The Effects of Faith

 Who shall bring a charge 

Against God's elect?

It is God 

Who justifies.

Who is he who condemns?

It is Christ who died,

And furthermore is also risen,

Who is even at the right hand

of God, Who also makes Intercession for us.

Romans 8:33-34

     It is union with Jesus Christ that is the first effect of faith. We are in Him by faith. How else can it be so for none of us have seen Jesus Christ and our faith is propositional, therefore our union with Him must by necessity be by faith, not any faith as has been discussed, but by the faith given freely, salvation faith. The union between the children of God and Jesus Christ is a federal union, being such as Jesus is our head, it is He who is our representative with authority.  As federal head we are in Him and our faith, our security, our eternity is founded upon the covenant of redemption between the Father and the Son. This covenant is unique in as much as Jesus, the wisdom of God, the Word of God, the second Person of the Godhead, God Himself, true God, being of the same essence yet the Son in His substance, knew the Will of God before the foundation of the world. It is before the foundation of the world that this foundation of redemption was set in place, therefore as the children of God we were in Him before the foundation of the world. It is a mystery, yet, it is one of His promises of that covenant that all that the Father would give to the Son would come to Him. It is that His people would be made willing by means of His power. When Jesus Christ ascended into heaven He took His place at the right hand of God, and there presented the sacrifice, the propitiation, the repentance and remission of sins, and this presentation is not a one time presentation, it is eternal, it is God Himself, the Son of God who is the assurance and the authority of that intercession. 

     So not to become egotistical, lazy and tacitly accept what Jesus Christ has done for the children of God and hold our "ticket" to heaven as being one of the elect, let us consider this: "among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of he flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others" (Ephesians 2:3). Who are the "we" and the "ourselves?" Look at verse one and you will see to whom Paul was writing; it is to the saints who were in Ephesus. Until we come to Jesus by faith we are and remain, children of wrath, we are in this position until we do so and in this state we deserve condemnation. You see, we do not receive the saving benefits of that covenant until we are united to Him, and that unification comes by faith. This is outlined in Scripture and cannot be denied, the union with Jesus Christ is consummated by faith. It is then to believe in Jesus Christ and to be in Jesus Christ are convertible terms of expression. They mean substantially the same thing, and the same effects are attributed to faith as are attributed to union with Christ.

Teach me, O LORD, the way

     of Your statutes,

And I shall keep it to the

     end.

                       Psalm 119:33

God is the LORD

Richard L. Crumb

Faith Rests On The Testimony of God

He who has My commandments

and Keeps them,

it is he who loves Me.

And he who loves Me

will be loved

by My Father,

and I will love him

and manifest Myself to him.

John 14:21

     Upon examination of the Apostle Paul's life we quickly ascertain his faith, a faith that has as its object Jesus Christ: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). It is the truths which he believed, and faith in which gave life to his soul. Those truths include that Christ is the Son of God, and the He loved him, that He gave His life for him. All true believers do not have a different faith, in its object or the nature of saving faith. The life of faith is not a separate operation in life, it is the continuation of those exercises by which we first received Jesus Christ, in all His fullness, in all His offices, as our God and Savior.

     Some would object to this view that it is by the "love of God, or "of Christ." But this love is not a philanthropic love of God, rather it is His special, electing and saving love. Paul said he lived by faith of Christ who loved him, and gave himself for him. This then, Paul referred to is something more than that Christ loved all men and then himself more than all others. Paul clearly believed that he was the object of special love by the Savior. It was this conviction that gave power to his faith. It is this same power that gives conviction to all true believers. Others would object and state that faith must have a divine revelation for its object. They further cavil at this faith as they cannot see any Scriptural revelation of God's special love to individuals, therefore, no individual has any Biblical ground to believe that Christ love him, and gave Himself for him. This theory is completely against Paul's declaration and experience. Paul with certainty believed that Christ loved him and died for him. Some as is taught in many churches today, conclude that it was by Paul's experiences, or that Paul reasoned and argued himself to believe in such a manner, that Jesus Christ specially loved him. It is plainly taught in the Bible that Jesus Christ loves all who believe on Him. I believe upon Him therefore Christ specially loves me. Yet, this is a conclusion from argument and no conclusion reached by argument is an object of faith. Faith must rest upon the testimony of God. What do I mean? God in some way must testify to the soul of man that it is the object of His love. So, how is this done? First, by the general invitations and promises of the gospel. It must be believed that to accept and appropriate these promises we must believe that they belong to us as well as to others. Secondly, by the inward witness of the Spirit. By the inward witness of the Spirit is not the same as taught amongst Pentecostal and charismatic believers that it is some special revelatory gift and demonstrated outwardly, it is as Paul states: "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:5). it is the Holy Spirit that convinces us that we are the objects of His love. This is done, not only by the various manifestations of His love in providence (notice the word providence) and redemption, by by His inward dealings with the soul. John writes: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me, and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father,and I will love him and manifest myself to him" (John 14:21). Notice that it is not outward, not outward by the word, rather it is inward. god has fellowship with the souls of His people. It is to be remembered that we are enabled and drawn to God by God: "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.... And He said; 'Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My father" (John 6:44; It 65). It is the Spirit that calls forth our love to God, and reveals His love to us: "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:16). Does this mean that the Spirit incites our filial feelings toward God, from whom we are referred to as the children of God? NO! As Children of God we are adopted by God and there are two distinct sources as evidence of our adoption. One is that we can call God Father, this is not to say one can say Father, it is that we can truly call God our true Father in all its senses, not in word only. and the testimony of the Spirit. It is the Spirit that is joined together with our calling God Father, it is the Greek word found in Romans 8:16 that gives evidence to that fact it is a unified testimony that we are sealed and marked and secured, assured by the Spirit, συμμαρτυρεῖ(to testify together). The Spirit is a pledge, and assurance, that we are, and ever shall be, the objects of God's saving love: "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:13-14; cf. 5:30; 2 Corinthians 1:22). 

      Are we to say that we must believe that we are one of His elect? No! Election is a secret purpose of God. It is not revealed to any particular person therefore it is not an object of faith.  It is a thing to be proved, or made sure (2 Peter 1:10), it is the fruit of the Spirit. the Reformers on this subject included that the soul in committing itself to Jesus Christ does so as to one who loved it and died for its salvation. An example was the woman who touched Jesus' hem, who believed that she was an object of His compassionate love, she believed that all who touched Him with faith were included in that love. Her faith included conviction.


