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