All of Grace—Why are we Saved by Faith?

Chapter Nine

Why are we saved by Faith?

WHY IS FAITH SELECTED as the channel of salvation? No doubt this inquiry is often made. “By grace are ye saved through faith,” is assuredly the doctrine of Holy Scripture, and the ordinance of God; but why is it so? Why is faith selected rather than hope, or love, or patience?

It becomes us to be modest in answering such a question, for God’s ways are not always to be understood; nor are we allowed presumptuously to question them. Humbly we would reply that, as far as we can tell, faith has been selected as the channel of grace, because there is a natural adaptation in faith to be used as the receiver. Suppose that I am about to give a poor man an alms: I put it into his hand — why? Well, it would hardly be fitting to put it into his ear, or to lay it upon his foot; the hand seems made on purpose to receive. So, in our mental frame, faith is created on purpose to be a receiver: it is the hand of the man, and there is a fitness in receiving grace by its means.

Do let me put this very plainly. Faith which receives Christ is as simple an act as when your child receives an apple from you, because you hold it out and promise to give him the apple if he comes for it. The belief and the receiving relate only to an apple; but they make up precisely the same act as the faith which deals with eternal salvation. What the child’s hand is to the apple, that your faith is to the perfect salvation of Christ. The child’s hand does not make the apple, nor improve the apple, nor deserve the apple; it only takes it; and faith is chosen by God to be the receiver of salvation, because it does not pretend to create salvation, nor to help in it, but it is content humbly to receive it. “Faith is the tongue that begs pardon, the hand which receives it, and the eye which sees it; but it is not the price which buys it.” Faith never makes herself her own plea, she rests all her argument upon the blood of Christ. She becomes a good servant to bring the riches of the Lord Jesus to the soul, because she acknowledges whence she drew them, and owns that grace alone entrusted her with them.

Faith, again, is doubtless selected because it gives all the glory to God. It is of faith that it might be by grace, and it is of grace that there might be no boasting; for God cannot endure pride. “The proud he knoweth afar off,” and He has no wish to come nearer to them. He will not give salvation in a way which will suggest or foster pride. Paul saith, “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Now, faith excludes all boasting. The hand which receives charity does not say, “I am to be thanked for accepting the gift”; that would be absurd. When the hand conveys bread to the mouth it does not say to the body, “Thank me; for I feed you.” It is a very simple thing that the hand does though a very necessary thing; and it never arrogates glory to itself for what it does. So God has selected faith to receive the unspeakable gift of His grace, because it cannot take to itself any credit, but must adore the gracious God who is the giver of all good. Faith sets the crown upon the right head, and therefore the Lord Jesus was wont to put the crown upon the head of faith, saying, “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”

Next, God selects faith as the channel of salvation because it is a sure method, linking man with God. When man confides in God, there is a point of union between them, and that union guarantees blessing. Faith saves us because it makes us cling to God, and so brings us into connection with Him. I have often used the following illustration, but I must repeat it, because I cannot think of a better. I am told that years ago a boat was upset above thefallsofNiagara, and two men were being carried down the current, when persons on the shore managed to float a rope out to them, which rope was seized by them both. One of them held fast to it and was safely drawn to the bank; but the other, seeing a great log come floating by, unwisely let go the rope and clung to the log, for it was the bigger thing of the two, and apparently better to cling to. Alas! the log with the man on it went right over the vast abyss, because there was no union between the log and the shore. The size of the log was no benefit to him who grasped it; it needed a connection with the shore to produce safety. So when a man trusts to his works, or to sacraments, or to anything of that sort, he will not be saved, because there is no junction between him and Christ; but faith, though it may seem to be like a slender cord, is in the hands of the great God on the shore side; infinite power pulls in the connecting line, and thus draws the man from destruction. Oh the blessedness of faith, because it unites us to God!