     What are the effects of faith?  That is what will be considered next.
These things I have written to you
    who believe 
in the name of 
    the Son of God,
that you may know 
    that you have 
eternal life, and 
    that you may 
continue to believe
   in the name of
the Son of God.
               1 John 5:13
Richard L. Crumb

Faith Sees The Nature of The Object

For to this you were called,

Because Christ also

suffered for us,

leaving us an example,

that you should

follow His steps:

1 Peter 2:21

     This discussion on the object of our faith has been considering the objections to this Doctrine and has been shown and distinguished acts of faith that is the direct and the reflex act of faith. The term direct act of faith we embrace Christ as Savior; by the reflex act, is that which arises out of the consciousness of believing, in other words, we believe that He loved us and died for us, further, we believe that nothing can ever separate us from His love. These two acts are inseparable. How is this? It is that there is no separation as the cause and effect, the antecedent and consequent, nor are they separate in time or in the conscience of the believer. So what are they? They are on different elements of this complex mechanism that is involved in accepting Christ as He is offered in the Gospel. We find that there is no separation either in joy or gratitude for such favor to be granted to the children of God. These things are revealed in the consciousness of the believer as the very nature of the act. We cordially and gratefully accept the promise made to all those who accept and embrace this object of or faith, our salvation. This acceptance needs to be clarified so that a wrong impression be left to the mind for we accept but not because of ourselves for John so aptly writes: "Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" (john 6:29).  No belief in God or in the object of saving faith unless God participates in order to save you: "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44).  As a side note here, those who wish to believe in the so-called "rapture" have a difficult time with their doctrinal position for Jesus clearly stated that it is the "last day" in which men are raised. It is always clear, in context interpretation that is needed to deepen our faith and understanding of all that God has done for His children. As an example of the general promise made to all those given to His Son (John 6:39); as a criminal upon his confession of his guilt is pardoned and everyone who also makes confession of their guilt knows that the promise of pardon is made to him. The Sinner exercises saving faith, repents of his sins, and believes that for the sake of Christ, the One who paid the debt he owed, is pardoned and accepted by God. Jesus Christ loved him and gave Himself for him. In the founding document, the Heidelberg Catechism it is said in regards to saving faith:

"Q21. What is true faith?

Answer: It is not only a certain knowledge by which I accept as true all that God has revealed to us in his Word, but also a wholehearted trust which the Holy Spirit creates in me through the gospel, that, not only to others, but to me also God has given the forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness and salvation, out of sheer grace solely for the sake of Christ's saving work." 

     It is not that faith implies assurance. It is the nature of the object seen, not the clearness of the vision, it is that the soul believes, not the strength of its faith. John Calvin wrote: "When the least drop of faith is instilled into our minds, we begin to see the serene and placid face of our reconciled Father; far off and on high, it may be, but still it is seen." An example may be of the one who is in a dark dungeon and sees a ray of light.  This light is not the same as broad daylight, but he knows it is light. So that the penitent believes is that God for Christ's sake is reconciled to him.  It may be dim and doubtful vision, but he apprehends that truth, that it is upon that truth where his trust lies and is stayed.

     I will not allow this teaching to be just that, a teaching without proof, so the next blog will be the subject of proof and all that is involved in the appropriation of this general promise.

All flesh is as grass,

     And all the glory of mans as

The flower of the grass.

    The grass withers, 

and it s flower falls away,

    But the word of the LORD

endures forever.

                              1 Peter 1:24-25

May the grace of God be upon you

Richard L. Crumb

Question: Is The Sinner Required to Believe That God Loves Him?

But you, beloved,

building yourselves 

up on your most holy faith,

praying in the Holy Spirit,

keep yourselves 

in the love of God,

looking for the mercy

of our Lord Jesus Christ

unto eternal life.

Jude 20-21

     Some have questions as to whether or not God is the object of saving faith, that He has been reconciled to us, that our sins are forgiven, and that we are the objects of His love. Previously we discussed another question, as to the life we live and its place in our faith according to Christ and his ransom, and as to whether or not we receive Him in any special office or in totality of Himself as our savior. As to salvation the Roman Catholic Church adheres to a belief that it is the whole revelation of God that is the object of faith.  Protestants would not agree to that statement for it is contended that Jesus Christ and the promise of redemption is through Him and Him alone. The Roman Catholics would argue against the Protestant position as they find it to be contradictory to say that we are pardoned because we believe, yet, in the same breath they  would admit that is is correct to say that our sins are already pardoned and that is what one should believe.  Now, those statements may be somewhat confusing so they will be elucidated and attempt to remove any disconcerting misapprehension. Upon examination of the Roman Catholic Churches' position there will be found a belief that the only proper object of faith is some revelation of God, and that nowhere is it revealed that we are reconciled to God individually, or that our sins are pardoned, or that we are the objects of that special love which God has for His own people. 

     The Reformers would, rightly so, say that a distinction is to be made between the remission of sin, de jure, or from or by means of its legality already obtained through the death of Jesus Christ. Now this is correct for there is a necessity for a forensic justice to be applied to man because of sin. A hard but a necessary look at sin will reveal that sin is not something alone that we do, and that it is, but more, it is that we have, by means of our federal head, Adam, threw, as it may be stated, our selfish self into the very face of God, ignoring that He is God, and that He had and has given His law and the effects if that law would be set aside in order to follow one's own thoughts and desires. That law demanded, and that by God Himself is death. But by the efficacious death of Christ, who became the federal head of mankind making the remission of sin to be de facto, therefore He brought into existence the payment that forensic payment required by God, death, and applied that payment to us. In the first sense it is the object of faith, for remission of sin was obtained by the death of Christ. Secondly, we entreat God by asking, therefore it is by faith and that faith has as its object Jesus Christ. Faith is the instrumental cause of justification and must proceed it.Sin then is no longer credited to me but I must believe and no longer walk in sin for all that was needed was credited to my account and in faith I apply that remission of sin and the new life that is obtained by means of that remission of sin and this is by faith, and the object of that faith is Jesus Christ, and that by the authority of God who in His mercy willed that certain ones would become His children.  We know that we are children of God by our demonstration and application of love, and that because God has enabled us and drawn us to Himself. It is the irresistible faith given freely by God that we respond and accept Him and the work applied to all that Jesus has been given and all that He came to save.  


