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Study 06 of 10

The Faith of Jesus, the Commandments, and the Patience of the Saints

The remnant of Revelation 14:12 first receive the faith of Jesus and the commandments of God written in the heart by the Spirit, and then patiently endure to the end.

Hands-free narration of this study — good for the car.

Synopsis

Prescott reverses the natural order of Revelation 14:12 to show that we must get the faith of Jesus and the commandments of God before we can keep them, since both are gifts. The faith of Jesus is contrasted with the devil's faith, which merely assents that God's word is true without letting it be true in the believer. True faith is confidence in God's word, seeing Christ in His word as the power of the living God, illustrated by the centurion who asked Christ only to speak the word. Likewise, the commandments cannot be kept until God writes them, by His Spirit, on the heart, exactly as He once wrote them with His finger on stone; but He will not write any commandment we refuse to consent to receive. When Christ, the living law, dwells within, the law is not an external code to be studied and attempted but a life to be manifested, and the natural heart's evils are cast out by His presence. This experience of faith and obedience, worked out through Christ, produces the patience of the saints who wait, without fainting, for His soon return amid distressing times.

Key points

  • Faith and obedience are both gifts of God that must first be received before they can be kept or exercised.
  • The faith of Jesus believes that God's word is true and lets it be true in us, unlike the devil's faith, which only assents to facts.
  • God writes His law in the heart by His Spirit, just as He once wrote it on stone, but never without our consent.
  • Christ dwelling in the heart is the living law; keeping the commandments is the manifestation of His character, producing the patience of the saints.

Key texts

  • Revelation 14:12
  • Hebrews 8:10
  • Matthew 8:5-10
  • Romans 1:17

From the book

Sermon 5 · The Law and the Gospel · Read this chapter

  • “So before we can keep the faith of Jesus we must get it.” (sermon 5)
  • “The faith of Jesus is that faith which believes that God's word will do what it says. It simply lets God's word be true.” (sermon 5)
  • “God will never write His law in our hearts unless we consent.” (sermon 5)

Put it into practice

  • Ask God for the faith of Jesus that simply lets His word be true in me, rather than mere assent to doctrine.
  • Yield each commandment fully to the Spirit's writing, refusing none, including the one most tested.
  • Practice patient endurance today, trusting God's word rather than outward circumstances.
  1. Comprehension

    1. Why does Prescott say we must reverse the order of Revelation 14:12 in our study?

  2. Doctrinal Clarity

    2. How does the faith of Jesus differ from the devil's faith described in James 2:19?

  3. Scripture

    3. What did the centurion's statement to Christ reveal about the nature of true faith?

  4. Comprehension

    4. How does God write His commandments upon the heart, and what limits this work?

  5. Contrast

    5. What does Prescott mean by calling Christ 'the living law'?

  6. Doctrinal Clarity

    6. Why is it a mistake to hang the law on the wall and try to obey it by looking at it?

  7. Scripture

    7. What is 'the patience of the saints' and why is it needed now?

  8. Application

    8. In what specific area of your life do you need to let God finish writing His law, rather than resisting as some did at the fourth commandment?