Every one knows that it is impossible for anyone to believe anything without evidence and that with the evidence, it is impossible to disbelieve. If belief is our work, produced by us, at our option, even after regeneration, then unbelief must produce belief, for until we do believe we are in a state of unbelief. This would be a corrupt tree, bringing forth good fruit, which Jesus says cannot be; unbelief does not, nor cannot produce belief. But do we never believe? Yes. How then? It is "according to the working of His (God's) mighty power." (Ephesians 1: 19)

You will notice that we believe according to the working of God's mighty power. If I read the Bible which gives an account of the work of God wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead, and because of the power vested in me in regeneration, I believe, then I would not be believing according to the working of God's mighty power, but would believe according to my power. Belief is irresistible; it is produced in us by the working of God's power. It is a gift, "For unto you it is given, in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him... " (Phil. 1:29) And when given, it drives out unbelief and sets the captive free. "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. (I John 5:4) Faith is here used in the sense of belief, and John says that it overcometh the world; that it is born of God. It overcomes all opposition, it drives out unbelief. And the poor child is delighted, not with anything he has done in producing this, but with what Jesus hath done in him; and is still doing for him. He believes now in his heart because belief is in his heart. He doesn't believe in order to get belief in his heart, but because faith is in his heart, and he is thereby saved. We should remember that faith never precedes, but follows after regeneration. The children of God are often groping in the darkness, until faith comes to them and makes them believe or trust in Christ; but in their wanderings in the dark, how piteously do they cry! What do they cry for if they have power to believe? If they could believe, they would turn their sorrow to joy; but they cannot until the Holy Spirit takes of Jesus righteousness and shows it unto them. (John 16:15) Jesus is thus "of God made unto us wisdom and righteousness, sanctification and redemption," etc. If "time salvation" depended upon us, it would be of us that He would be made thus. When in this darkened state of unbelief, we may read the Bible, hear preaching, and try to pray, but all these things fail to bring relief until we are to the brink of despair, and we cry, "Lord, save me, or I perish,'' as did Peter. (Matt. 14:30) All our confidence in self power is gone, and it is here then that Jesus puts in His appearance and works belief in us. "This is the work of God that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent." (John 6:29)