     This is such a big subject that I am breaking into to blogs so that each blog can be examined and assimilated.  


Now to Him who is able to 
     keep you f rom stumbling,
and to present you faultless
    Before the presence of His
glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior, 
    who alone is wis,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
both now and forever.
                 Amen
                      Jude 24-25


Richard L.Crumb

In Faith Alone Doies One Receive Jesus Christ

For yet a little while,

And He who is coming

Will come

And will not tarry.

Now the just 

shall live by faith;

But if anyone draws back,

My soul has no pleasure 

in him.

Hebrews 10:37-38

     It is to be admitted that Jesus Christ is the immediate and special object of those acts of faith that secure salvation. This fact is evident throughout Scripture, yet, there are those who love to raise questions and do so in regards to salvation by asking; Whether or not that it is in Christ in all His offices that we are saved or just one or a few? Here it is being asked in regards to justification or justifying faith. The Bible does not ask or speak to such a question by suggestion or any other manner. The Bible solidly states that a person receives Jesus Christ and Him alone.  That being so then it is in all the offices of Jesus Christ, as priest, deliverer, the one who can take away sin and overcome the dominion of Satan, further can remove a person from all the apostasy from God. A person who receives Jesus Christ takes Him as his wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. He takes Him as his God and Savior, in completeness as the One who can satisfy the very longing of those who are chosen by Him and is their life-giving portion of their souls. 

     Is this a complex formula for salvation? No! All that there is to salvation is the acceptance of Jesus Christ in all He is, no analysis is necessary and assumptions to be made for it is in our submission to Him and that submission is possible for God has so clearly stated that it is by Him enabling and drawing to Jesus those He has preordained to eternal heavenly life with Him (John 6:37,44, 65). It is those who are given to Jesus Christ and He will never lose any of those given to Him. Unfortunately there were with Jesus some disciples, in fact many, who having heard Him speak such words walked away and followed Him no more. Will this be true of you? Does this teaching of Jesus spoil your beliefs and practices? Will you walk away or will you examine the Scriptures? There is no suggestion that a person is to take Jesus Christ in any other manner for He is offered to us as a source of life, and glory, and blessedness, as the supreme object of adoration and love. As such, He is joyfully accepted. 

He brought me to the 

     Banqueting house,

And his banner over me

    was love.

                     Song of Solomon 2:4

May God Bless As You 

Prepare for Sunday Services

Richard L. Crumb

Christ Our Ransom and Our Faith Is In His Life

Seek the LORD while He May

be found,

Call upon Him 

While He He is near.

Let the wicked

forsake his wary,

and the unrighteous man

his thoughts;

Let him return to the LORD,

And He will have 

Mercy on him;

And to our God,

For He will

Abundantly pardon.

Isaiah 55:6-7

     Justification as it is taught in the Bible is by faith in Christ. This was and is the teachings of the Apostles. What exactly is being said in regards to this faith? First, it is not a pious dutiful spirit of reverence for God which is a disposition of the mind. Second, it is not faith as a general revelation, much less to be faith in eternal verities or as a principle of belief, even general principles of truth and duty. It is has faith which has as its object; Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul writes: "...even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:22-23). It is not by works: "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law no flesh shall be justified" (Galatians 2:16).  So why the Law? "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Galatians 3:24). Paul in speaking to the Churches in particular states further: "for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26). The law teaches us and we become children of God and that newness of life is demonstrated in the way we live: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).  Now, if Christ did not die and our righteousness comes in another manner, then Christ died in vain (Galatians 2:21).

     It is this sacrifice offered by Jesus Christ to God that is our ransom, a ransom for many, (notice this it is not for all as it is taught in so many churches); the Greek word "pleion" denotes a great many, not just many so that as Revelation speaks a number so great that it cannot be numbers, it is the grains of sand.  For all, the many, the merit of Christ, His righteousness is the propitiation for sins, offered to God in sacrifice according to the justice and the forensic requirement for the sins of man. All the Scriptures necessarily assume that the faith which secures salvation is in reference to Jesus Christ. Now, if we are to have Jesus Christ as our Redeemer, then, we must receive Him and truth Him. If Jesus Christ is our propitiation for our sins then, it can only be so by our faith in His blood that we can be reconciled to God. This is the whole plan of God, to bring to Himself that which was purposed from the beginning, a people who are committed to Him, enjoying all that God has determined for man.  But, to be a child of God then one must receive Jesus Christ and place Him as their object of faith upon which is the ground for their/our confidence. 

     We have a special relation to Jesus Christ, we are in Him by faith. Jesus Christ dwells in us and is the head of us in whom we derive our life. As the parable of Jesus Christ so aptly does as it applies the illustration of the vine and branches whereby He is the vine, we are the branches as the branches live because of their connection to the vine so it is with Christians, we live because He lives within us. If Christ does not dwell in us then we are dead in our sins, there is no hope, and there is no life, now or after death. This faith is not a general faith, a faith as described as secure in Scripture, that which secures our salvation for it is faith that has as its termination in Christ and in Him alone. It is He that is the object of our faith, it is He that is our life. Many place their faith in the Scriptures, and some sense they are justified in so doing, but when our faith is secure in Scripture then we have deviated from what is true.  The truth is that by the will of God, Jesus Christ incarnated in human flesh, being both Man and God, doing and revealing the will of God, dying for our sins and rising again for our justification; this is where our faith is grounded.  When Jesus Christ dwells in us all the fulness of the Godhead fills us and He is then our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. It is to those who receive Jesus Christ into their souls, not just their minds, placing their lives into His hands to be used in His service and to be saved into His glory are then believers.  Christ as our object of faith is also our termination of our faith for it terminates in Him. Nothing as taught by other Churches, especially that of the Roman Catholic Church as founded upon modernistic and post-modernistic philosophies as any foundation in Scripture.  It is those false teachings that we have been warned about that turn us away from the historical Jesus and making Him the object of our faith. When that happens, no matter how philanthropically one is, it is only the work we do that is fueled and led by Jesus Christ as our object of faith can this have any true value.  We are to love and truth, even in our miserable hearts, Jesus Christ.

