FAITH CONSIDERED ALONE; “Whoever believes on Him... Jew and Greek"

FAITH CONSIDERED ALONE

We have reference here to Saving Faith.

Hence we note:

1. SAVING FAITH DEFINED

Saving faith is trust in and reliance on the Lord Jesus Christ
as one's personal Saviour and sin-bearer.

And, since salvation includes sanctification as well as justification,
saving faith brings about a commitment of self to Christ.

2. SAVING FAITH DISTINGUISHED FROM ITS COUNTERFEITS

(1) Historical Belief. This is mere belief in the facts of revelation
as matters of history, including belief in the existence of God
and that there was a man called Jesus who claimed to be the Son of God.

It can be readily seen that such belief has no saving value.

(2) Intellectual Assent. This goes a step farther,
bringing mental acceptance of the things revealed of God and Jesus Christ.

Thus one who believes in the existence of God
comes to believe Him to be such a being as the Bible reveals Him to be,
and one who believes that such a person as Jesus
lived comes to believe that He was the Son of God
and that He died as a sacrifice for sin.

This is a step toward saving faith, but it is not such faith.

It is, "Mental Acceptance", or Consent, i.e., a physically minded 'decision'.

Campbellism teaches that saving faith is nothing more than the foregoing.

It relies on such passages as 1 John 4:15 and 5:1.

But these passages must be understood in the light of all other Scripture,
and other Scripture certainly forbids that the belief spoken of in these passages
should be understood as being mere intellectual assent to the deity of Christ.

Saving faith is not merely of the mind (intellect), but of the heart (emotions).

See Rom. 10:9,10.

The belief spoken of in the above passages
is such as is produced in the heart
by an experimental knowledge of Christ's power.

Then two facts as to the circumstances
under which these expressions were uttered throw light upon them.

A. The danger of professing belief in the deity of Christ
was such in apostolic days that none would do so
unless prompted by true faith in Him.

B. Christianity presented such a contrast to Judaism and Paganism
that none would believe in the deity of Christ without true faith in Him.

Those who had not this faith would regard Him as an imposter.

3. FAITH IS A GIFT OF GOD This is proved by the passages already quoted
that designate Repentance as a Gift of God;

for as we shall see, Repentance and Faith are Inseparable Graces.

Each one, when appearing alone in the Scriptures, embraces the other;

for, if this were not true, the passages which mention only the one
or the other would teach that one may be saved without both repentance and faith.

This is proved by passages which teach that our coming to Christ
and believing on Him are the result of the working of God's power.

See John 6:37, 65; Eph. 1:19, 20.

This is further proved by the fact that faith is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22).

4. FAITH HAS NO MERIT IN ITSELF Faith is merely the channel
through which God's justifying and sanctifying grace flows into the soul.

Faith is no more meritorious than the act of receiving a gift is meritorious.

Faith in no way is a substitute for our obedience to the law,
nor does it bring about a lowering of the law so that we can meet its demands.

Faith is once referred to as work in the Scripture
(John 6:29),
not that it is of the law, but only that man is actively engaged in its exercise.

"As a gift of God and as the mere taking of undeserved mercy,
it is expressly excluded from the category of works
on the basis of which man may claim salvation
(Rom. 3:28; 4:4, 5, 16).

It is not the act of the full soul bestowing, but the act of the empty soul receiving.

Although this reception is prompted by a drawing of the heart toward God,
inwrought by the Holy Spirit,
this drawing of the heart is not yet a conscious and developed love:
such love is the result of faith

(Gal. 5:6)"

(A. H. Strong Systematic Theology, pp. 469,470).

5. FAITH IS NECESSARILY EXPRESSES ITSELF IN WORKS

Faith is a dynamic principle. It gives rise to love; and, therefore, works

(Gal. 5:6).

Faith that does not express itself in works is a dead faith,
which is just another way of saying that it is spurious or unreal

(Jas. 2:17).

6. FAITH IS DISTINGUISHABLE FROM HOPE Faith and hope are very much akin;

but the two terms are not synonymous. Faith and hope differ in the following ways:

(1) Faith is trust; hope is expectation. The difference here is narrow,
but is such a difference as is common between various somewhat similar terms.

Both faith and hope involve "the idea of trust,
but with the use of different prepositions (Boyce).

We "trust In" as an act of faith.

We "trust for" in hope.

(2) "Faith is reliance upon something now present as known or believed,
Hope is looking forward to something in the future (Boyce.)

(3) Christ is the object of faith; while salvation, freedom from sin, glorification,
and Heaven are the objects of hope.

(4) Hope results from faith, and, therefore, cannot be faith.
See Rom. 5:2-6;

Christ in Our Place

2 "through whom also we have access by Faith into this Grace
in which we stand, and rejoice in Hope of the Glory of God.

3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations,
knowing that tribulation produces Perseverance;

4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

5 Now hope does not disappoint,
because the Love of God has been Poured Out in our hearts
by the Holy Spirit
Who was Given to us."

6 For when we were still without strength,
in due time Christ died for the ungodly."

...
Glorify God Together

15:4-13;

4 "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning,
that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope.

5 Now may the God of Patience and Comfort
Grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,

6 that you may with one mind and one mouth
Glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received [d]us, to the glory of God.

8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,

9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written:

“For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles,
And sing to Your name.”

10 And again he says:

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!”

11 And again:

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles!
Laud Him, all you peoples!”

12 And again, Isaiah says:

“There shall be a root of Jesse;
And He who shall Rise to Reign over the Gentiles,
In Him the Gentiles shall Hope.”

13 Now may the God of Hope fill you
with all Joy and Peace in believing,
that you may abound in Hope by the Power of the Holy Spirit."


Gal. 5:5; "For we through the Spirit
eagerly wait for the Hope of Righteousness by Faith."

By Faith We Understand

Heb. 11:1. 7;
1 "Now Faith is the substance of things Hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen...

...7 "By faith Noah, being Divinely Warned of things not yet seen,
moved with Godly Fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household,
by which he condemned the world
and became heir of the Righteousness which is according to Faith."

 

THE GROUND OF FAITH

Christ, Objectively Revealed to the mind and heart is the Ground of Faith.

This is implied throughout the Bible,

and it is unmistakably taught in Rom. 10:11- 17.


11 "For the Scripture says,
“Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek,
for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.

13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel.
For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”

17 So then Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

We read there that "Faith cometh by hearing,"
and we find also there the question (implying an impossibility):

"How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard."

The Bible knows nothing, absolutely nothing,
about a so-called secret faith that can exist
apart from knowledge of Christ, such as some Hardshells teach.

In the Old Testament Christ was Revealed,
not only through types and shadows,
but through prophets, such as Isaiah.

And we are told plainly that the gospel was preached to Abraham
and to Israel

Gal. 3:8; "And the Scripture,
foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,
preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand,
saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”

18; "For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of Promise;
but God gave it to Abraham by Promise."

Heb. 4:2; "For indeed the Gospel was preached to us as well as to them;
but the Word which they heard did not Profit them,
not being mixed with Faith in those who heard it."