that
He wrought His works by always keeping His inward eyes upon His Father.
His power lay in His continuous look at God (John 5:19-21).

In full accord with the few texts we have quoted is the whole tenor of
the inspired Word. It is summed up for us in the Hebrew epistle when we
are instructed to run life's race "looking unto Jesus the author and
finisher of our faith." From all this we learn that faith is not a
once-done act, but a continuous gaze of the heart at the Triune God.

Believing, then, is directing the heart's attention to Jesus. It is
lifting the mind to "behold the Lamb of God," and never ceasing that
beholding for the rest of our lives. At first this may be difficult, but
it becomes easier as we look steadily at His wondrous Person, quietly
and without strain. Distractions may hinder, but once the heart is
committed to Him, after each brief excursion away from Him the attention
will return again and rest upon Him like a wandering bird coming back to
its window.

I would emphasize this one committal, this one great volitional act
which establishes the heart's intention to gaze forever upon Jesus. God
takes this intention for our choice and makes what allowances He must
for the thousand distractions which beset us in this evil world. He
knows that we have set the direction of our hearts toward Jesus, and we
can know it too, and comfort ourselves with the knowledge that a habit
of soul is forming which will become after a while a sort of spiritual
reflex requiring no more conscious effort on our part.

Faith is the least self-regarding of the virtues. It is by its very
nature scarcely conscious of its own existence. Like the eye which sees
everything in front of it and never sees itself, faith is occupied with
the Object upon which it rests and pays no attention to itself at all.
While we are looking at God we do not see ourselves--blessed riddance.
The man who has struggled to purify himself and has had nothing but
repeated failures will experience real relief when he stops tinkering
with his soul and looks away to the perfect One. While he looks at
Christ the very things he has so long been trying to do will be getting
done within him. It will be God working in him to will and to do.

Faith is not in itself a meritorious act; the merit is in the One toward
Whom it is directed. Faith is a redirecting of our sight, a getting out
of the focus of our own vision and getting God into focus. Sin has
twisted