Faith to Walk on Water

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“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone… shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” — James 2:17-18

Jacob’s ladder is a metaphor for how we climb to heaven by faith. All along the way there is divine help, because we simply can’t climb the latter alone; we must have divine help — grace — strengthening and enabling power — to do all the things we are called to do we must cooperate with Christ. We even need help to believe, if we are honest, as the father in Mark 9:23-24 discovers:

“If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Another good illustration of cooperation with Christ as a work of faith, is when Peter is called by Christ to come and walk on the water with him.

Peter believes it’s possible because he believes Christ has the power to help him do it, or that he can do it through Christ’s power. —BELIEF — He shows FAITH in Christ when he gets out of the boat — an act of faith, a work of faith — so long as he keeps his eyes on Christ fully trusting in Christ he is able to do this miraculous “work” and walk on the water to Christ; the seeming impossible becomes possible.

Peter fails when he doubts, when he takes his eyes off Christ — and of course he sinks, it’s what we all do in our walk with Christ, because we are weak, because we are unable to maintain ourselves in good work without Christ. — but Peter reaches for Christ and calls out to him when he realizes his mistake and Christ immediately saves him, immediately aids him back to his feet. — REPENTANCE, also a work of faith.

This illustration repeats itself over and over in our “walk with Christ” in this life, but this story shows us how we cooperate with Christ, receive ability to walk (miraculous good works) through Christ, and are saved AND maintained in our walk with Christ by his strengthening and enabling power — GRACE —

Christ doesn’t save us by telling us to stay in the boat. NO! he calls us to walk on the water — with him!! — and we FOLLOW.

In the walk we learn that Christ is able to strengthen us in all things. We are CHANGED through Christ, we are strengthened through Christ, we are saved through Christ — but not as passive passengers, but rather active faithful walkers.

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