning providence
he hides a smiling face. So there's no special season
for prayer, whether God is moving upon us with blessings and joy
or whether he's moving upon us with blessings and sorrow. It's
still God who moves. Content, Mike just sang, content
with beholding his face. My all to his pleasure resigned. No changes of season or place
would make any change in my mind. While blessed with a sense of
his presence and his a palace, a toy would appear. And prisons
would palace as proof. And prisons would palace as proof. If he's my cellmate. If he dwells with me there. If
he's there, it's all right. So men are always to pray and
not to think. Not to be discouraged. Not to
give up. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians
and said, pray without ceasing. He wrote to the Ephesians and
said, pray always with perseverance. He wrote to the Colossians and
said, continue in prayer and watch with thanksgiving. Now, here's our temptations.
Why did the Lord have to say this to us? Men are always to
pray. Not quit, not faint. Do not cease
to pray because of the weakness of your faith. That's a temptation. Well, I could only believe a
little more strongly. You know, the centurion said,
and pleased the Lord, he said, Lord, Christ said to him that
believeth, all things are possible. He said, Lord, I believe, help
my unbelief. I do believe, help my unbelief. So don't let the weakness of
faith influence your prayers. Pray. Pray. It's not the strength of our
faith that pleases God. It's the sincerity of it. The
disciples said, Lord, increase our faith. And secondly, do not
cease to pray because of the difficulty of the trial. I told
my class this morning, don't ever refuse to pray for somebody
because they're too big, or too important, or too rich, or too
powerful, or too wicked. There's nothing too hard for
God. There's nobody too anything for God. Too big, too powerful,
too rich, too great, too sinful, too wicked. Too old. Turn to Genesis 18. Let me show
you something over here. Genesis 18. The Lord speaks about
this subject, the difficulty of the trial, the difficulty
of the task, in Genesis 18, verse 10. Genesis 18, 10. Well, let's start with verse
9. Genesis 18, 9. And they said to him, Where is Saul, your wife?
And he said, Behold, in the tent. He said, I will certainly return
unto thee according to the time of life. And lo, Sarah thy wife
shall have a son.' And Sarah heard what the angel of the Lord
said in the tent door which was behind him." She's behind the
curtain listening. Now, Abraham and Sarah were well
stricken in age, and it ceased to be with Sarah after the matter
of women. And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed
old, shall I have pleasure, my husband being old also? And the
Lord said, the angel of the Lord is the Lord. He said unto Abraham,
Wherefore didst thou save a life, saying, Shall I of a surety bear
a child which am old? Is anything too hard for God? Is anything too hard for God? Is it too big? Too wicked, too
old. He said at the time appointed,
I will return unto thee according to the time of life, and Savior
shall have a son. That's my word. Nothing's too
hard for God. So do not cease to pray because
of the weakness of faith. It's not our strength anyway,
it's his strength, his power, his will. Do not cease to pray
because of the awesomeness and the difficulty and the greatness
of the trial and the task. But thirdly, and here's what
the Lord's dealing with chiefly, do not cease to pray because
the Lord does not immediately answer, because the trouble's not resolved,
or the trial is not ended, or the suffering is not ceased. Do not cease to pray because
God does not immediately answer or supply the need or remove
the difficulty. I'm going to show you in a few
moments. One may pray years and years and years in regard to
a matter and yet not be resolved until way out here. This is why
our Lord is saying, be not always supplication, thanksgiving, intercession,
and prayer. Call on God and not quit, and
not faint. All right. Verse 2, and here's
the parable that he gives. This is the Lord teaching these
two things. He and I ought to call on God,
pray, and not stop. Saying, there was in a city a
judge which feared not God, nor regarded man. He called him an unjust man,
an unjust judge. He didn't fear God and he didn't
regard people. He had no business being a judge,
but he is a judge who doesn't fear God and doesn't regard man.
And there was a widow in that city who had been seriously mistreated. She came to this judge saying,
"'Avenge me of my adversary.'" Probably her husband had died
and some landowner had taken her land away, or taken her,
foreclosed on her house, and treated her dreadfully. And she
wanted the judge to intercede for her, to avenge her of this
adversary, to solve her problem. She came to him, and he went
on for a while. He wasn't even here. He wasn't
even listening to her. He wouldn't do anything. He didn't lift a
hand. But afterward, I don't know how
long, But afterward, he said within himself, finally an unjust
judge with a poor motive, a poor reason. He said, though I fear
not God and I don't have any use for people, yet because this
war widow troubles me, she's bothering me, she's agitating
me, strictly a selfish reason, I'm going to avenge her. I'm
going to settle her problem. I'm going to take care of this
person that's mistreating her, because if she keeps on coming,
she's going to worry me. Finally he said, I will avenge
her. Now Christ said then, verse 6, hear what the unjust judge
said. I will avenge her. A selfish
