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Saving Faith 1.
THE grace of faith by which the elect are enabled to believe to the
saving of their souls is the work of the Spirit in their hearts. Normally
it is brought into being through the preaching of the Word. By the Word
and its ministry, by the administration of baptism and the Lord's supper,
by prayer, and also by other means appointed by God, faith is increased
and strengthened. 2.
By faith a Christian believes everything to be true that is made
known in the Word, in which God speaks authoritatively. He also perceives
in the Word a degree of excellence superior to all other writings, indeed
to all things that the world contains. The Word shows the glory of God as
seen in His various attributes, the excellence of Christ in His nature and
in the offices He bears, and the power and perfection of the Holy Spirit
in all the works in which He is engaged. In this way the Christian is
enabled to trust himself implicitly to the truth thus believed, and to
render service according to the different requirements of the various
parts of Scripture. To the commands he yields obedience; when he hears
threatenings he trembles; as for the divine promises concerning this life
and that which is to come, he embraces them. But the principal acts of
saving faith relate in the first instance to Christ as the believer
accepts, receives and rests upon Him alone for justification,
sanctification, and eternal life; and all by virtue of the covenant of
grace. Saving
faith has its gradations. It may be weak or strong. Yet, like all other
kinds of saving grace, even at its lowest ebb it is quite different in its
nature from the faith and common grace of temporary believers. In
consequence, though it may be frequently attacked and weakened, it wins
through to victory, developing in many Christians until they attain to
full assurance through Christ, who is both the 'author and finisher of our
faith'. [Previous Chapter] [Next Chapter]
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