The life
that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God (Gal.
What
are the kinds of faith?
1) An historical or dogmatic faith, which is believing the
truths revealed in the Word, because of divine authority.
2) There is a temporary faith, which lasts for a time, and then
vanishes. “Yet hath he no root in
himself, but endureth for a while.”
3) A miraculous faith granted to the apostles to work miracles for
the confirmation of the gospel. This
Judas had—he cast out devils, yet was cast out to the devil.
4) A true justifying faith, which is called “A faith of the
operation of God,” and is a jewel hung only upon the elect (Col. 2:12).
What is
justifying faith?
What it is
not. It is not a bare acknowledgment that Christ
is a Savior. There must be an
acknowledgment, but that is not sufficient to justify. The devils acknowledged Christ’s Godhead
(Matt.
What
justifiying faith is. True justifying faith
consists in three things:
1) Self-renunciation. Faith is
going out of one’s self, being taken off from our own merits, and seeing we
have no righteousness of our own (Phil. 3:9).
Self-righteousness is a broken reed, which the soul dares not lean
on. Repentance and faith are both
humbling graces; by repentance a man abhors himself; by faith he goes out of
himself. As Israel in their wilderness
march behind them saw Pharaoh and his chariots pursuing before them the Red Sea
ready to devour; so the sinner [looks] behind [and] sees God’s justice pursuing
him for sin, [looks] before [and sees] hell ready to devour him; and in this
forlorn condition, he sees nothing in himself to help, but he must perish
unless he can find help in another.
2) Reliance. The soul casts
itself upon Jesus Christ; faith rests on Christ’s person. Faith believes the promise; but that which
faith rests upon in the promise is the person of Christ: therefore the spouse
is said to “lean upon her Beloved” (Song of Solomon 8:5). Faith is described to be “believing on the
name of the Son of God,”
3) Appropriation, or applying Christ to ourselves. A medicine, though it be ever so sovereign,
if not applied, will do no good; though the plaster be made of Christ’s own
blood, it will not heal, unless applied by faith; the blood of God, without
faith in God, will not save. This
applying of Christ is called receiving him (John
How is
faith wrought?
By the blessed Spirit is called the “Spirit of
grace” because he is the spring of all grace (Zech.
Wherein
lies the preciousness of faith?
1) In its being the chief
gospel-grace, the head of the graces. As
gold among the metals, so is faith among the graces. Clement of
2) In its having influence
upon all the graces, and setting them to work: not a grace stirs till faith set
it to work. As the clothier sets the
poor to work, sets their wheel going; so faith sets hope to work. The heir must
believe his title to an estate in reversion before he can hope for it; faith
believes its title to glory, and then hope waits for it. If faith did not feed the lamp of hope with
oil, it would soon die. Faith sets love
to work. “Faith which worketh ‘by love’”
(Gal. 5:6). Believing the mercy and
merit of Christ causes a flame of love to ascend. Faith sets patience to work. “Be followers of them who through faith and
patience inherit the promises” (Heb.
3) In its being the grace
which God honors to justify and save.
Thus indeed it is “precious faith,” as the apostle calls it (2 Pet
2). The other graces help to sanctify,
but it is faith that justifies—“Being justified by faith” (Rom. 5:1). Repentance or love do not justify, but faith
does.
How
does faith justify?
1) Faith does not justify
as it is a work, which would make a Christ of our faith; but faith justifies,
as it lays hold of the object, viz. Christ’s merits. If a man had a precious stone in a ring that
healed, we may say the ring heals; but properly it is not the ring, but the
precious stone in the ring that heals.
Thus faith saves & justifies, but it is not any inherent virtue in
faith, but as it lays hold on Christ it justifies.
2) Faith does not justify
as it exercises grace. It cannot be denied, that faith invigorates all the
graces, puts strength and liveliness into them, but it does not justify under
this notion. Faith works by love, but it
does not justify as it works by love, but as it applies Christ’s merits.
Why
should faith save and justify more than any other grace?
1) Because of God’s
purpose. He has appointed this grace to
be justifying; and he does it, because faith is a grace that takes a man off
himself and gives all the honor to Christ and free grace. “Strong in faith, giving glory to God” (Rom.
2) Because faith makes us
one with Christ (Eph.
