Faith In the Scriptures Founded On The Testimony Of God

He indeed was foreordained

before the foundation of the world,

but was manifest in these last times for you

who through Him believe in God,

who raised Him from the dead

and gave Him glory,

so that your faith and

hope are in God.

1 Peter 1:20-21

     Peter in the above Scripture is writing to, not sinners as some suppose, rather to the elect (vs.2), speaks of faith in God and it is this Doctrine of Faith that is true and the ground of this faith is in the things of the Spirit, upon the testimony of the Spirit which produces spiritual discernment and this Doctrine can be sustained by using analogy to aid and assist you in your understanding.  If a man is blind can he see the sun?  What about a man looking at the beauty surrounding the universe, trees, flowers, etc, may be because he has no taste?  If one cannot appreciate good music, is it because he has no ear for music?  More seriously, if a man cannot see the wonder in the divine authority of the moral laws is not his moral sense blunted?  When people see all around the glory of God in all His works and in His Word, is it because his religious nature is blunted?  Now if he cannot see the glory of God in the face of Jesus, the reason rests on the fact that he is blinded by Satan the god of this world. This blunted faith cannot be perceived by those not chosen of God and for those chosen it must be remembered that the faith of God in them given as a free gift by the testimony of the Holy Spirit is well given for us by Peter: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.  His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who were not once a people but now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9-10).  

     How can a man who sees no excellence in virtue be excused?  Where can anyone find a means of excuse for a man who repudiates the moral law?  The atheist is condemned by the Bible, not only the Bible but those who have instinctive judgment.  It is the Bible that judges those that are accursed for not believing in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.  This judgment is of and by God, we are not to judge any other way except by the fruit that grows from the foundation of faith, that lack or non-lack of proper fruit demonstrates a man's position in regards to his faith in Jesus Christ, in God, and in the testimony of the Holy Spirit. When God judges a man to be unworthy of the Kingdom of God and denies the excellency of the authority of God, this rejection by man is God's clearest manifestation that God has ever made to man: "If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed, O Lord, come! (1 Corinthians 16:22).  How can anyone judge the Creator of all that is created by Him for in time all the universe will acquiesce to Him?

    God's chosen, the elect from before the foundation of the world ('Romans 8:28-29). they have faith in the Scriptures and that faith is grounded upon the testimony of God.  What is meant by testimony?  It is the declaration the evidence that gives pledge to the authority of the One given His oath in support of the truth that is to be established.  It has previously been established that this faith is of different kinds, therefore this faith produces a faith that is different.  One kind of faith is that which is historical or speculative in nature and is merely grounded in the external.  We wrote on temporary faith built upon the testimony of morals that is from the power of the Spirit giving to truth that which is over the natural conscience and depends upon the state of mind where it finds its proximate cause.  Then we have written about the inward testimony of the Spirit that is of a nature and of such power as to produce a perfect revolution in the soul, a conversion, spoken in the Scriptures as one having their eyes opened to the reality, the wonders and the glories of creation.  This inward testimony of the Spirit that gives this kind of faith is so different than speculative faith.  It can be illustrated in this manner, when a blind man opens his eyes and seed the beauties of nature.  This testimony of the Spirit enabling saving faith, enables one to see the truth and all the excellent things of the Spirit.  Faith of this kind touches the conscience of the believer and it may be said that his faith is a form of knowledge.  How can this be?  First, he sees those things to be true that the Spirit reveals and authenticates.  

     Because this relation of faith to knowledge is a wide subject and has varied and endless discussion as to it; this then will be the subject of the next blog.  As the subject of faith is elucidated to you in all its forms, remember it is the faith founded on the testimony of the Spirit that is of the kind that is so all important; it is saving faith, saved by the free gift of God, not temporary, but eternal, eternal life.  As James so clearly pronounces, faith, true saving faith produces works and that faith is justified, not that works saves an individual, rather it is this justification by works that proceeds from that inward faith.(James 2:24).

The LORD is good,

A stronghold in the day of 

     trouble;

And He knows those who

     trust Him.

                     Nahum 1:7

May You Trust and Obey God

For there is no other way.

Richard L.Crumb