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