[Eph 1:1, 3-5, 7 KJV]
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: ...
3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, ...
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
But what is the faith on which the Scriptures so much insist? This is a matter of chief importance. An error here will affect our whole religious life.
Faith is either human or divine. In human faith we rely upon what men say. This we do by the constitution of our minds. Thus, children rest upon what their parents tell them. Human faith is properly confined to things on which God has not spoken. Its basis is human testimony.
Divine faith rests on the testimony of God. It concerns things which are revealed from heaven…
The faith of God’s people relates to things past, present, and to come. It believes that God made the world. There is the past. It believes that God is. There is the present. It believes that there will be a Day of Judgment. There is the future. Nor are these and other revealed truths believed by different kinds of faith, but all by one and the same faith. As with the same visual organ we look to the east, to the west, to the north, and to the south, at objects far from us or near to us, so with the same eye of faith we look at things thousands of years past, or thousands of years to come, or things now existing in the unseen world. Of old for thousands of years, the pious believed in a Savior to come. In the days of His flesh, His disciples believed in a Savior then come. For nearly two thousand years, God’s people have believed in a Savior that has come. In all these cases the faith was the same in principle and in its effects also.
The first thing asserted is that saving faith is not of earthly, but of heavenly origin; that it is not of man, but of God. Faith is the gift of God: “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him” (Philippians 1:29);
“God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).
When “Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:16, 17).
This faith is particularly ascribed to the Holy Ghost as its Author. He produces it in the heart. So say the Scriptures:
“The fruit of the Spirit is faith” (Galatians 5:22); “To another is given faith by the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:9);
“We having the same Spirit of faith…also believe” (2 Corinthians 4:13).
The reason why saving faith endures is because it is the incorruptible seed of God.
It is next said that in working this faith in us, God puts honor upon His Word as the ordinary instrument. With this also the Scriptures well agree:
“How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?…So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:14, 17);
“It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21).
This is the foundation of all our encouragement in proclaiming the Gospel. That which is sown in the weakness of man is raised in the mighty energy of the Holy Ghost. No wonder that such happy results flow from proclaiming the Gospel whenever God’s Spirit attends it.
It is thus the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. “God’s gracious biddings are effectual enablings.”
In like manner this faith is chiefly nourished by the ministry of the Word and other ordinances, and by prayer.
“Lord, increase our faith” (Luke 17:5).
The baptism of water is effectual when accompanied by the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
The breaking of bread and drinking of wine are means of nourishment to all those who drink spiritually of the Rock which follows them, even Christ, and who by faith eat the true bread which cometh down from heaven, even the Son of God. All the saints desire the sincere milk of the Word that they may grow thereby.
True faith respects all God’s Word. It receives narratives, promises, threatenings, doctrines, precepts, warnings, encouragements, all as they were designed for its use.
It obeys God’s commands.
They were given for that purpose. It is afraid of His threatenings. It trembles at His Word. It relies upon the promises, both as they respect this life and the next. It takes warning from many parts of Scripture. It rejoices in solid Scriptural encouragement. It relies upon God’s Word as testimony that is infallible. Whatever God speaks, faith believes. It receives all He has said. The Word of God liveth and abideth for ever. So faith receives it as His Word and not as the word of man. His authority is perfect.
But saving faith has special reference to Christ. So the Scriptures often teach:
“Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:5);
“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” (1 John 5:9-11);
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31);
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life” (John 3:36);
“He that believeth on him is not condemned” (John 3:18).
In God’s Word, the great theme is Christ Jesus: “To him give all the prophets witness” (Acts 10:43); “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).
If to deny the Father is fatal, so is it also to deny the Son. If to do despite to the Spirit of grace involves the loss of the soul, to reject Christ as the Savior makes destruction inevitable. But to receive Christ, to rest upon Him, to look to Him, to come to Him, to flee to Him for refuge, to take Him as our Sacrifice, as our Prophet, Priest, and King, and to do this heartily is the great office of saving faith.
Shalom
J.
