From the editor ...

Many people today think of faith as mere wishful thinking or believing against reason. For them faith becomes a matter of ignorance and mysticism. This is opposed to Scripture. The most basic definition of faith in the Bible is this -- Faith believes God's testimony. Even though God's testimony may contradict our physical senses and oppose what we conclude by human reasoning, we must not view faith as ignorant, unreasonable, or mystical. If faith is believing God's Word, then it is based on a true divine knowledge and reasoning. In light of this, this month's article will deal with saving faith which is common to all who are truly saved. This is truly an element missing from today's preaching.
 

Bill Parker, pastor

Eager Avenue Grace Church

The definition of "faith" in the Bible can only be determined by its context. For example, in certain contexts "faith" refers to the body of truth, the doctrine of God, the tenets of the Gospel and the Christian religion. We see this meaning, for example, in Romans 1:5 -- "By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to THE FAITH among all nations, for His name:".
 

Our subject in this article, however, is saving faith, or justifying faith. This faith is the gift of God, the provision of Christ, and the operation of the Holy Spirit in the new birth (regeneration and conversion). This is the foundation grace in salvation from which all other spiritual graces flow. Saved sinners live and walk by faith without which it is impossible to please God. Saving faith is the subjective work of the Holy Spirit in the new birth, whereby a regenerate sinner, upon hearing the Gospel, exercises belief in Christ. There can be no subjective, savingfaith without THE faith, the truth of the Gospel. Before God the Holy Spirit works saving faith within a sinner, He brings that sinner under the preaching of the Gospel. Therefore, in defining saving faith, it is necessary to define the Gospel --
 

The Gospel is God's promise to save sinners, freely give them all the benefits and blessings of salvation, and entitle them to the whole inheritance of eternal life and glory, based on the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, freely imputed and received by faith.
 

This Gospel identifies and distinguishes the true and living God, a just God and a Savior, from idols. It identifies and distinguishes the true Christ, the Lord our righteousness, from counterfeits. God the Holy Spirit uses this Gospel to bring sinners to trust Christ for all salvation. Saving faith then is believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as He is revealed, identified, and distinguished in this Gospel. This is how the Gospel is the "power of God unto salvation" (Rom. 1:16). There is no saving power in the Gospel message itself. The saving power comes from God the Holy Spirit applying that message to a sinner's heart (mind, affections, and will). We must conclude that before a sinner hears and believes this Gospel message, wherein the "righteousness of God" is revealed "from faith" (the Gospel) "to faith" (the work of the Holy Spirit in a sinner) (Rom. 1:17), there is no salvation, no true conversion. Before hearing and believing this Gospel, all are lost -- "servants of sin" (Rom. 6:17-18).
 

God the Holy Spirit does not bring sinners to saving faith under the preaching of a false gospel or, as some say, an "imperfect gospel," such as the gospel of Arminianism, semi-Pelagianism, or free-willism. These are not "imperfect gospels" but false gospels. Any message that claims to be THE Gospel but which does not reveal the true Christ and the only ground of salvation, His righteousness imputed which entitles sinners to all of salvation, is a false gospel. Any message that claims to be THE Gospel but which does not expose the sin that deceives us all by nature, the sin of seeking to establish a righteousness of our own before God, is a false gospel. In order to bring sinners to true saving faith, the Gospel must reveal Christ as the one who established a righteousness that entitles sinners to all of salvation, including the subjective work of the Holy Spirit, before they take the first step in seeking to serve the Lord and persevere. This is the message which the Holy Spirit uses to save God's elect. This is the message of grace that reveals Christ to us and exposes the sin of which we all must repent (cf. John 3:18-21).
 

This is what it means to preach Christ and Him crucified. This is what it means to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what it means to have faith in His blood as His death on the cross was the culmination of all that He did to establish a righteousness that (1) enables God to be both a just God and a Savior, (2) demands the eternal salvation and final glory of all whom He represented in His obedience and death, and (3) entitles them to the whole inheritance of grace and eternal life. It means nothing to say simply, "We believe on HIM," or, "We're trusting in Him," if we do not understand, according to Gospel truth, that Christ's righteousness (the entire merit of His work of obedience and death) alone entitles us to all of salvation, from regeneration to final glory. This is the faith of God's elect.
 

Apart from this revelation in the Gospel, sinners may believe, but they will believe a lie. They may have faith, but their faith will be in a counterfeit Christ. Most have faith in their faith as they believe that the difference between saved and lost is their faith. Some would add repentance and perseverance, but it is still faith that falls short of saving, justifying faith. The Gospel excludes everything that proceeds from the sinner as the ground of attaining, maintaining, or entitling him to any part of salvation. The Gospel reveals that Christ's righteousness alone makes the difference between saved and lost. The Gospel reveals that Christ's righteousness alone entitles sinners to all of salvation, including faith, repentance, and perseverance, before any sinner takes the first step in seeking to obey God. The Gospel commands faith, repentance, and perseverance from the sinner, but it excludes these necessary graces as forming any part of the ground of salvation. It reveals how these wonderful, sovereign operations of the Holy Spirit in a sinner are the fruit and result of Christ's righteousness, the only ground of salvation.
 