Faith is chosen again, because it touches the springs of action. Even in common things faith of a certain sort lies at the root of all. I wonder whether I shall be wrong if I say that we never do anything except through faith of some sort. If I walk across my study it is because I believe my legs will carry me. A man eats because he believes in the necessity of food; he goes to business because he believes in the value of money; he accepts a check because he believes that the bank will honor it. Columbus discovered America because he believed that there was another continent beyond the ocean; and the Pilgrim Fathers colonized it because they believed that God would be with them on those rocky shores. Most grand deeds have beessession of the battery and now He can send the sacred current to every part of our nature. When we believe in Christ, and the heart has come into the possession of God, then we are saved from sin, and are moved toward repentance, holiness, zeal, prayer, consecration, and every other gracious thing. “What oil is to the wheels, what weights are to clock, what wings are to a bird, what sails are to a ship, that faith is to all holy duties and services.” Have faith, and all other graces will follow and continue to hold their course.

Faith, again, has the power of working by love; it influences the affections toward God, and draws the heart after the best things. He that believes in God will beyond all question love God. Faith is an act of the understanding; but it also proceeds from the heart. “With the heart man believeth unto righteousness”; and hence God gives salvation to faith because it resides next door to the affections, and is near akin to love; and love is the parent and the nurse of every holy feeling and act. Love to God is obedience, love to God is holiness. To love God and to love man is to be conformed to the image of Christ; and this is salvation.

Moreover, faith creates peace and joy; he that hath it rests, and is tranquil, is glad and joyous, and this is a preparation for heaven. God gives all heavenly gifts to faith, for this reason among others, that faith worketh in us the life and spirit which are to be eternally manifested in the upper and better world. Faith furnishes us with armor for this life, and education for the life to come. It enables a man both to live and to die without fear; it prepares both for action and for suffering; and hence the Lord selects it as a most convenient medium for conveying grace to us, and thereby securing us for glory.

Certainly faith does for us what nothing else can do; it gives us joy and peace, and causes us to enter into rest. Why do men attempt to gain salvation by other means? An old preacher says, “A silly servant who is bidden to open a door, sets his shoulder to it and pushes with all his might; but the door stirs not, and he cannot enter, use what strength he may. Another comes with a key, and easily unlocks the door, and enters right readily. Those who would be saved by works are pushing at heaven’s gate without result; but faith is the key which opens the gate at once.” Reader, will you not use that key? The Lord commands you to believe in His dear Son, therefore you may do so; and doing so you shall live. Is not this the promise of the gospel, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved”? (Mk 16:16). What can be your objection to a way of salvation which commends itself to the mercy and the wisdom of our gracious God?

Charles H. Spurgeon—All of Grace

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Can We Keep God’s Commands?

Benjamin Cox Answered an Objection by a Pelagian to a Certain Passage

The Objection

If you will enter into life, keep the commandments.

Answer:

Here you must consider to whom our Savior spake this, viz., of one who sought to establish his own righteousness, and to get Heaven by his own doing of the good works which the Law required, who accordingly had propounded this question, “What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” The meaning of our Savior’s answer is this, if thou wilt think to get eternal life this way, you must keep the commandments, that is, you must be found as a person not any way guilty of any transgression against God’s commandments. This was a thing of mere and utter impossibility and our Savior’s scope in returning to him this answer, was to discover unto him the vanity and madness of his proud and foolish imagination. Thus, this place rightly understood has not in it the least show of opposition against our doctrine.

Benjamin Cox-Some Mistaken Scriptures Sincerely Explained, in Answer to One Infected With Some Pelagian Errors 1646.

