(Article
for publication week of 1-16- AD 2014)
"Paul, a
servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's
elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;"
(Titus 1:1).
There is a faith
which is peculiar to the elect of God. The devils have a sort of faith (James
2:19), but they are not saved, nor can they ever be saved. There are temporary
believers who have a sort of faith (Luke 8:13), but they are not saved. There
are many who have a natural or historical faith but neither are they saved. We
read of such an one as Simon Magus in Acts 8:13 who "believed," but
was not saved. Dear reader, please understand that having a natural faith will
not save you. Just saying that you believe in God, or even to say that you
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is not necessarily saving faith.
First of all,
the faith of God's elect is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). God has chosen whom
He will save from all eternity and He sovereignly and graciously bestows the
gift of faith upon all those that He chose for salvation before the foundation
of the world (Ephesians 1:4). No one has saving faith by nature, and no man may
just decide by his "free" will that he will exercise saving faith. A
sinner must be given the gift of faith by the regenerating work of the Holy
Spirit. Thus the scriptures speak of the faith of God's elect as being the
fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). So Ephesians 1:19 tells us that elect
sinners believe to the saving of their souls by the working of God's mighty
power in them.
Secondly, the
faith of God's elect is in the saving work of Christ, and in His glorious
Person. True saving faith renounces all human merit and trusts in Christ Alone
for righteousness. The believer who is saved by grace alone has seen his lost
and ruined state and flees to Christ for his whole and sole righteousness.
Faith boasts not of itself, but boasts only in the righteousness of the Lord
Jesus Christ who worked out a perfect righteousness for His people by His life
and by His death and resurrection. Note well, true saving faith, that is the
faith of God's elect, is not a sinner's contribution to his salvation. Here is
where so many miss salvation. They have been told that Christ has done His
part, and now they must do their part by believing in Christ. Poor sinner, you
have no part as far as having a righteous standing before God. Your best
righteousness is only filthy rags before a Thrice Holy God. I tell you, you
must renounce not only your sins, but also your pretended self righteousness if
you will ever be saved. I beseech you neighbours, do not trust in anything in
yourself for salvation. Don't even trust in your faith. Trust in Christ Alone.
The third thing
I will notice about the faith of God's elect (which is the only faith that will
connect you with Christ) is that it is always accompanied by all other
spiritual graces. Thus James warns us that faith alone is dead (James 2:17).
God's elect are justified by faith alone, but saving faith is never alone.
Saving faith is always accompanied by repentance, humility, a broken and contrite
spirit, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, mourning for sin, and all
other graces.
My dear readers,
I urge you to examine yourselves if you have the faith of God's elect, and if
you are believing to the saving of your souls.
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