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Lack of Faith

Quotations from the writings of Ellen G. White with the phrase . . .

Lack of faith

It is the privilege of every one connected with our denominational institutions to be connected in close relationship with God; and if they fail to do this, they show themselves unfitted for their work of trust. The provision made for us all through Christ was a full and perfect sacrifice, -- a sinless offering. His blood can cleanse the foulest stain. Had He been but a man, we would be excusable for our lack of faith and obedience. He came to save that which was lost. We are not qualified for the great work for this time, except when we labor in God, when our prayers, earnest and fervent, are continually ascending to the throne of grace. {LS 246.2}

Every failure on the part of the children of God is due to their lack of faith. When shadows encompass the soul, when we want light and guidance, we must look up: there is light beyond the darkness. David ought not to have distrusted God for one moment. He had cause for trusting in Him; he was the Lord's anointed, and in the midst of danger he had been protected by the angels of God; he had been armed with courage to do wonderful things; and if he had but removed his mind from the distressing situation in which he was placed and had thought of God's power and majesty, he would have been at peace even in the midst of the shadows of death. . . . {CC 166.3}

The zeal and fidelity of Paul and his fellow workers, no less than the faith and obedience of these converts to Christianity, under circumstances so forbidding, rebuke slothfulness and lack of faith in the minister of Christ. The apostle and his associate workers might have argued that it would be vain to call to repentance and faith in Christ the servants of Nero, subjected, as they were, to fierce temptations, surrounded by formidable hindrances, and exposed to bitter opposition. Even should they be convinced of the truth, how could they render obedience? But Paul did not reason thus; in faith he presented the gospel to these souls, and among those who heard were some who decided to obey at any cost. Notwithstanding obstacles and dangers, they would accept the light, and trust God to help them let their light shine forth to others. {AA 465.3}

I saw that we had doubted the sure promises, and wounded the Saviour by our lack of faith. Said the angel, "Gird the armor about thee, and above all take the shield of faith; for that will guard the heart, the very life, from the fiery darts of the wicked." If the enemy can lead the desponding to take their eyes off from Jesus, and look to themselves, and dwell upon their own unworthiness, instead of dwelling upon the worthiness of Jesus, His love, His merits, and His great mercy, he will get away their shield of faith, and gain his object; they will be exposed to his fiery temptations. The weak should therefore look to Jesus, and believe in Him; they then exercise faith. {CET 127.3}

Abraham had marked the result of the intermarriage of those who feared God and those who feared Him not, from the days of Cain to his own time. The consequences of his own marriage with Hagar, and of the marriage connections of Ishmael and Lot, were before him. The lack of faithon the part of Abraham and Sarah had resulted in the birth of Ishmael, the mingling of the righteous seed with the ungodly. The father's influence upon his son was counteracted by that of the mother's idolatrous kindred and by Ishmael's connection with heathen wives. . . . {CC 57.3}

The power of love was in all Christ's healing, and only by partaking of that love, through faith, can we be instruments for His work. If we neglect to link ourselves in divine connection with Christ, the current of life-giving energy cannot flow in rich streams from us to the people. There were places where the Saviour Himself could not do many mighty works because of their unbelief. So now unbelief separates the church from her divine Helper. Her hold upon eternal realities is weak. By her lack of faith, God is disappointed and robbed of His glory. {CH 31.3}

In laying plans for building, we need the wisdom of God. We should not needlessly incur debt, but I would say that in every case all the money required to complete a building need not be in hand before the work is begun. We must often move forward by faith, working as expeditiously as possible. It is through a lack of faith that we fail of receiving the fulfillment of God's promises. We must work and pray and believe. We are to move forward steadily and earnestly, trusting in the Lord, and saying, "We will not fail nor become discouraged."-- R. & H., Sept. 7, 1905. {CS 280.1}

The blessing so earnestly sought by every Hebrew was denied this godly pair; their home was not gladdened by the voice of childhood; and the desire to perpetuate his name led the husband -- as it had led many others--to contract a second marriage. But this step, prompted by a lack of faith in God, did not bring happiness. Sons and daughters were added to the household; but the joy and beauty of God's sacred institution had been marred and the peace of the family was broken. Peninnah, the new wife, was jealous and narrow-minded, and she bore herself with pride and insolence. To Hannah, hope seemed crushed and life a weary burden; yet she met the trial with uncomplaining meekness. {DG 39.3}

Through a lack of faith, many who seek to obey the commandments of God have little peace and joy; they do not correctly represent the sanctification that is to come through obedience to the truth. They are not anchored in Christ. Many feel a lack in their experience; they desire something which they have not; and thus some are led to attend holiness meetings, and are charmed with the sentiments of those who break the law of God. {Ev 599.1}

We need to make use of the youth who will cultivate honest industry, who are not afraid to put their powers to task. Such youth will find a position anywhere, because they falter not by the way; in mind and soul they bear the divine similitude. Their eye is single, and constantly they press onward, and upward, crying, Victory. But there is no call for the indolent, the fearful and unbelieving, who by their lack of faith and their unwillingness to deny self for Christ's sake, keep the work from advancing. . . . . {MYP 34.2}

Why do we not exercise greater faith in the Divine Physician? As He worked for the man with the palsy, so He will work today for those who come to Him for healing. We have great need of more faith. I am alarmed as I see the lack of faith among our people. We need to come right into the presence of Christ, believing that He will heal our physical and spiritual infirmities. {1SM 83.3}