The Salvation of Sinners is Due to God’s Grace

NO truth is more plainly taught in God’s word than this, that the salvation of sinners is entirely owing to the grace of God. If there be anything clear at all in Scripture, it is plainly there declared that men are lost by their own works, but saved through the free favor of God their ruin is justly merited, but their salvation is always the result of the unmerited mercy of God. In varied forms of expression, but with constant clearness and positiveness, this truth is over and over again declared. Yet, plain as this truth is, and influencing, as it should do, every part of our doctrinal belief, it is frequently forgotten. Many of the heresies which divide the Christian church, spring from a cloudness upon this point. Were that word “grace” but fully read, marked, and learned, the great evangelical system would be far more firmly held, and plainly preached: but forgetfulness that “by grace ye are saved,” is a common fault among all conditions of men. Sinners forget it, and they seek salvation by the works of the law; they refuse to surrender to the sovereign grace of God, and entrench themselves behind the tottering fence of their own righteousness. And saints forget this, too, and therefore their minds become dark, their spirits fall into legal bondage, and where they ought to rejoice in the Lord unceasingly, they become despondent, and full of unbelieving dread. Brethren, I am incessantly preaching here the doctrines of grace, they are growingly dear to me; but often as I preach them, I trust they are not wearisome to you; and if they should be, that sad fact would not induce me to be silent upon them, but rather urge me to proclaim them more frequently and fervently, for your weariness of them would be a clear proof that you required to hear them yet again, and again, and again, until your souls were brought to delight in them. There is no music out of heaven equal to the sound of that word “grace,” save only the celestial melody of the name of Jesus. One of the early fathers was called the angelic doctor; surely he is most angelic who preaches most of grace. Grace among the attributes is the Chrysostom, it has a golden mouth; it is the Barnabas, for it is full of consolation; it is the Boanerges, for it thunders against self-righteousness. It is man’s star of hope, the well-spring of his eternal life, the seed of his future bliss.

Charles H. Spurgeon–Sermon No. 958 “Dei Gratia”

The Elect Obey God Because of Special Grace Given to Them

Whereas you say that some Scriptures seem to hold forth unto you that a man has a free-will, I desire you, for your better information, to take notice of these two Propositions:

Proposition 2.

The elect do indeed, with unfeigned willingness, obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and choose the Lord to be their God, but this they do when they are effectually called, and not before. This they do, not of themselves, not only by the well using of an ability or power given to all men, but by the special grace of God, afforded to them, Who works in them both to will and to do and this according to the good pleasure of His own will concerning them from all eternity. The truth of this appears in these places, Isaiah 54:13; compared with John 6:44, 45, 64, 65; Ezek. 36:26, 27; Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:4, 5, 11; Phil. 1:29; Phil. 2:13; James 1:18.

Benjamin Cox-Some Mistaken Scriptures Sincerely Explained, in Answer to One Infected With Some Pelagian Errors 1646.

Man by Nature Does Willfully Refuse the Good

Whereas you say that some Scriptures seem to hold forth unto you that a man has a free-will, I desire you, for your better information, to take notice of these two Propositions:

Proposition 1.

We do not simply deny that a man has any freedom of will, but only do hold that no natural man, not any man of himself, has a sufficient power, or freedom of will, unto the choosing of that way, which is good and right, and acceptable in the sight of God. To the choosing of evil ways, we grant that every natural mans has freed enough, if so be this may be termed by so good a name as Freedom. Consequently, we do not hold that any man is compelled or enforced by violence to choose the evil, or to refuse the good, but that through the corruption of nature man unrenewed does willingly and willfully refuse the good way and chooses the evil way. Whereas the unregenerate person can do no otherwise, this is not the fruit of any force or compulsion laid upon him, but only of the obstinate wickedness, or wicked obstinacy of his own corrupted and depraved will. The truth hereof appear by these Scriptures, Gen. 8:21; Eccles. 9:3; Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 15:19; Romans 3:9, 10, 11; Romans 8:6-8; James 1:13-15; John 8:44.

Benjamin Cox-Some Mistaken Scriptures Sincerely Explained, in Answer to One Infected With Some Pelagian Errors 1646.

Calvinism is the Gospel

What many enemies of the cross of Christ and the Gospel of Jesus Christ do not realize, when reading the title of my blog post, is that in making such an assertion I am not claiming to be following a man. I also am not claiming to be following man made ideas of what the Bible teaches on the subject of the Gospel. What I am claiming is that I follow the gospel that is revealed in scripture and so clearly understood and taught by Calvin. This Gospel could very well have been called Augustinianism or Paulism. This is because Augustine and the Apostle Paul himself taught the gospel of which I believe and expound.

