Faith: Faith is in general the persuasion of the mind that a certain
statement is true
(Philippians 1:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:13) Its primary idea is trust. A
thing is true, and therefore worthy of trust. It admits of many
degrees up to full assurance of faith, in accordance with the
evidence on which it rests. Faith is the result of teaching
(Romans 10:14-17) Knowledge is an essential element in all faith, and is
sometimes spoken of as an equivalent to faith
(John 10:38; 1 John 2:3) Yet
the two are distinguished in this respect, that faith includes in it
assent, which is an act of the will in addition to the act of the
understanding. Assent to the truth is of the essence of faith, and
the ultimate ground on which our assent to any revealed truth rests
is the veracity of God. Historical faith is the apprehension of and
assent to certain statements which are regarded as mere facts of
history. Temporary faith is that state of mind which is awakened in
men (e.g., Felix) by the exhibition of the truth and by the influence
of religious sympathy, or by what is sometimes styled the common
operation of the Holy Spirit. Saving faith is so called because it
has eternal life inseparably connected with it. It cannot be better
defined than in the words of the Assembly's Shorter Catechism: "Faith
in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon
him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel." The
object of saving faith is the whole revealed Word of God. Faith
accepts and believes it as the very truth most sure. But the special
act of faith which unites to Christ has as its object the person and
the work of the Lord Jesus Christ
(John 7:38; Acts 16:31) This is the
specific act of faith by which a sinner is justified before God
(Romans 3:22,25; Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:9; John 3:16-36; Acts 10:43; 16:31) In this act of
faith the believer appropriates and rests on Christ alone as Mediator
in all his offices. This assent to or belief in the truth received
upon the divine testimony has always associated with it a deep sense
of sin, a distinct view of Christ, a consenting will, and a loving
heart, together with a reliance on, a trusting in, or resting in
Christ. It is that state of mind in which a poor sinner, conscious of
his sin, flees from his guilty self to Christ his Saviour, and rolls
over the burden of all his sins on him. It consists chiefly, not in
the assent given to the testimony of God in his Word, but in
embracing with fiducial reliance and trust the one and only Saviour
whom God reveals. This trust and reliance is of the essence of faith.
By faith the believer directly and immediately appropriates Christ as
his own. Faith in its direct act makes Christ ours. It is not a work
which God graciously accepts instead of perfect obedience, but is
only the hand by which we take hold of the person and work of our
Redeemer as the only ground of our salvation. Saving faith is a moral
act, as it proceeds from a renewed will, and a renewed will is
necessary to believing assent to the truth of God
(1 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 4:4)
Faith, therefore, has its seat in the moral part of our nature fully
as much as in the intellectual. The mind must first be enlightened by
divine teaching
(John 6:44; Acts 13:48; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 1:17,18) before it can
discern the things of the Spirit. Faith is necessary to our salvation
(Mark 16:16) not because there is any merit in it, but simply because it
is the sinner's taking the place assigned him by God, his falling in
with what God is doing. The warrant or ground of faith is the divine
testimony, not the reasonableness of what God says, but the simple
fact that he says it. Faith rests immediately on, "Thus saith the
Lord." But in order to this faith the veracity, sincerity, and truth
of God must be owned and appreciated, together with his
unchangeableness. God's word encourages and emboldens the sinner
personally to transact with Christ as God's gift, to close with him,
embrace him, give himself to Christ, and take Christ as his. That
word comes with power, for it is the word of God who has revealed
himself in his works, and especially in the cross. God is to be
believed for his word's sake, but also for his name's sake. Faith in
Christ secures for the believer freedom from condemnation, or
justification before God; a participation in the life that is in
Christ, the divine life
(John 14:19; Romans 6:4-10; Ephesians 4:15,16) etc.; "peace
with God"
(Romans 5:1) and sanctification
(Acts 26:18; Galatians 5:6; Acts 15:9) All who
thus believe in Christ will certainly be saved
(John 6:37,40; 10:27,28)
(Romans 8:1) The faith=the gospel
(Acts 6:7; Romans 1:5; Galatians 1:23; 1 Timothy 3:9; Jude 1:3)