motive, a selfish reason, she's bothering me, she's troubling
me, and she'll worry me after a while, so I'm going to take
care of her. shall not God, and shall not God. This man is an
unjust God. Our God is a just God. This man
is an unjust person. Our God is a righteous God. He's
a just God and a Savior. And this judge did not regard
man, did not believe God, didn't fear God, or have any use for
man. But our God loves sinners. He's a friend of sinners. He's
not like this man at all. He's a friend of sinners. He
delights to show mercy, plenteous mercy and redemption with him.
And this widow was a stranger to this man. He'd never seen
her before. He had never had any dealings
with her before. She wasn't anything to him. He
didn't even probably know her name. But our God, who is a just God
and a righteous God and a merciful God who loves his people, shall
not God avenge his own elect? We're not strangers to God. Turn
with me to 1 Peter 2, verse 9. His own elect, isn't that a beautiful
phrase, shall not God avenge, deliver? Vindicate, give peace
to his own elect. 1 Peter 2, verse 9, you are a
chosen generation, you are a royal priesthood, you are a holy nation,
you are a purchased people, that you should show forth the praises
of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,
which in time past were not a people. You were strangers and aliens
and foreigners to the commonwealth of Israel, but now you're the
people of God! You're his family! You're his own elect, which at
one time had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy,
and you are dearly beloved. If this man, out of agitation
and selfish motive and other reasons, avenges a stranger,
shall not God, a just God, a merciful God, avenge his own elect, mine
elect in whom my soul delighted? You say, that's of Christ. That's
of us too. Christ be my first elect, God said, and then chose
us in our heads. We are God's elect, mine own
elect, in whom my soul delights. Shall not God vindicate us, give us ultimate peace, deliverance,
happiness? The judge didn't hear her at
first. There are several ways in which this judge is an antitype
of our Lord. First, the judge is unjust. Our
God is just. He'll do right. Shall not the
judge of the earth do right? Secondly, this judge didn't regard
any person. God loves sinners. He delights
to show mercy. This woman was a stranger. I'm
not a stranger. I'm his son. You're his son. You're his people. You're his
own elect. And fourthly, the judge didn't
hear her at first. God hears us all the time. You
look at Psalm 139. He hears us always. Psalm 139.
You say, God didn't hear me. Oh, yes, he did. Oh, yes, he
did. Well, he didn't answer. That doesn't mean he didn't hear
you. In Psalm 139, listen to this. But he didn't resolve the
problem. But he did hear you. He did hear you. Psalm 139, let's
look at verse 1 through 4. Oh, Lord, thou hast searched
me and known me. Thou knowest my down sittings
and my uprising. God knows every move I make,
every movement. Not a sparrow falls to the ground
without your thought. The hairs of your head are numbered.
When I combed my hair this morning and Some of them fell out. God
knows. He numbers the hands of your
head. God knows every movement. He hears me. And then he says, you understand
my thoughts are far off. He knows my thoughts. He understands
them. He understands my thoughts. He
understands them. He knows them completely. Even I don't understand my thoughts
like God understands them. He knows my thoughts. And then
He compasses my path by lying down and I'm acquainted with
all my ways. He knows all my ways. I'll never
leave you, I'll never forsake you, Lord, I'm with you always,
always. There's not a word in your tongue. Oh,
listen, there's not a word in my tongue. But lo, O Lord, thou
knowest it all together, the reason for it, the motive behind
it, that's what stimulated it. He knows the words. So this judge didn't
hear her. He didn't even give her an audience.
But there's not a move you make that God doesn't see. Thoughts
you think that God doesn't understand, not a word ever falls from your
tongue but what is noted completely in all of its entirety, all together
by God. And though the heavens are silent,
David said that, Lord, are you clean gone? Will you be silent forever? Are
the heavens brass? But he hears and he knows. careful consideration. And that's
what our Lord is saying here to these disciples. He's saying,
this judge, God's not like that. If this man by a selfish motive
avenges a stranger, shall not God avenge and deliver his own
elect, his own people? Shall not God right our wrongs?
Shall not God deliver us from our enemies? Shall not God comfort
our broken hearts? Shall not God fulfill all the
promises of his covenant to us in Christ? Shall not our God
in his own time fulfill every promise and vindicate his elect? Turn to Habakkuk. I want you
to look at this and we'll give you time to find this scripture,
Habakkuk chapter 3, the third chapter of Habakkuk. There are people in America and
in Kentucky and in Ashland who have no regard for what you believe
and what I preach and for what our God has declared in his word.
They despise it, they do all manner of things against it. They are enemies of the gospel.
And they continue to be. And God seems to prosper them.
and seems to permit them to harass and persecute and talk about
and misuse his people. Shall not the judge of all the
earth avenge his own elect, vindicate them and their message one of
these days? That's what he's saying. Shall
not God avenge us against our adversaries? He will. Now listen to this. And sometimes