Therefore, if you are offended at my view of the gospel, then you are offended at Paul’s view of the gospel. You have problems with the very word of God itself. In my defense of the gospel, I want to point you to an article entitled:

 

Calvinism is the Gospel by Prof David Engelsma

Here are some quotes from his article:

“Calvinism is the Gospel. Its outstanding doctrines are simply the truths that make up the Gospel. Departure from Calvinism, therefore, is apostasy from the Gospel of God’s grace in Christ. Our defense of Calvinism, then, will proceed as follows. First, we will show that Calvinism is the Gospel. This is necessary because of its detractors, who criticize it as a perversion of the Gospel. Second, we will defend it as the Gospel. In doing this, we carry out the calling that every believer has from God. Paul wrote that he was “set for the defense of the Gospel” (Philippians1:17). I Peter3:15calls every believer to give an answer, an “apology,” or defense, to everyone who asks us a reason for the hope that is in us. As the name indicates, Calvinism is a certain teaching associated with John Calvin; it refers to Biblical doctrines that he propounded.”

“Calvinism is concerned to proclaim the Scriptures. The preaching of Scripture, both within the Church and outside the Church, is the central interest of Calvinism. It is false to conceive of Calvinism as a theoretical, abstruse science carried on by heady intellectuals in ivory towers. With the entire Reformation, it wanted, and wants today, to preach the Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believes.”

“The Gospel proclaims the death of Christ as a death that effectively redeems some men, rather than as a death that merely makes salvation possible for all men. Scripture teaches limited atonement. Jesus Himself taught this about His own death in John10:15“… and I lay down my life for the sheep.” A little further in the same chapter, the Lord specifically states that some men are not included among “the sheep”: “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you” (v.26). He died for some men, “the sheep,” in distinction from other men, who are not of His sheep. Jesus described His death similarly in Matthew 20:28: “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for (Greek: ‘in the stead of’) many.” The important point is not so much that He spoke of those for whom He died as “many,” not as “all,” as it is that he spoke of His death as the ransom given in the stead of others. By dying, He paid the ransom-price to God on behalf of many sinners. He did this by taking their place, giving up his own life where theirs was forfeit. The effect of this death is that everyone for whom He died is freed from sin, death, and hell. Not one for whom He died will perish. None may perish, for the ransom is paid. This Gospel (and there is no other) was preached already by the evangelistic prophet, Isaiah, in Isaiah 53: the suffering Christ bears away the iniquities of God’s people by being smitten of God as their substitute.”

Read the entire article here.

Soli Deo Gloria

Faith and the Spirit Go Together

Faith and the Spirit go together, but the Spirit is not always revealed. So Cornelius had the Holy Spirit before Peter came to him, although he didn’t know it. Those in the book of Acts who said, “We don’t know the Holy Spirit,” also had the Spirit, just as the patriarchs in the Old Testament had Christ, although they didn’t know him. They clung to the word, and through it they received the Holy Spirit. Later in the book of Acts he was manifested to them outwardly. It’s to be understood thus: The Word comes first, and with the Word the Spirit breathes upon my heart so that I believe. Then I feel that I have become a different person and I recognize that the Holy Spirit is there. Accordingly these are two things: to have the Holy Spirit and to know that you have him. When somebody speaks in your ear, you hardly hear his words before you feel his breath, so strong is the breath. Even so, when the Word is proclaimed, the Holy Spirit accompanies it and breathes upon your heart.