A lack of faith has been shown by practicing a too rigid economy. Economy is praiseworthy, but there is danger of carrying it too far. You have gone to extremes in practicing economy. In dealing with Eld. Littlejohn sharp words have been uttered over the price given him for his labor. Those who have placed stumbling blocks in his way, who have thought that he was demanding too much, have revealed the spirit controlling them. Men who have an abundance of means, and who are blessed with all their senses, have manifested a parsimonious spirit which is an offence to God. As they cultivate this selfishness they are causing dark chapters to be written in the books of heaven. They do not deal justly; they do not bring mercy and the love of God into their religious experience. They are weighed today in the balances of the sanctuary and found wanting. They would turn even a blind man from his rights. {1888 909.2}

Great lack of faith

Such experiences as these characterized all our meetings after the first week. One brother bore testimony that he had been a Sabbathkeeper many years but he had felt the great lack of faith in Jesus Christ. Coldness and the want of the love of God and of spiritual fervor had discouraged him. He went to other denominations to find that for which his soul hungered, but he found greater dearth among them than among Seventh-day Adventists. He said he had heard at this meeting just the truth for which his soul hungered. "This," he said, "is the truth, present truth. I accept it. And as I have withdrawn from the church of Seventh-day Adventists, I now want to unite heart and soul with you." {16MR 225.2} {1888 365.2}

"And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that Thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto Thee. "The circumstances which prompted Jacob to vow to the Lord were similar to those which prompt men and women to vow to the Lord in our time. He had by a sinful act obtained the blessing which he knew had been promised him by the sure word of God. In doing this he showed great lack of faith in God's power to carry out His purposes, however discouraging present appearances might be. Instead of placing himself in the position he coveted, he was obliged to flee for his life from the wrath of Esau. With only his staff in his hand he must travel hundreds of miles through a desolate country. His courage was gone, and he was filled with remorse and timidity, seeking to avoid men, lest he should be traced by his angry brother. He had not the peace of God to comfort him, for he was harassed with the thought that he had forfeited divine protection. {4T 464.3}

I have been shown that there was not that being done which God has a right to expect of you in New York State to advance his cause and push forward the work, in wisely investing his entrusted talents. All the money is the Lord's. Why do you withhold from God that which is his own? There is not one hundredth part being done that ought to be done in your State. There is so great lack of faith and corresponding works that God cannot do much for you. The narrow faith, the narrow plans, are the limiting and binding about of the work. God will work for us just in accordance with our faith. At the slow rate our people in many States working, it would take a temporal millennium to warn the world. The angels are holding the four winds that they should not blow until the world is warned, until a people has decided for the truth, the honest of heart have been convicted and converted. Their power, their influence, and their means will then flow in the missionary channel. This is putting out the money to the exchangers, that when the Master shall come his stewards may present the talents doubled in the ingathering of souls to Jesus Christ. But the wealthy farmers are some of them acting as if in the day of God the Lord only would require of them to present to him enriched, improved farms, building added to building, and they say, "Here Lord are thy talents; behold, I have gained all this possession." If the acres of their farms were so many precious souls saved to Jesus Christ, if their buildings were so many souls to be presented to the Master, then he could say to these men, "Well done, good and faithful servant." But you cannot take these improved farms, or these buildings into heaven. The fires of the last days will consume them. If you invest and bury your talents of means in these earthly treasures, your heart is on them, your anxiety is for them, your persevering labor is for them, your tact, your skill is cultivated to serve earthly, worldly possessions, and are not directed or employed upon heavenly things. And you come to look upon means invested for larger plans in extending the work as so much means lost which bring no returns. This is all a mistake, because the earthly is exalted above the eternal. While the heart is on earthly treasures it can only estimate such; it cannot appreciate the heavenly treasure. It is fully occupied just as the Devil wants it should be; and the eternal is eclipsed by the earthly. {PH039 4.2}

When at Battle Creek, Michigan, May 5, 1855, I saw that there was a great lack of faith with the servants of God, as well as with the church. They were too easily discouraged, too ready to doubt God, too willing to believe that they had a hard lot and that God had forsaken them. I saw that this was cruel. God so loved them as to give His dearly beloved Son to die for them, and all heaven was interested in their salvation; yet after all that had been done for them, it was hard to believe and trust so kind and good a Father. He has said that He is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him, than earthly parents are to give good gifts to their children. I saw that the servants of God and the church were too easily discouraged. When they asked their Father in heaven for things which they thought they needed, and these did not immediately come, their faith wavered, their courage fled, and a murmuring feeling took possession of them. This, I saw, displeased God. {1T 120.1} {GW92 112.1}

Reveals a lack of faith in God

God is not pleased with this course, and has expressed it in the most explicit terms. This impatient haste to tear away the veil from the future reveals a lack of faith in God and leaves the soul open to the suggestions of the master deceiver. Satan leads men to consult those that have familiar spirits; and by revealing hidden things of the past, he inspires confidence in his power to foretell things to come. By experience gained through the long ages he can reason from cause to effect and often forecast, with a degree of accuracy, some of the future events of man's life. Thus he in enabled to deceive poor, misguided souls and bring them under his power and lead them captive at his will. {PP 687.2}

It is labor lost to teach people to go to God as a healer of their infirmities unless they are educated to lay aside every wrong practice and cease to indulge perverted appetite. They must be taught to use the provisions God has given. To refuse the remedies which they may as well have as not without paying a doctor's fee, to neglect to let into every room in the house God's pure air and sunshine, shows a lack of faith in Him. Faith in God's power to heal infirmities is dead unless the one diseased improves the light God has given him by bringing his habits into harmony with right principles.-- MS. 86, 1897. {MM 262.2}

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