FOUNDATIONS - Part 3 - Faith

FOUNDATIONS

The principles of the doctrine of Christ.

Part 3 - Faith

Hebrews 11:6 KJV

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

1.  WHAT IS FAITH

Faith is that which enables us to believe GOD.  Faith is how we can be certain of things which we cannot see.  The certainty is rooted in the nature of the one who has spoken.  We do not put our trust in anyone, just because they said something.  A man who has is unable to correctly relate a fact, or has intentionally lied about a fact, is not to be believed.  We would not have faith in that man.  But GOD cannot lie; HE has perfect understanding of everything (past, present, and future), and HE is good.  Therefore HE is deserving and infinitely worthy of our faith.  This is why unbelief is such a heinous sin; because it is an attack on the character of GOD.  Unbelief is declaring that GOD is either not good, or not wise.  But HE is good and wise.  HIS words are truth and life.

Having faith in GOD means believing what GOD has said.  Faith looks at the word of GOD and says, ‘I know this is true, these words are to be believed’!  GOD and HIS word are the objects of our faith.  There must always be an object of faith.  We cannot just believe without having something to believe in.  For example, the following things must be believed, because they are in GOD’s word: 

• that GOD is ABLE to do everything HE has said
• that GOD WILL do everything HE has said
• that JESUS CHRIST is who HE said HE is, i.e. the son of GOD, the Messiah
• that CHRIST died for our sins, and rose from the dead on the third day

We must read GOD’s word in order to know what to believe.  Without the knowledge of the word of GOD, it is impossible to have faith.  Thomas Watson said, “A man can no more believe without knowledge than the eye can see without light.” (1). 

We must have faith because we cannot come to GOD unless we believe that HE is who HE says HE is.  ‘Coming to GOD’ begins with confessing our sin and acknowledging our complete inability to save ourselves.  As the psalmist said, “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.” (2).  This change in thinking leads to a renouncing of self.  ‘Coming to GOD’ also includes obeying HIS commands, which is a change in our actions.  Changing our thinking, and changing our actions, as we have seen in part 2 of this series, is repentance.  So without faith in GOD, we cannot repent.

So we must have faith, because without faith you cannot please GOD.  Unbelief is a declaration that GOD is common; it is an insult to HIS honor and glory.  Faith in GOD brings glory to GOD and is a declaration of HIS holiness.  Faith enables us to come to GOD in repentance.  Faith enables us to believe that HE is willing to forgive our sins because Jesus Christ bought that forgiveness by suffering the wrath of GOD in our place.  Faith justifies us because faith in CHRIST provides us with the righteousness of CHRIST.

Acts 16:31 KJV

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

2.  WHERE DOES FAITH COME FROM

Faith comes from GOD.  Faith is a grace.  “A true justifying faith [is] of the operation of GOD” (3). 

Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  (9)  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

We are saved by grace, not works.  No one can boast.  We must believe in GOD and on the Lord Jesus Christ to receive the gift of salvation.  But the faith with which we believe is also a gift of GOD, it is not of ourselves.  Because faith comes from GOD, we should pray, as the father of the child prayed with tears, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief! (4). 

We also know that GOD’s word tells us who HE is.  We must read GOD’s word so that we may know HIM, that we may believe in HIM, that we may have eternal life.

John 17:3 KJV

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Pray for faith, and read GOD’s word.

3.  HOW DO WE KNOW IF WE HAVE FAITH

The following are characteristics of true, justifying faith:

1. we treasure Christ, and value HIM beyond all things
2. we renounce sin daily, and strive for holiness
3. we obey GOD's commands
4. we conform more each day to the image of CHRIST
5. we grow stronger in faith

4.  CONCLUSION

Faith means believing what GOD has said; we must read HIS word to know what to believe.  We can have faith in GOD because of HIS character; HE is the only one in whom we can have faith.  We must have faith to renounce self and repent of our sin.  We must have faith to rely completely on the Lord Jesus.  We must have faith in order to repent and believe!

Mark 1:15 KJV

[Jesus said,] The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

So pray for faith, labor for faith, because without faith it is impossible to please GOD.

REFERENCES

(1)  Thomas Watson, A Body Of Divinity, part 3, chapter 2, p52

(2)  Psalms 38:4, KJV 

(3)  Thomas Watson, A Body Of Divinity, part 6, chapter 1, p174

(4)  Matthew 9:24, KJV

FOUNDATIONS - Part 2 - Repentance

FOUNDATIONS

The principles of the doctrine of Christ.

