If you are interested in producing anything from apples to zucchini, where do you start? Have you ever worked in a garden or orchard? Do you know how it’s done? It doesn’t take very much of a “green thumb” to recognize that certain things “cause” and other things “result.” And if you wish to be successful in your garden or orchard, you don’t put your effort on results, isn’t that right?

What a blessing it would be if we could have the difference between cause and result as clear in our minds when it comes to spiritual growth. How many of us have wasted years and great effort trying to produce results-working on results! Paul lists the fruits seen in the Christian life. And notice that they are fruits of the Spirit, not fruits of the person.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22, 23.

Scripture always presents faith as a fruit, or gift, or result. It is never our work. Romans 12:3 says that God has given to every one the measure of faith.

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” - Romans 12:3

Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” - Romans 10:17

Faith always comes as a result of something else. You cannot work to produce it. You don’t work on fruit. Instead, you put your effort toward that which produces the fruit. You don’t work for a gift. You put your effort toward coming into the presence of the Giver and accepting the gift provided.

“No man can create faith. The Spirit operating upon and enlightening the human mind, creates faith in God.” - Ellen G. White Comments, S.D.A. Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 940.

It’s easy to confuse faith with feeling, to try to work up faith by working up feeling. When do you find it easier to believe that God is going to answer your prayers? Is it when you feel that He’s going to? Or is it when you feel sure that He isn’t? When do you have more faith in God’s promise to forgive the sins you have confessed to Him? Is it when you feel forgiven, or when you feel forsaken? Does your faith seem strong when things are going along smoothly, or when the roof has caved in and you are faced with trials and affliction?

But we are told that

“feeling is not faith; the two are distinct.” - Early Writings, p. 72.

And this becomes another argument why we can never work on our faith. It is possible to work on your feelings. You can hear the right kind of music; you can be swayed by the eloquence of someone else who is trying to whip up some enthusiasm; you can be affected by the right lights or the spirit of the people around you. By working the crowds in the right way, it is possible to work up tremendous feeling. But after the lights are turned out and the masses return to their homes and you are left alone, what happens?

You can end up feeling worse than before. Have you ever had it happen? Millions in our world today live from one emotional high to another, spending their life forces in a mad search for something to lift their spirits and help them forget that the last thing they tried didn’t last.

The enemy has so successfully controlled the world on this basis that he still uses it as one of his best tools within the church. When someone makes the decision to come to Jesus to find the lasting happiness that He has to offer, the enemy comes and says, “You want to come to Jesus? Well, you’d better fix your life up so He will accept you.” He gets that person working on results and keeps him from Jesus while he tries in vain to become righteous on his own. But then he hears about righteousness by faith. It sounds good. And as he determines to accept it, the enemy comes in with another ploy. He says, “That’s right, righteousness comes by faith. Don’t work on your righteousness; work on your faith.” And that can be simply an other barrier between the sinner and the Saviour.

The truth is that you don’t work on your righteousness-nor do you work on faith. Both are gifts. Both are fruit. Both come as a result of knowing Jesus. And knowing Jesus comes as a result of spending time in communion and fellowship and relationship with Him. If you will come to Him,

He will give you the genuine faith that you need. The first byproduct of seeking Jesus is genuine faith. Righteousness is the second.