Martin Luther’s Tabletalk No. 402

Do Not Try to save Yourself

If you think about it, God’s value of heaven and yours are very different things. His salvation, when he set a price upon it, was to be brought to men only through the death of his Son. But you think that your good works can win the heaven which Jesus Christ, the Son of God, procured at the cost of his own blood! Do you dare to put your miserable life in comparison with the life of God’s obedient Son, who gave himself even to death? Does it not strike you that you are insulting God? If there is a way to heaven by works, why did he put his dear Son to all that pain and grief? Why the scenes ofGethsemane? Why the tragedy onGolgotha, when the thing could be done so easily another way? You insult the wisdom of God and the love of God.

Charles Spurgeon-Advice for Seekers

Concerning the Will of Man

The will is a beast of burden.

If God mounts it, it wishes and goes as God wills;

if Satan mounts it, it wishes and goes as Satan wills;

Nor can it choose its rider…

The riders contend for its possession.

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Concerning My Blog, Web Site and other areas of Ministry

To give just a short history of the struggle to maintain my sites, blogs, etc…

I have for many years tried to build a web site, blog, Facebook fan page, and several other Internet sites in order to spread and promote what I believe to be the true teachings of the Bible. As most know the doctrines that I believe the Bible teaches is primarily contained in the doctrines of the Reformation, particularly the five solas, the doctrines of Tulip, and what is commonly branded today as Calvinism. (I would stress that I am Reformed Baptist-Covenantal, Amillennial, and believe in the sovereignty of God in salvation). I have wanted to build an interconnected group of resources that would help the Theology student or layman learn as much as possible about the Reformed faith.

I have worked with a dial-up Internet connection spending many hours at a time on the Internet while trying to only place 10 new links on my web site every other week.  In order to get the 10 new links I would have to crawl out of bed on a weekend at 3:00 to 4:00 A. M. and spend 5 to 6 hours on the Internet a day in order to gather the material. I would then spend around 6 hours on a Friday trying to post this material (only ten links) to my web site. Once you add in the blog, the Facebook fan page, Vodpod, Twitter accounts, and trying to find good links in order to expand my web site, then you can see the hours every week I have had to spend in order to gather much material in order to expand these pages and sites. (Throw on top of this a 53 hour work week at the job, maintaining my own cars, house, etc….and trying to spend time with family, then you can see that I have no time for anything else.

I eventually upgraded to a Blackberry that has Internet access and began tethering with it. This made life so much easier. I was surfing the web with greater speeds, therefore it was cutting down the time in which I had to spend on the Internet. The only problem is that I am on AT & T’s service. The problem with AT & T is that their service is rather pathetic. They actually came forward at the beginning of 2011 and apologized to the city ofTalladega, here where I live, because the service was so pathetic. Upon doing this they done something to the towers and my Blackberry then was allowing me to surf with ease. Yet the past few months my service has fell in to such a slump that I can’t even make calls without the calls dropping. Also trying to get on the Internet takes many attempts and much time seeing that the service will not provide an adequate connection.

So it is with great sadness that I will say that I am going to post pone this blog for the time being. I have no way to get on the Internet. The only decent means of getting a connection in my area would be with a Verizon Pc card or air card. The only problem with that is the fact that it runs around 80 dollars a month. I just can’t afford that type of cost for Internet service. Reformed on the Web receives no outside support and the cost for web space, etc…, comes from my own pocket.

Therefore until I can find some support or some cheaper method of Internet, then I must put on hold my sites. I hate to do this, but have no other choice. Some could say that I could go to my public library and get on their free Internet in order to maintain my site. It is true I could do this and have done this many a time. I have also gone to McDonald’s and Jack’s Hamburgers where free wi-fi access is available, but who has time to live at the library or a burger joint? Not I. I could also appeal for donations, but I believe that God’s people are in enough strain financially in the economy we live in. Nevertheless if someone feels led to do this, then I would thank God for it.

Anyway I hope and pray to eventually get back to upgrading my site, for I have much material right now that I would like to add, and also to get back to maintaining my blog. I ask everyone to pray for the means to do this.

God bless,

Hershel Lee Harvell Jr.

P. S. From someone who has struggled with dial-up for many years———–People who have Internet access do not know how blessed they are. I wished I had high speed and have prayed for this for many years.