Page 10 - Of Course You Can Walk On Water - eBook

a contradiction in terms. Surrender means to be totally submissive to the will of Him to
whom surrender is made.

Peter's faith was tested by his obedience; faith is always tested by obedience. In fact, this
is the only way it may be tested. Thus, James was quite right when he challenged, "What
use is it for a man to say he has faith when he does nothing to show it?" Then he asks the
question, "Can that [kind of workless] faith save him?" (James 2:14, N.E.B.). The answer

is, No. Later he challenges again: "'Prove to me that this faith you speak of is real though
not accompanied by deeds, and by my deeds I will prove to you my faith'" (verse 18,
N.E.B.).

James is not here speaking of works as a means of salvation; he is talking about works-
obedience-as a result of faith and surrender.

God requires us to have enough confidence in Him to obey without questioning or
parleying.

This does not mean that God refuses us evidence. This He gives in abundance, but not
always in the immediate area in which He asks us to walk. There are occasions in which
evidence can be given only as we obey. What assurance could Peter be given that he
could walk on water, until he walked on water? None except the evidence of Jesus'
trustworthy word "Come." This is one reason why God sometimes requires us to step on

the water in absolute trust. He can give us no other proof than for us to find substance
beneath our feet as we walk.

The fourth-century church father Ambrose was right, then, when he said, "God does not
expect us to subject our faith to Him without reason, but the very limits of reason make
faith a necessity."

It has been observed that Jesus called people to visible acts of obedience, not just a mere
assent in the heart. It might be further observed that those acts required faith-they
demanded a walking on the water. The doing, or not doing, of them demonstrated the

state of the individual's faith in Christ. We have been considering some of those who
walked on water. The rich young ruler is an example of those who do not obey, because
they do not have that strong a faith in Jesus.

Christ called the wealthy young man who came to enquire the way to eternal life by
calling him to walk on water, but he misunderstood.

"How do I do that?" he asked.

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