this seems like the case in Habakkuk 3, verse 17. Habakkuk 3, verse
17. Although the fig tree shall not
blossom, and there is no fruit in the vines, no grapes on the
grape arbor, the labor of the olive shall fail, the olive tree
is not producing. And the fields have no hay, barley,
or wheat, and the flock is no sheep that cut off from the foal. cows and beef in the stables. That's pretty tough times, especially
over in those countries where the olive tree and the grapevine
and the sheepfold are just necessary. Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation,
for the Lord is my strength, and he will avenge his people. Listen, he will make my feet
like the feet of a deer. That'll be the day, won't it?
I saw it. I was watching a little deer up in Virginia. He was standing
by a fence, a fence about three feet high. And we made some noise,
and he didn't have to take a running start. He just jumped up and
over that fence and down the other side. Boy, agile. You talk
about agile. You talk about youth. He's going
to make my feet like deer feet. He'll make me to walk upon the
higher places, and my feet like deer feet one of these days.
He'll avenge his people. Yes, he will. Now, stay with
me. Verse 7, look at it again. And shall not God avenge his
own elect which cry to him day and night, day and night, week
in, week out, month in, month out? So he bears long with them. He bears long with your adversaries
that he might accomplish his purpose. Pharaoh. Down in Egypt, Moses and the
children of Israel and Pharaoh. And how long did Pharaoh badger
and mistreat and suppress those people. And God bore long with
him. He said to Pharaoh, for this
purpose I've raised you up, that I might get glory. He bears long
with an adversary, that he might accomplish his purpose. Some
troubles last a lifetime. Because it takes a lifetime for
God to accomplish his purpose, he's long-suffering. It takes
a lifetime sometimes for God to accomplish his purpose for
a family. for children and grandchildren, and for church, and for our pastor
and people. How long? He says, God will have
been his elect though he bore long with them, long with their
adversaries and long with them. He's got to accomplish his purpose
for me and you. So keep praying. Keep calling
on God. Keep looking. He hears you. I
want to show you a classic example. Turn with me to Genesis 37. This is awesome here. I want
you to look at Genesis 37. Genesis 37, verse 29. You remember
Jacob had 12 sons. He had one son named Joseph that
was a very special young man because he was born to a special
wife, Joseph, whom he loved. And he gave Joseph a beautiful
coat of many colors and he went out to field one day and his
brothers were out there taking care of the cattle and the sheep
and they saw him coming and they were filled with jealousy and
they began to harass him. and deal harshly with him. And they talked about killing
him. And one of the brothers interceded, and they cast him
into a pit. And while they were debating
whether they were going to kill him or not, some Egyptians came
by. And they sold him to the Egyptians
as a slave. And the Egyptians took Joseph
and left. And the fellas kept his coat. Verse 29, listen, And
Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the
pit. And Reuben ran his clothes, and he returned to his brethren
and said, The child is not. And now, whither shall I go?
And they took Joseph's coat and dipped, and killed a kid of the
goats, and dipped the coat in the blood. And they sent the
coat of many colors, and brought it to their father Jacob. These ten fellows came to Jacob,
the father, with this bloody coat, and said, This we found. Know now whether it be your son's
coat or not. That's their hatred. He didn't
say, It's our brother's coat. They weren't bothered, your son.
And Jacob knew it. Jacob said, It's my son's coat,
and the evil beast hath devoured him. Joseph is without doubt
wreathed in pieces, and Jacob, his father. Jacob, God called
him a prince. God called him Israel. God said, Jacob, have a love.
God calls us sons of Jacob. He calls Israel the house of
Jacob. This man is a love by God, chosen by God, redeemed
by God. Jacob's a man of God. And here he is in the most awesome,
awful place of his whole life, holding a bloody, tattered coat
that belonged to his son. And he doesn't know where he
is or what's happened to him or anything. And he rinsed his
clothes and put sackcloth upon his loins and mourned for his
son many days. And all his sons and daughters
rose up to comfort him. He refused to be comforted. He
said, I'll go down to my grave unto my son. I'll go down into
the grave unto my son mourning. I'll go down to the grave. I'm
going back. I'm going to see Joseph someday. going to him
through the grave, mourning. Thus his father wept. Now then,
let me ask you something. He's praying. I'm sure he wrestled
all night for days and days and weeks and months and years, maybe.
Where's my son? What happened to my son? Why
was my son killed? Where's my son? God could have
shortened that experience. God could have brought Joseph
back to him. God could have taken him to Joseph.
God could have done it. What's too hard for God? That's
a simple thing for God. And here this man is sitting
down there broken-hearted. He is beyond comfort. And God
does nothing. And the days and the weeks and
the months and the years pass, and God still does nothing. And
that boy is down there in prosperity. But let me tell you something.
God's got a work to do in Jacob. God's got a work of bringing
