"Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
What lessons can we learn from this passage?
“When Jesus was awakened to meet the storm, He was in perfect peace. There was no trace of fear in word or look, for no fear was in His heart. But He rested not in the possession of almighty power. It was not as the “Master of earth and sea and sky” that he reposed in quiet. That power He had laid down, and He says, “I can of Mine own self do nothing.” John 5:30. He trusted in the Father’s might. It was faith—faith in God’s love and care—that Jesus rested, and the power of that word which stilled the storm was the power of God” (The Desire of Ages, p. 336).
So, we see that the “work” of stilling the storm was by the faith of Jesus. This work sprung up and out of His faith in His Fathers power; His works are always the product of His faith.
Paul instructs us further in Galatians 5.6 teaching us that it is faith that works through love (agape). It is never faith + works, but always a faith that works by love.
The year following the 1888 General Conference, E. J. Waggoner wrote, “The great characteristic of faith is that it works. We do not mean that works are attached to it, but works come from it. “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:26. Faith ‘works by love,’ says Paul. There may be that which is called faith, but if no works proceed from it, it is not faith.
“A just man is one who acts in harmony with the law of God. Therefore a just man is an obedient man. So we may understand ... that an obedient man shall live (a life of obedience) by his faith. The obedience springs from his faith, and therefore there is no chance for him to be lifted up, since the act of obedience is not his personal action, but is the action of his faith, and credited to him as his own. The man, whose soul is lifted up in him, is the man who thinks that he can of himself do all that is required, ... thus, ‘pride goeth before destruction’” (Signs of the Times, Feb. 4, 1889).
God has given to the world His only begotten Son (John 3:16) and His Son comes with His own faith. This is the faith that is given to us in Romans 12:3. He comes with His faith so that we may live the same just life that Jesus lived, for the just shall live by His faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Rom. 10:17).
“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. ... For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:6, 9). When