Popular ideas of faith vary from so-called "blind faith", often portrayed in feel-good movies and the maudlin inspirational blather of self-help books, to the radical notion that faith is bare mental assent to historic facts. While one extreme pins faith on a leap into the unknown, the other regards it merely as believing certain events really happened.
The classic Protestant formula is that true Christian faith consists in knowledge, assent, and trust. In other words, while real faith necessarily includes knowledge of certain facts, it also entails believing and personally resting in those truths as benefiting oneself personally.
The Heidelberg Catechism answers the question, what is true faith, like this:
The classic Protestant formula is that true Christian faith consists in knowledge, assent, and trust. In other words, while real faith necessarily includes knowledge of certain facts, it also entails believing and personally resting in those truths as benefiting oneself personally.
The Heidelberg Catechism answers the question, what is true faith, like this:
True faith is not only a certain knowledge, whereby I hold for truth all that God has revealed in his word, but also an assured confidence, which the Holy Ghost works by the gospel in my heart; that not only to others, but to me also, remission of sin, everlasting righteousness and salvation, are freely given by God, merely of grace, only for the sake of Christ’s merits. (Q&A 21)
The difference is as simple as believing upon Christ, versus believing things about Christ. For the Christian, this means more than knowing things about Jesus; faith means reclining entirely on God's kindness and sufficiency to provide for your personal righteousness. It means trusting that Jesus is not only the savior of others, but that He is merciful to yourself through simple faith in His call, "all who are weary and heavy laden, come to me and I will give you rest." The rest He gives is rest from trying to approve oneself to God through personal efforts.1 Jn 17:3, 17; Heb 11:1-3; Jas 2:19. 2 Rom 4:18-21; 5:1; 10:10; Heb 4:16. 3 Gal 2:20. 4 Rom 1:17; Heb 10:10. 5 Rom 3:20-26; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-10. 6 Acts 16:14; Rom 1:16; 10:17; 1 Cor 1:21.
Saving faith is resting and receiving the promises of the gospel. Sanctifying faith is believing that Christ, and not ourselves, accomplishes every good work in and through us.
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© Michael Spotts:. 2011
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You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:
By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8
© Michael Spotts:. 2011
———————
You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:
By M. Benjamin Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8
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