But that no one

     is justified

by the law

     in the sight 

of God

     is evident,

for the just shall 

    live by faith.

                Galatians 3:11

May Today Be Blessed As 

You Put Your Faith Into Action

Richard L. Crumb

Salvation Is Be Receiving Christ

But as many as received Him,

to them He gave

The right to become 

Children of God,

To those who

Believe in His name:

John 1:12

     The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is the direct being object of saving faith. We are said to receive Him and to secure salvation. It is this act of receiving that imputes that salvation and our acts therefrom are the testimony. The above quoted Scripture from John the Apostle clearly and plainly declares that fact. It is a fact that so often those who seek God, salvation, and desire to experience that newness of life choose a Jesus that is not Biblical. It is not that they do not receive Christ, it is not Jesus Christ as elucidated in His Word: "I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive" (John 5:43). All one has to do is look around and examine the Churches and their teachings and will find Pastor's who are allegorical, promoting ear tickling illustrations, but little exegetical preaching of God's Word.  Many are willing to accept the witness of men: "If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; fro this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son" (1 John 5:9-10). Notice the Scritpure's wording, "given of His Son" not "has given His Son" so then what is the "given of..:" mean?  God gave His Son to be the propitiation for sins and all who receive Jesus Christ as truly sent from God, who died, was buried, rose the third day, ascended into heaven, who gave a witness of His resurrection to more than 500 people, was seen to ascend into heaven; that is what God gave "of Christ." This is what God gave of Himself for Jesus is both God and Man, it was God in the substance of His son, and in the substance of man, who never left or did not have the essence of the Father. It was God who saves, and that through the object of saving faith; Jesus Christ. It is Jesus' accomplished work upon the cross that gives life: "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. he who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:11-12). It is this rebirth, being born of God, that which only God can do for man, and He did this by his dispensation, His Will, and by means of His Son, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we had nothing to do with this salvation granted to those who were predestined to live eternally with God, and only those who have been given this saving grace can they love Jesus Christ: "Whoever (the Gr. word is "pas" and is translated literally as "everyone" and the next word "pisteuon" is a a participle and is translated, believing, so it is everyone who is believing that is begotten of God), believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also also loves him who is begotten of Him" (1 John 5:1).

     Therefore, it is receiving of Jesus Christ who is the immediate object of saving faith recorded in His Word that it is He who God gave to be the propitiation for our sins and is what is required and to be exercised by those claiming to be Christian and is in order to salvation. Our salvation is secure, secured by God Himself, who being eternal causes His act upon the cross for His people is eternal. Faith then is applied and expressed by looking at Jesus Christ, coming to Christ, having been enabled and drawn to Him be God.  It is then we commit ourselves to Jesus Christ a committing of our souls to Him, with the sure hope of eternal life.

This is He who

     Came by 

Water, and blood

     Jesus Christ;

not only by water,

     but by water and blood.

And it is the Sprit

     who bears witness,

Because the Spirit is Truth

                       1 John 5:6

Many God Bless This Day

Richard L. Crumb

 

What Does Jesus Christ Require?

But what does it say?

"The word is near you,

in your mouth and

in your heart" (Isaiah 1:1:9) 

(that is, 

the word of faith

which we preach):

(Deuteronomy 30:14).

that if you confess

with your mouth

the Lord Jesus 

and believe in your heart

that God has raised Him 

from the dead,

you will be saved.

Romans 10:8-9

      What does Jesus require? What is the condemnation spoken of in the Bible? First, foremost, Christ was raised from the dead: "that I may know Him and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Philippians 3:10). Second, the requirement is to believe in Him: "that whosoever believes in Him Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:15). The English word "that" is the Greek word for "in order that" so in vs. 14 illuminates why one is to be "in order that," because Jesus was lifted up, crucified, and then 'whosoever" believes in that resurrection, the same as did the Israelites when Moses lifted up the brazen serpent for their healing, (please don't misunderstand what Mose did and why: read the context), for we are not to believe "on" Jesus" the Greek word is "eis" meaning into, with intention, then those who do such will have eternal life because of that belief. Thirdly, condemnation is a judicial requirement for sin.  This being proclaimed to Adam when he sinned, that death was to come upon him and being the federal head of mankind, that condemnation applied also to his progeny: us; (Genesis 2:15-16).  God had every right to destroy all that He had made, including now sinful man, but God is merciful and in His dispensation and economy, applied His mercy, and had chosen some to be saved before all creation; (Ephesians 1:4-12). Jesus plainly and clearly states: "He who believes in Him (vs. 17 gives to answer as to who is "him") is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in (Gr. eis) the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:18). God has wrath, this was aptly displayed by the Genesis flood, it will be and is displayed in our times, as iterated by John the Baptist: "He who believes in (Gr. eis) the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on (Gr. "ep" upon) him" (John 3:36). It is by God's will that He has determined to save some and give them to His Son and to raise them  up, not in some plan outside of Scripture as taught by many Churches, i.e., the rapture, rather on the last day, there is no plan "A" and plan "B" only the "last day." Jesus will never lose any given to him, (John 6:39) and He state: "And this is the will of Him (God the Father) who sent Me (Jesus Christ), that everyone (Gr. "pas" has the meaning of certain ones, Strong's Concordance #3956; and according to Charles Spurgeon who states: 