Use One: Of exhortation. Let us above all things labor for faith. Fides est sanctissimum humani pectoris bonum. “Above all, taking the shield of faith” (Eph.
Use two: Of trial. Let us try whether we have faith. There is something that looks like faith, and
is not, as a Bristol-stone looks like a diamond. Some plants have the same leaf with others,
but the herbalist can distinguish them by the root and taste. Some faith may look like true faith, but it
may be distinguished by the fruits. Let
us be serious in the trial of our faith.
Much depends upon our faith; for if our faith be not good, even our
duties and graces are adulterated.
How
then shall we know a true faith?
By the noble effects.
1) Faith is a Christ-prizing grace—it puts a high
valuation upon Christ. “To you that
believe he is precious” (1 Pet. 2:7).
Paul best knew Christ—“Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?” (1 Cor.
9:1). He saw Christ with his bodily eyes
in a vision, when he was caught up into the third heaven; and with the eye of
his faith in the Holy Supper; therefore he best knew Christ. And see how he styles all things in
comparison of him. “I count all things but dung, that I may win Christ” (Phil.
3:8). Do we set a high estimate upon
Christ? Could we be willing to part with
the wedge of gold for the pearl of price?
2) Faith is a refining grace—“Mystery of faith in a pure conscience”
(1 Tim. 3:9). Faith is in the soul as
fire among metals; it refines and purifies.
Morality may wash the outside, faith washes the inside—“Having purified
their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9).
Faith makes the heart a holy of holies.
Faith is a virgin-grace: though it does not take away the life of sin
yet it takes away the love of sin.
Examine if your hearts be an unclean fountain, sending out the mud and
dirt of pride and envy. If there be
legions of lusts in thy soul, there is no faith. Faith is a heavenly plant, which will not
grow in an impure soil.
3) Faith is an obedient grace—“The obedience of faith” (Rom.
4) Faith is an assimilating grace. It changes the soul into the image of the
object; it makes it like Christ. Never
did any look upon Christ with a believing eye, but he was made like Christ. A deformed person may look on a beautiful
object, and not be made beautiful; but faith looking on Christ transforms a
man, and turns him into his similitude.
Looking on a bleeding Christ causes a soft bleeding heart; looking on a
holy Christ causes sanctity of heart; looking on a humble Christ makes the soul
humble. As the chameleon is changed into
the color of that which it looks upon, so faith, looking on Christ, changes the
Christian into the similitude of Christ.
5) True faith grows. All
living things grow. “From faith to
faith” (
How may we
judge of the growth of faith?
Growth of faith is judged by strength. We can do that now, which we could not do
before. When one is man-grown, he can do
that which he could not do when he was a child; he can carry a heavier burden;
so thou can bear crosses with more patience.
Growth of faith is seen by doing duties in a
more spiritual manner, with more fervency.
We put coals to the incense, from a principle of love to God. When an apple has done growing in bigness, it
grows in sweetness; so thou performest duties in love and art sweeter, and come
off with a better relish.
But I
fear I have no faith.
We must distinguish between weakness of faith
and no faith. A weak faith is true. The bruised reed is but weak, yet it is such
as Christ will not break. Though thy
faith be weak, be not discouraged.
1) A weak faith may receive a strong Christ. A weak hand can tie the knot in marriage as
well as a strong one; and a weak eye might have seen the brazen serpent. The woman in the gospel did but touch Christ’s
garment, and received virtue from him. It was the touch of faith.
2) The promise is not made to strong faith, but to true. The promise says not whosoever has a
giant-faith, that can remove mountains, that can stop the mouths of lions,
shall he saved; but whosoever believes, be his faith ever so small. Though Christ sometimes chides a weak faith,
yet that it may not be discouraged, he makes it a promise. Beati qui esuriunt (Matt. 5:3).
3) A weak faith may be fruitful. Weakest things multiply most; the vine is a
weak plant, but it is fruitful. Weak
Christians may have strong affections.
How strong is the first love, which is after the first planting of
faith!
4) Weak faith may be growing.
Seeds spring up by degrees; first the blade, then the ear, then the full
corn in the ear. Therefore, be not
discouraged. God, who would have us
receive them that are weak in faith, will not himself refuse them (Rom. 14:1). A weak believer is a member of Christ; and
though Christ will cut off rotten members from his body, he will not cut off
weak members.
From A
Body of Practical Divinity (1692).