Part 2 - Repentance

This is part 2 in a series of posts intended to examine the elementary, foundational doctrines of Christianity.  Part 1 introduced these doctrines and offered a two-fold motivation for studying them.  First, because lack of knowledge characterizes us as weak and immature Believers.  Second, because lack of growth suggests lack of life, and we must either go on, or go back.

The first of the foundational doctrines is Repentance.  Wherever the gospel is preached, the message is “Repent!”. (1)  John the Baptist declared this from the beginning of his ministry.  And when he had prepared the way for the Lord and Savior, and was put into prison, Jesus came and spoke that message himself.

Matthew 3:1-2 KJV

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,  (2)  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matthew 4:17 KJV

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

All men must repent because all men have rebelled and sinned against GOD.  GOD is the Creator of heaven, earth, and mankind.  As the Creator, and the King of HIS creation, HE is entitled to our worship and our obedience.  HE has a double claim upon our lives; HE created us, and HE daily sustains us.  If this duty were not enough to compel us to worship and obey GOD, we also know that HE is worthy of our worship and obedience.

Psalm 29:2 KJV

“Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”

The horror of the fall, and our own sin, is not only that we rebelled against our rightful King, but that there was never a King who was more deserving of our allegiance.  The holiness of GOD makes our sin so utterly evil.  This is just a glimpse of the wretched fallen state we are in.

Romans 3:23 KJV

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of GOD;”

This is why it is right for men to repent.  All men must repent because all men have sinned.

1.  CONVICTION AND SORROW

Repentance is preceded by conviction and sorrow over our own sin.

2 Corinthians 7:10 KJV

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation …

Until the SPIRIT of GOD convicts us of our sin, we cannot begin to change our thinking.  On our own, we will never realize that we are sinful and we will never feel sorrow for our sinful actions.  It is the work of the HOLY SPIRIT to convict us of our sin.

John 16:8 KJV

And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Conviction and sorrow over sin includes personally acknowledging the following:

• I have a duty to obey GOD, HE is the Ruler and King over all creation
• I have not obeyed; I have rebelled against HIM, therefore I am a sinner
• my sin is a great evil; I need to be washed and cleaned from the filthiness of my sin

This is a fundamental change in thinking; our pride must be broken and we must feel true remorse.  Sorrow over sin includes awareness of judgment, and recognition that our sin is infinitely beyond our ability to atone for it.

Psalms 38:3-4 KJV

There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.  (4)  For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

2.  REPENTANCE DEFINED

Repentance is the opposite of rebellion.  To repent means to change our actions; our lifestyle will move farther from sin and worldliness, while moving closer to GOD and holiness.  Without a change in our actions, we have not begun to repent.

Acts 26:20

"..they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance."

Our works (actions, behavior, lifestyle) must be the evidence of our repentance.  Our works must be meet (suitable, expected, proper, complementary) for someone who claims to have repented.  If there is no change in our actions and lifestyle, then we are not repentant.  When our actions change we know GOD has granted us repentance.  True repentance will always continue; the Christian life is a life of repentance.

3. REFUSING TO REPENT

We are commanded to repent.  Refusing to repent is a greater affront and further rebellion against GOD; it only adds to our sin against HIM.

Revelation 16:8-9 KJV

And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.  (9)  And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

The pride and stubbornness in our refusal to repent denies GOD's glory; we are denying HIS sovereignty, and we are denying our own sinfulness.  This makes GOD out to be a liar.  But, GOD is glorified when we repent because we are declaring that HE is King, HE is sovereign.

1 John 2:4 KJV

He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

If we refuse to repent, and we continue to break GOD’s commandments, then we are denying HIS glory and making HIM out to be a liar.  This shows that we ourselves are liars, and the truth is not in us.  We do not know HIM.

CONCLUSION

Matthew Henry has summarized repentance in the following way; he said we must "lament and forsake our sins…give glory to our Creator whom we have offended" (2).  Lamenting our sins refers to sorrow over sin.  This is a change in our thinking, which is the result of conviction by the HOLY SPIRIT.  Forsaking our sins means that we actually leave them.  This is a change in our actions, we now stop doing the sin we once loved.  Giving glory to our Creator is the result of lamenting and forsaking our sins.

James 4:8 KJV

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

REFERENCES

(1)  Repentance preached in the Gospels; see:

• Matthew 3:2
• Matthew 4:17
• Mark 1:4
• Mark 1:15
• Mark 6:12
• Luke 3:3
• Luke 13:1-5
• Luke 24:46-49

(2)  Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, Mar 1:14-22