Consider Ephesians 2:8-9 -- "For by grace are ye saved" -- Salvation is not conditioned on the sinner. It is conditioned on the Lord Jesus Christ. Saving faith excludes itself as a condition for salvation as it believes that Christ alone met all the conditions for salvation. "...through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." -- Salvation comes by means of faith. Faith is the instrument by which God brings His elect into saving union with Christ Who by Himself met all the conditions of salvation. Salvation itself, including faith, is the gift of God. It is all the fruit of Christ's righteousness -- His obedience unto death as the Substitute and Surety of His sheep. We must, therefore, understand and define saving faith by the following --
 

(1) Saving faith believes in Christ and trusts that His righteousness alone entitles us to all of salvation, including the subjective work of the Holy Spirit, before we make any efforts to persevere or obey God in any area. If we truly have saving faith we must see ourselves as full-fledged saints, complete in Christ, and certain for Heaven's glory, all based on the merits of His obedience and death, before we begin the walk of faith.
 

(2) Saving faith always results in repentance of dead works and former idolatry. Any repentance that comes before saving faith is legal, natural-conscience conviction. Godly repentance is pleasing unto God, "but without faith it is impossible to please" God (Heb. 11:6). When God the Holy Spirit by the Gospel light exposes the sin that deceives us all by nature, we come to be ashamed of all that we esteemed and valued as recommending us unto God before faith. We come to admit that before we believed Christ's righteousness as entitling us to all of salvation, all of our efforts at religion and morality were dead works, evil deeds, and fruit unto death (Phil. 3:7-9). Consider John 16:8-9 -- "And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on Me;"
 

God the Holy Spirit will "reprove" (convince) God's elect "of sin." Does this mean He will merely convince people that they are sinners? No. Many people admit they are sinners but never come to saving faith in Christ. The key to this is "because they believe not on Me." Many say this means God the Holy Spirit will convince the world of the sin of unbelief, and this is included, but it goes further. It means He will convince God's elect that before they came to faith in Christ, before they trusted His righteousness alone as entitling them to all of salvation, they were in a state of condemnation, and everything they did was sinful in the sight of God. This is repentance that flows from justifying faith. It is a radical change of mind and heartfelt sorrow concerning former idolatry and dead works. A justified sinner is ashamed that all his former thoughts concerning Christ and salvation dishonored every attribute of God's redemptive character, cast shame and reproach upon the true Christ and His whole work of redemption, and actually opposed God's promise. He knows NOW that formerly there was no fear of God before his eyes and that he worshiped a god who could not save. He knows NOW that he supported a counterfeit gospel and that, while in that state, all his efforts at religion and morality were no more than self-righteous attempts to deny God's grace. It was all dead works and fruit unto death.
 

Such a person has been convinced "Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more" (John 16:10). This means he has been convinced that Christ's righteousness alone entitles him to all of salvation, including the subjective graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit, before he makes any efforts to obey God or bring his character and conduct into conformity to Christ. He has been convinced of "Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged" (John 16:11). This means he no longer judges saved and lost based on Satan's lies. He judges now based on God's testimony alone as revealed in the Gospel. This is saving faith.
 

(3) Saving faith always results in love to God and love to our neighbor. We neither love God perfectly nor our neighbors as ourselves. But saving faith brings forth a love that we had in no degree before faith. It results in a respect and regard for the glory of God in redemption by Christ, which before faith we did not have (Rom. 3:18). This causes us to love God, though imperfectly. It causes us to desire in some degree to worship, honor, and serve Him, not in order to attain or maintain His favor, not in order to entitle ourselves to salvation, but because He has freely blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ. Saving faith also brings forth a love for our neighbor which we did not have before faith. This love, though yet imperfect, is that which desires our neighbor's eternal good. It is that which keeps us from speaking peace to our neighbor (calling them "brother") when there is no ground for such fellowship. This love motivates us to tell our neighbors the truth according to the Gospel and pray for their salvation.
 

(4) Saving faith always results in Godly perseverance and good works. Those who truly believe God's Gospel will most assuredly by the power of God's grace in Christ continue in the faith. They will also most assuredly by the power of God's grace in Christ bring forth to some degree good works. As James states, "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" (James 2:17). But here is the key -- All who have saving, justifying faith, know that they are already entitled to all of salvation and certain for heaven's glory based on the righteousness of Christ before they take the first step in persevering and in bringing forth good works. Their perseverance and good works are motivated by grace and gratitude, not legalism and merit.
 

Let me conclude with this question -- Will believers ever doubt their salvation? Yes, but we must recognize that such doubt is sinful unbelief of which we must repent. Many promote such doubts as humility, but this is opposed to God's testimony (Heb. 6:17-19). Consider how believers, justified sinners, are exhorted to have boldness and assurance in prayer, worship, and communion with God based on the blood of Christ (Heb. 4:14-16; 10:19-22). Now we are to have no confidence in these things based on our best efforts at obedience (Phi. 3:3). But we are to have assurance based on the righteousness of Christ. We are to promote such confidence in those who are truly submitted to the righteousness of Christ. We are to discourage sinful doubt. Some argue, "I am not doubting the grace of God or the power of Christ. I am doubting myself." To these we must say, "When did God ever say that any part of salvation is conditioned on you? What part of the Gospel message leaves any blessing of God's grace based on your efforts to be holy?" The answer is -- NONE! It is all based on the righteousness of Christ. In believing this, we are to have our hearts established with grace. This is saving, justifying faith.