08 May 2011

Saving Faith, Temporary Faith, and Justification by Faith

Here's a link to the text of a good sermon pertinent to the Hyper-Solafideism discussion. He does well in defining Saving Faith... avoiding Faith without Knowledge (which is mysticism) but also avoiding Faith being defined as mere assent which results in easy believism.

He's dealing with the classic categories of Knowledge, Assent, and Entrustment. Removing any of these gets you into trouble. He covers them briefly but well.

Also a note of interest...he's using the Parable of the Sower as his text. This parable has proved vexing to not a few. Who in the parable is saved? Though I'm often critical of John Calvin, his treatment of the parable is an excellent example of textual rather than systematic treatment and certainly differs from most Reformed Scholastic interpretations.

Though best known for teaching the doctrine of Predestination, Calvin speaks of Temporary Faith:

According to Luke, Christ says that they believe for a time; because that honor which they render to the Gospel resembles faith. At the same time we ought to learn, that they are not truly regenerated by the incorruptible seed, which never fadeth, as Peter tells us, (1 Peter 1:4) for he says that these words of Isaiah, The word of God endureth for ever, (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25) are fulfilled in the hearts of believers, in whom the truth of God, once fixed, never passes away, but retains its vigor to the end. Still, those persons who take delight in the word of God, and cherish some reverence for it, do in some manner believe; for they are widely different from unbelievers, who give no credit to God when he speaks, or who reject his word. In a word, let us learn that none are partakers of true faith, except those who are scaled with the Spirit of adoption, and who sincerely call on God as their Father; and as that Spirit is never extinguished, so it is impossible that the faith, which he has once engraven on the hearts of the godly, shall pass away or be destroyed.


Harmony of the Gospels, Volume II

What is interesting is that Calvin acknowledges they do in some sense believe. Though ultimately regenerate, the point is......we can't tell until they demonstrate by the bad fruit they bear that they are not brethren.

Rightly only the last category that bears fruit to some degree...those are the saved. But what of the others? They believed but didn't persevere.

God knows who will persevere, who is elect. But we don't. I don't know about you. In fact because of my sinful nature...I don't even know about myself.

I do know that today I'm repenting and believing, trusting in Christ. Tomorrow, God willing and by His grace.... I'll do the same.

I don't need to look back to an experience I had on some date. That is helpful in some sense, but not everyone has the same kind of dramatic experience.

So instead we have to:

Trust the Means God has given

and be diligent in our faith.

This isn't works, this is vitality, a never ending zeal in repentance and belief....the commands of the Gospel.

May God grant us the grace to repent and believe, for we cannot do it on our own. In the end, all we can do is trust in Him. Doing so, which is a gift, we are granted repentance and belief and our faith is not temporary but enduring.

Today if you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.