"... 'The whole world is gone after him.' Did all the world go after Christ? 'Then went all Judea, and were baptized of him in Jordan.' Was all Judea, or all Jerusalem baptized in Jordan? 'Ye are of God, little children', and 'the whole world lieth in the wicked one.' Does 'the whole world' there mean everybody? If so, how was it, then, that there were some who were 'of God?' The words 'world' and 'all' are used in some seven or eight senses in Scripture; and it is very rarely that 'all' means all persons, taken individually. The words are generally used to signify that Christ has redeemed some of all sorts—some Jews, some Gentiles, some rich, some poor, and has not restricted his redemption to either Jew or Gentile." (Charles H. Spurgeon, Particular Redemption, A Sermon, 28 Feb 1858), who sees (this is an active participle, therefore it is those who participate, those who are seeing, actively) the Son and believes (the condition for salvation) in (Gr. "eis") Him may have (Gr. "eche" is subjunctive, there for the person is involved in the decision) everlasting life; and I (Jesus Christ) will raise (Gr. first person singular future active, meaning is that everlasting life, resurrection is totally dependent upon Jesus Christ) him up at (not before or after) the last day" (John 6:40). Jesus is the "bread of life" so that when we pray the Lord's prayer we ask that we be given "our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11) we are asking for, not just daily sustenance, we are asking for Jesus Christ, so He states: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.  I am the bread of life.  Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. this is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one (Gr. "tis" an indefinite pronoun, then it is a certain one) may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone (Gr. "tis") eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world (here the word translated "world" is in contrast to the word "heaven" in other words He came for those certain ones not in heaven)": (John 6:47-51). God chose you, not because you had faith, He gave that to you, and this is His work: "Jesus answered (those seeking Him) and said to them. 'This is the work of God, that you believe in (Gr. "eis") Him whom He sent" (John 6:29). 

     It is faith in Christ, the object of true faith, and that not our yourself God, (this includes Jesus who is God) lives within His people, and His people are elucidated to the world and Him by their obedience (John 14:23). It is faith in Jesus Christ that is demanded by God, the condition of salvation and the Bible abounds in such statements.  We have been speaking of faith and it is clear that saving faith is faith in Jesus.

I am the vine,
     You are the brances.
He who abides in lMe,
    and I in him,
bears much fruit; 
    for without Me
You can do nothing.
                   John 15:6

May God Bless You


Richard L. Crumb

The Object of Saving Faith

All that the "Father gives me

Will come to Me,

And te one who 

Comes to Me

I will by no means

Cast out.

John 6:37

     There is no argument when it is said that all Christians are bound to believe. All that God has chosen and given to His Son Jesus Christ will come, no exception. When one is called who believes in Jesus Christ as His Savior will do all that is taught in God's Word, that is to say all that that person has come to know about the Scriptures. It is imperative that a Christian does not rest on his proverbial laurels. They will involved themselves in reading, daily, God's Word, enabling them to mature. Being so closely related in His Word, His revelation about Himself, and all that He has revealed so that we know His Will, enabling us to walk according to that Will. It is then the object of our faith  the Bible, His revelation, all that is contained in Scripture. As Protestants we hold the Bible to be the only infallible rule of faith, it is our object of faith, therefore, nothing that is not expressly taught in the Bible has any place in our lives to become an article of faith.  We cannot deduce from the Bible that which is not taught and revealed by Scripture that which would impose the people of God to accept as a rule of faith. This is the freedom that is so expressly taught by the Apostle Paul, and can be found in his letter to the Galatians, this is what Jesus Christ did for all those given to Him by His Father, we are free from man made articles of faith, those theologies outside of Scripture.  This object of faith, the Bible, is our protection from those, both inside and outside of the Church who would usurp that freedom, aiding us in our defense of our faith. 

     What is to be found in so many Churches today claiming to be Protestant and following the Bible only to have revealed that this is not true. Far too many so-called Christians take their presuppositions and use the Bible to prove their presuppositions, rather than, to allow the Bible to impart to them their suppositions, their rule of faith.  The object in those cases is not the Bible, it is themselves, they do what is expedient to their cause.  An example of this is to be found in the Roman Catholic Church where the Bible as the authority and object of  faith has been replaced with another object of faith, the Church.  It is to them, the Church, that is infallible, and authoritative, the people are to believe whatever the Church, that is, its bishops, Pope, Cardinals, etc. declare to be the revelation of God. When the Pope speaks ex cathedra it is to be understood that it is as the Vicar of Christ that he speaks and it is to be known and believed as the actual voice of God. It is then within themselves to have the power to make "new" articles of faith, for they claim the authority to make decisions that affect the people and require of them to be bound, in their consciousness and by tradition. The Church knows what is best and true for the tradition superimposes upon their practitioners and make what they believe to be the the Apostles and early Church fathers taught.  This latitude to make new articles of faith under such authority causes those decisions to be commands needed to be followed by all who claim to be Roman Catholic; yet all that has been done is to make such claims so as to be the object of faith to be nothing more than commandments of men. 

     It is protection for true Christians when the Bible is their object of faith as it will enlighten a person to see what is Biblical They are protected from those usurpations by those of the Church and by those outside the Church, it is our security, Not to cause those given to Jesus by His father to lose their position in Christ and eternal life, rather as to how one lives, worships, acts, his character, his theology.  The Bible protects then, us, from the tyranny of men. What is evident is that men are impatient, they manifest the need to have things done in a manner that suits their presuppositions, their theology, they want their own opinions enacted into law and are willing to allow others who seem to meet that need to be their authority, rather than the Bible. This setting aside God's Word as the authority leads to practices that are self-serving and outside of the actual revelation of God as to be found in His Word. We can see this in many forms, but very expressed in Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches were outward displays self self but are not to be found as Scriptural practices of faith.  Those displays become their object of faith, their point of contact with God; not the Bible. It is to be noticed how fierce their denunciation is of those who oppose them. They meet in conventions, seminars, assemblies, both ecclesiastical and voluntary so as to decide what is true, what is right or wrong in morals.  

     True Protestants stand firm in their rejection of such a false form of Christianity, the replacement of the Bible as the object of faith and hold to the right to private judgment and that the Scriptures are the only infallible source as the rule of faith and practice. It is the Bible that contains all truth and is the object of faith, all that the Bible declares to be true, this we are, as true Christian believers are bound to believe.  This is what is known as general faith.  This generality is to be separated from faith that is saving, a saving faith which is necessary for salvation. It is in the Bible where one can find certain doctrines concerning Jesus Christ, His work, and certain promises of salvation by Him to sinful men.  We are bound to believe and receive that which is in the Bible and required to place our trust in them.  Therefore, the special object of faith is Jesus Christ, His promise of salvation through Him.  We find that in the Bible as our general object of faith where those promises are revealed for all truth is contained in God's Word. But, it is Jesus Christ that the Bible declares and it is Jesus Christ that is our object of saving faith, the One who secures our salvation.  It is upon Him that we place our hope, our faith, and rest securely in all that He has offered to us in His Gospel.  This is clearly taught in Scripture and in various places so as to not be questioned, not as commandments of men, rather upon the Word of God and that alone. 

