Faith as the Mainspring of Prophetic Speech

Paul writes, "I believed and therefore have I spoken" (2 Corinthians 4:13), establishing faith as the prerequisite for all effective witness. A man must possess faith before he can speak successfully; believing deeply must precede speaking heartily.

Consider any discipline of human knowledge: a man who disbelieves the principles of astronomy or geology yet pretends to teach these sciences will find his teaching rendered useless by his own heartlessness. Without faith, judgment fails repeatedly; the spirit collapses in adversity; zeal expends itself on worthless objects.

The energy of our speech rises in proportion to our faith. Peter and John stood calm and self-reliant before the Sanhedrim because they believed. Whitfield and Wesley roused religious convictions and awakened dormant consciences across England in the last century—their faith made their words thunderous.

When a man believes, he is bound to speak. This is a heaven-prescribed duty, a soul-enshrined obligation. The whole problem of human progress hinges upon this obligation. As the psalmist declares: "It is a day of good tidings; and we do not well if we hold our peace."

A true prophet speaks because he possesses something to say; a mere official speaks because he is expected to say something. God's truths are vital truths concerning life itself—the light of reason, the peace of conscience, holy emotions, and the favor of the Almighty. To know these directions is to possess knowledge of first importance, more precious than any earthly remedy.