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