Therefore do not be partakers 

     with them. 

For you were once darkness,

     but now

you are light in the Lord,

    walk as 

Children of light.

                           Ephesians 5:8

May Christ Give You Lighe

Richard L. Crumb

 

 

Is Love The Essence Of Faith?

Therefore you shall love the LORD 

your God,

and keep His charge,

His statutes,

His judgments,

and His commandments

always.

Deuteronomy 11:1

     Moses writes to the Israelites in Leviticus 19:18b: "...but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD" (cf. Matt. 22:39; Romans 13:9).  In the Book of 1 Corinthians chapter 13 Paul admonishes that love is the highest virtue a Christian should seek and obtain.  Love permeates the Bible as a mark of a true believer and as to our worship of our God and Savior. The questions is still: "Is Love The Essence of Faith? To the Roman Catholic Church who makes love to be the essence of faith we must report on and examine as to whether or not this is a scriptural position for the Church to take? They teach, at least in the scholastic sense of the word, of faith is that which gives it character as a Christian virtue or grace. In the Council of Trent (1545–63), they determined that faith is in itself a mere intellectual assent.  Faith to them had no moral virtue, and which may be exercised by the unrenewed or by those in a state of mortal sin. Yet, on the other hand they hold that there is such a thing as Christian faith.  This makes faith nothing more than another name for love. This is not the Biblical teaching on faith where the Bible makes as distinction between living and dead faith, not only does the Bible teach this it is recognized by all Evangelical Christians. For the Roman Catholic Church: fides informis, (faith without form) is true faith, and fides formata, (faith with form), is love. Writers such as Peter Lombard and Thomas Aquinas make this to be intelligible and reasonable if we were to admit to a subjective justification, and the merit of good works.  In other words, faith is merited or given to a person due to that person's works, and that works is done out of love, which to them is the essence of faith. 

     Now if justification and sanctification are the same, then it must be admitted that love has more to do with making men holy, that faith considers is mere intellectual assent.  To hold to this theological position removes the necessity for faith to be a free gift from God.  Further this removes the necessity for Christ to have died so that we would be justified and sanctified by His death on the cross.  While both are apprehended by those called of God and given to the Son, both are separate works of Grace.  God sees us as justified, and sanctified, yet, our day to day living is one of a growing sanctification in our lives for until we are with the Lord we still have sin and only God seeing us through the finished work of Jesus on the cross can God see us as both justified and sanctified.  Neither gifts are earned by man only given to those God has foreordained before the foundation of the world.  We are not considered holy by mere intellectual assent. If were to concede that we are accepted by God on the foundation or ground of our virtue, then love is more valuable than any mere exercise of the intellect.  


     We speak of justification because its importance is founded upon this false view.  As Protestants we admit that love and faith are inseparable and intrinsically connected in as much as faith without love is dead (James 2:26b). But as Protestants we are strenuous in our denial that we are justified on account of love: "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (James 2:24). Faith is a gift given by God as is all our gifts: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17). No one can come to the Father, or be saved from their sins unless it is granted by the Father: "And He said, 'Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father" (John 6:65).  This good news, it is exhilarating, for Jesus will is given those whom are called by God: "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37).  How do we come to Jesus?  Is it by works or by having as antecedent love?  Jesus answers this: "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me" (John 6:45).  Further, it is said by Jesus: "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44). Faith as a fee gift is irresistible for all who God has elected before the foundation of the world.  Faith is grounded in the authority of God and nothing else..


But, what is or are the object(s) of faith?  This is the next blog.


Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His 
     people; 
For He will avenge the blood
     of His Servants,
And render vengeance to His 
     adversaries;
He will provide atonement for 
     His land and His people.
                                        Deuteronomy 32:43


Thank God and Praise His glorious name


Richard L. Crumb

Faith and Love

Yet in all these things
We are more than conquerors 
Through Him 
Who love us.
For I am persuaded 
That neither death, nor life,
Nor angels nor principalities
Nor powers, nor things present
Nor things to come,
Nor height nor depth,
Nor any other created thing,
Shall be able to separate us
From the love of God
Which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 9:37-39

     I took a few days off from writing this blog to meditate upon our faith and how things might affect it both positively, and negatively.  The occasion was my nephew's (age 45) death.  Some people use Christianity in a manner that is not worthy of having that moniker.  It may be said, and is, that sorrow must not be evidenced too greatly in a Christian.  This is wrong, yes, as a Christian, and especially if the deceased has professed faith in Jesus Christ we have an assurance of seeing that person again.  But, we are human, and God has never taken our humanity away, we suffer loss, we miss the departed one, and that is life and must never be taken away.  Yet, we do not suffer as the world does, for our faith, while is tried at these times it is our faith, founded upon the authority of God, and our Savior Jesus Christ that we move forward in our walk with Him, fully trusting, and looking forward to that great reunion when Christ returns on the last day as He has promised.  As the opening Scriptures so aptly states: "Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord."

     It has been blogged previously in regards to love as the ground of faith, and that men believe that faith is founded on feeling.  Yet, we must ask; Is love a necessary and invariable element consequent to saving faith?  Now, this is true, men cannot see and believe a thing to be morally good without having feelings of approbation.  This is true when a person can see and believe the Glory of God as revealed in the Scriptures without having adoration or reverence in his soul.  Not one can believe that salvation was propitiated by Christ as the Son of God and the Son of Man and that He loved us and gave Himself for us, making us kings and priests unto God, without have love and devotion in proportion to his faith and strength of his faith filling the heart with love and controlling the life.  We can then with full assurance say that faith works by love and purifies the heart.  