down and humbling and causing him to depend on God. There's
just a whole lot of things God has to do for Jacob through this
experience. God has something to do for these
ten brothers. He's got something to do for
them. It's going to take some time. God has something to do
for the Egyptians who bought that boss. put him in jail. God's got to take Israel to Egypt.
He's going to take Israel to Egypt by this experience. He's going to put Joseph on the
throne in Egypt, because he has coming along behind Joseph a
man called Moses, and a Passover lamb to be slain, and blood to
be shed, and redemption to be pictured. You are part of an awesome plan
that God has not chosen to reveal to you at this time. Jacob, your tears that wet your
pillow and your heartache, is all a
part of an awesome purpose for the glory of Jesus Christ. Now
sit still and pray, and don't quit. You see what I'm saying? Turn to 2 Peter 3. We've been listening
to these mercenary con artists called preachers on television
so long about prayer that our generation does not even slightly
knowledgeable about the subject. Touch and you'll be healed. Do
this and the trouble's over. Do this and you'll finance it.
Do this, that's not the way. There's a kingdom, there's a
covenant, there's a purpose, there's a glory of purpose and
will of God to be accomplished, and I'm just a small part of
it. But I'm a part, because I'm his son. And you're a part, because
you're his child. It's an awesome work of redemption. There's some glory going to be
brought to the Lord Jesus Christ. And every rock over which I trip,
and every stone that bruises my heel, and every trial I go
through is in that purpose. Even for my adversaries. Either
to bring them to God, or to add to their condemnation. But you
listen to 2 Peter 3, verse 8. 2 Peter 3, verse 8. Beloved,
don't you be ignorant of this very thing, that one day is with
the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years is but a
day. And the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some
men count slackness. He's long-suffering to us. He's
long-suffering to our enemies. He's long-suffering to our children.
He's long-suffering to all people. And he's not willing that any
of his own elect perish. You're not going to perish, not
in hell and not in time and not on earth, and not in sorrow. No, you're not going to perish.
You may think so. Too much, too much to carry.
No, you're not going to perish. All of us are going to come to
repentance. All are going to come to know him and love him
and trust him. All right, let me close the message.
Now, Luke 18, go back there. Pray, call on God, don't faint. Don't faint. You'll fulfill every
promise I tell you, verse 8, I love it, I tell you, he said.
He will avenge his elect swiftly, speedily, suddenly, eternally. That's what that word speedily
means. Look it up and you can call it. Speedily, swiftly, suddenly,
shortly, eternally. He's coming. He's coming. Nevertheless, when he comes,
when the Son of Man cometh, will he find faith on this But he's
not going to find it in this world, because he was in this
world and they knew him not. He's not going to find it in
Israel, he came to his own and they received him not. He's not going to find it in
religion, because Paul said they've got a zeal of God but not according
to knowledge, they don't know God's righteousness. But he's
going to find it in his church. He's going to find it in his
people, Hebrews 10. Look at this, Hebrews 10, verses 38 and 39. They are going
to continue in faith, every one of them. Hebrews 10, verse 38. Now, the just shall live by faith,
though it be tried, though it be tested, though it be put in a fire. But if any man
draw back, my soul We have no place in him, but we are not
of them that draw back. We are not of them. We are of
them that believe to the saving of the soul. I believe God. You see, this faith, when the
Son of Man cometh, will he find faith? He will, because this
faith is the gift of God. not of works, lest any man should
boast. This faith is the mark of God's elect. It's called to
Titus, it's the faith of God's elect. This faith is born of
God. He that believeth on the Son
is born of God. This faith is the circumcision
of true Israel. Circumcision not of the flesh,
but of the heart. This faith is a faith that labors. It's a work of faith and a labor
of love. This faith produces a heart confession. If thou shalt
confess with thy mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in thine
heart, God raised him from the dead, you're saved. And this
is a faith that endures unto death. These all died in faith. You'll find faith, but you'll
find it where it's born of God. And it's a persevering faith.
Persevering faith. Though he slayed me, Job said,
I trust him.

When He Comes, Will He Find Faith?

What does the Bible say about saving faith?

How do we know God answers our prayers?

Why is perseverance in prayer important for Christians?

How does God’s providence affect our prayers?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

Joshua

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

When He Comes, Will He Find Faith?

What does the Bible say about saving faith?

How do we know God answers our prayers?

Why is perseverance in prayer important for Christians?

How does God’s providence affect our prayers?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

More from Henry Mahan

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Articles by Henry Mahan

Books by Henry Mahan

Joshua

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book