     Here then is where things get a bit "sticky" as the Roman Catholic Church states that "faith is perfected or completed by love."  This is contrary to the usage of the Greek word translated as "completed" is the word for work and is always used in a middle sense. English does not have a middle voice and translated the Greek middle voice in the active voice. The middle voice used by the Greeks is that it is distinct from the Active, to show that the subject as doing something or getting something done in his own interest. Paul in Romans 7:4-6 shows that love without faith, or is antecedent to faith is impossible.  Until we believe, we are under the condemnation of the law.  If we are condemned until we believe, whether we are of the elect or not, we are enemies of God.  All that can be forensically given to one under this condemnation is death. Praise God!  For when God enables one and give the gift of faith to that person, and are reconciled to God, united in Christ, we then bring forth fruit unto God.  We believe that God loves us therefore, we love God.  We believe that Jesus Christ gave Himself as our propitiation for our sins and we devote our lives to Him.  Now we cannot believe until God enables us, and calls us to Himself, giving us the gift of faith, but when that act occurs and we believe all the above is granted to us and given by us.  In fact, we believe further, that this world is passing away, and that those things which are invisible are seen through faith and the authority of God, His Son, and by the power of the Holy Spirit.  We believe that, although unseen, Christ is at the right hand of God, making eternal intercession for all those God has given to Him. (John 17:9). 


     Now can be seen the connection between love and faith.  We are totally depraved, there is no good in us antecedent to our faith, our belief and that  faith and belief did not come by anything we did to earn it, it was a free gift given to us by the Providence of God for His purpose.  We are chosen by God, love certainly comes and is insisted upon by the love of God for all that He has done for His people.  


God was manifested in the 
     Flesh,
Justified in the S;pirit,
Seen by Anges,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory.
                       Hebrews 3:16b.


In Christ


Richard L. Crumb

Sriptural Proof of the Protestand Doctrine

And this is the testimony:

that God has given us eternal life, 

and this life is in His Son.

He who has the Son has life;

he who does not have 

the Son of God

does not have life.

These things I have written to you

who believe in the name of the Son of God,

that you may know that you

have eternal life,

and that you may continue

to believe

in the name of the Son of God.

1 John 5:11-13

     Saving knowledge does include assent, and truth, and is not just assent, it is sustained by abundant proofs.  That fact is what separates many people who claim to be Christian yet their point of contact is not Jesus Christ as they expound, too often it in practices that seem holy, or at least make them feel and seem holy, those things are the object of their faith and their assent in their practices.  So what exactly am I saying? 

     Saving faith is proved from the nature of the object, that is the object of saving faith.  This faith is not to be found in the general knowledge or truth of Scripture or upon the fact that God reveals His plan of saving sinners: it is only upon Christ Himself, His person and work, and upon the offer of salvation to us personally and individually.  Now when the Holy Spirit reveals His glory and His love we cannot believe on the inward testimony of Christ without having feelings of reverence, love and trust, comingled  with our acts and constituting our character.  When our soul that has been or is oppressed with sin has been delivered from our sins; should we not feel gratitude and confidence?  This act of faith is appropriated with confidence in its nature and our act.

     In the Bible often the word trust is used in place of faith. Yet, we that the act produced is expressed in one as in the other.  It is the same promises that are made to trust as to faith.  The same effects are attributed to the one, that are attributed to the other

     Other words are used in Scripture in forms of expression as explanatory of the act of faith and includes within them the essential element of its nature; trust.  We are commanded to look to Christ.  this looking involves trusting and looking is declared as believing.  An example would be when the Israelites looked upon the brazen serpent for healing or the manslayer that fled to a city of refuge.  We are told to flee to Christ to look upon Him and rest upon Him, to lay hold of Him.  All this we are told to do when we are told to believe, and this shows trust is an essential element of saving faith.

     Scriptural proof:  the Greek word πιστεύώ, which means believe and is usually followed by one of these words; είς; έπί; έν; that mean, into, upon, or in; so together έν  πιστεύώ, or one of the other two words, should be translated to believe in, or upon, or into, other words to confide in, to trust.  Our faith in a promise made to ourselves, from the nature of the case, is an act of confidence in Him who makes the promise.

     Unbelief is, therefore, expressed by doubt, fear, distrust, and despair. A believer knows from his own experience that when he believes he receives Christ, rests upon or in Christ for salvation and the offer by Christ of the free gift of faith offered to us in the Gospel.  We, Protestants, in opposition to the Roman Catholic theology of salvation, holds that every man, women, and child, in order to be saved, must receive God's revelation as recorded in the Bible, a record that God has given His Son to be the propitiation for our sins, therefore, it must be admitted that faith involves trust in Christ who is the source of wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,  Our faith is not appertained by the Sacrament that are supposed to be effective for salvation, if one does then all he has done is is attempt to find salvation by means of works.  

     The object of faith is more than assent to the truth in the revelation of Scripture or in the Church as the Romanist believe and teach.  If one believes in this manner then a sinner comes to Christ merely through the administrations of the sacraments and that through the church. This theology is entirely different from what the Bible actually teaches, different from of the Protestant theory of the Gospel.

     The object of Protestant and Biblical faith is simply: Jesus Christ, upon His authority as God incarnate in the flesh, the propitiation for our sins and that is what is revealed in the Scriptures. This begs us to be in the Scripture, read, pray, meditate, assimilate and act upon His Word and the leading of the Holy Sprit.

Take heed to yourself'

     and to the doctrine. 

Continue in them, 

     for in doing this you will

save both yourself and

     those who hear you.

                      1 Timothy 4:16

Religious Faith Is More Than Simple Assent

"...Believe in the Lord

your God,

And you shall be established;

believe His prophets

and you shall prosper."

2 Chronicles 20:20b

     Is faith purely an intellectual exercise? Is faith an exercise of the affections?  The answer is much the same as the answer given to the last questions in the last blog.Earlier the Roman Catholic dogma was presented and will be reflected in this blog in regards to whether or not assent is essential to faith. At the Council of Trent Third Session (1561-1562) it was established that there are five great theme, sola scriptura, sola fide, solus Christus, soa garatia, and soli Deo Glori.  these five theme encapsulate the Gospel as salvation is revealed in the Scriptures alone, and purchased by Christ alone, received by faith alone, offered by grace alone, and is to the glory of God alone. this understanding was rejected by the Roman Catholic and replaced the Gospel with a Gospel that it was the Church alone, mediated by the sacraments alone.  This Romish position was based on the authority of the Bible that included the Apocrypha, and that only the Latin Vulgate version of the Bible was the authoritative Word of God leaving out the Greek and Hebrew texts. Included in their dogma was Scripture plus tradition. This form of Doctrine makes faith to be an intellectual act or the speculative act of faith.  According to their Doctrine a man may have faith but not be saved, in other words they deny that faith is necessary to salvation, it is an intellectual exercise.


     The Protestant view is that faith is not a mere intellectual exercise.  The Heidelberg Catechism (1562-3) states: "It is not merely a certain knowledge, whereby I receive as true all that God has revealed to us in his Word, but also a cordial trust, which the Holy Ghost works in me by the Gospel, that not only to others, but to me also, the forgiveness of sin, and everlasting righteousness and life are given by God, out of pure grace, and only for the sake of Christ's merit."  

     Saving faith a speculative assent of the understanding.  You might remark that the Scriptures do not make a distinct difference between the understanding, the feeling, and the will, something that is prevalent in today's society.  For instance, a large part of our inward exercises and states are complex that it is to be the acts of the whole soul, not just of exclusively of any one of its faculties. In repentance there is a necessity  for an intellectual apprehension as to our state as being sinners, and of the holiness of God, His law which we have failed to keep and be conformed to and of His mercy in Christ. Intellectually we come to know that we are morally bankrupt, our character is flawed, and by that intellectual assent we come to have sorrow, shame, and remorse, purposing us to forsake sin and lead a holy life.  In the mind of a believer there is complexity which is expressed by the word faith as exists. Also, there is a distinction between faith in general and saving faith. 

     If we take the element of faith that is believing, and to believe all that we understand by our apprehension of its worth and have confidence no matter where it is nature, science, etc.  In that case faith is intellectual, there is intellectual assent.


     But what of about the state of the mind that is required in the Gospel? It is very different.  This which we are commanded to believe.  It is to believe in Christ as God manifest in the flesh.  This is not intellectual conviction to say that no one could be truly divine and be and do as Christ did.  Even the demons believed that Christ was who He said He was; Satan called Him the Son of God when tempting Jesus in the desert. But as Christians we receive Him as God.  This requires that we receive Him, apprehend Him and be convicted of His Glory; give to Him adoring reverence, love, confidence, and submission, those things which belong to God alone. We are commanded to believe that Christ is the Savior of men and we not to required to assent to that proposition that He saves sinners, but, to receive and rest upon Him alone for our own salvation. 


     The Scriptures mean this by faith, in this connection, that faith which is required for salvation is an act of the whole soul, the understanding, the heart, and the will. 


Be still, and know that I am 
     God;
I will be exalted among the 
     nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.
                            Psalm 46:10


May God Bless You


Richard L. Crumb


    

Faith And Feeling

A good man out of the good treasure

of his heart brings forth

good things, 

and an evil man 

out of the evil treasure

brings forth evil things.

But I say to you

that for every idle word

men may speak,

they will give account of it

in the day of Judgment.

Matthew 1235-36

 

     We live, more than ever, in a world of the senses.  Advertising plays on the emotions and feelings of their intended audience knowing that people today want their senses aroused, their feelings uplifted  to the point that acceptance of what ever is promulgated, put forth as making a person feel good, it must be had by that person.  It is feelings that give people a sense of connection to their world.  Feelings are natural and not all bad when they are not manipulated, when they are not the evidence of faith in an unbiblical manner.  What do I mean?  first, faith, the act of believing, cannot be defined as an assent to the understanding that has been determined by the will.  Why?  Because there are many cases in which a man will believe against his will. 

     Some have argued that faith does not assent to feeling.  Is that true?  If it is true then how does faith affect the person?  Does that mean that feelings have no place in the assent of faith?  It is to be admitted that feelings have great influence on a man's faith.  It is easy to believe what is agreeable, on the other hand it is difficult to believe that which is disagreeable.  Now, it must be admitted that saving faith, as the gift of God, rests on the illumination of the testimony of the Spirit.  This we blogged earlier that this inward illumination is by the testimony of the Holy Spirit.  You see, we have discernment of the truth and its divine excellencies and with that we have the appropriate feelings. 

     Let me concede that our consciousness receives truth by the evidence of the truth, that evidence being the power over a man's heart and conscience.  We can find that this is true be other facts in a persons experiences.  A man repents and believes, but hi is only conscious of his act and not of the supernatural influences of the Holy Spirit.  Yet, it is the exercise of the Holy Spirit that the act by man to believe originate and it is the nature of the Holy Spirit to influence lives.  Our faith is founded on the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit but the act of faith does not reach that testimony on which our faith is founded.  To say then, that faith is founded on feeling is incorrect as for certain acts of faith, even saving faith which is not attended by feeling.  The object historical faith is a case in point, feelings are necessitated by  historicity.  This is an important point: The Scriptures clearly with plainness teach that the ground of faith is the testimony of God, or the demonstration of the Holy Spirit.  It is by the Holy Spirit that we attend the revelation of certain truths, which by the amount of evidence produced to a man by the Holy Spirit; conviction is produced and we receive those truths upon the authority of God.

     Therefore, faith is not necessarily connected to feelings.  Sometimes it is and sometimes it is not.  Upon what then does faith depend?  First, the nature of the object of faith.  Now if a man receives good news his is joyful, but when receiving bad news he is sorrowful.  A belief in moral excellence then feeling involves approbation, in other words praise, but if the act is criminal then the feeling is one of disapprobation.  Secondly, as to the proximate ground of faith we can use as an example of a judge of art and upon his testimony a man would not have aesthetic feeling that is connected to his faith.  Now, if the man personally perceives the beauty of an art piece he is delighted and convicted that it is beautiful.  If a man believes that Jesus Christ is the Savior and manifest in the flesh only on the testimony of the Bible, there is no due impression from that truth.  But if his faith is founded on the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit through whom the glory of God is revealed to that man, that is the glory of Jesus Christ, then that man is filled with felling one of adoration and love.

     True faith is grounded not on some outward expression of euphoric forms of faith giving credence that we are religious and are faithful Christians.  While there are outward expressions of joy, those expression come from deep within a person as the Holy Spirit reveals what God has done for a person by Christ' incarnation, oblation, passion, and ascension into heaven sitting at the right hand of God making intercession for all who enabled and called and believe on His propitiation for sins.  This is joy that cannot be understood or estimated, it is founded upon the authority of God. 

LORD, You will establish

    peace for us,

For You have also done 

    all our works in us.

                                  Isaiah 26:12

To God Who Is Our Strength

Richard L. Crumb