When God Gives a Man Faith, What Does it Accomplish?
First, faith causes men to believe the Word of God and to see it as the Word of truth. Without God-given faith, men remain man-centered, that is, self-centered. Sadly, they think they are the generators of faith.
Abraham believed God, as God revealed God’s plan for saving the righteous elect through Abraham’s seed, that is, Christ Jesus (Gal 3:16). Abraham saw, in part, but He believed what He saw because God gave him spiritual eyes to see (1 Cor 2:14–15).
Second, faith in the Word of God is exclusive. When we speak of the Christian faith, we mean that God has spoken, and that Word has come to us in the written form of the Bible. The Christian does not trust the word of men, traditions, religions, himself, etc. God has revealed certain things, and these are the standards by which the Christian worldview is based.
Christian hope is grounded in faith. We look to the future, and our trust for salvation from the wrath to come, is in Jesus Christ, alone (1 Thess 1:10). We believe He has done everything required of us, and that He has fulfilled the requirements in our place, on our behalf, and for our benefit. God has given us faith to believe in His Son (Acts 16:31; Phil 1:29). Without the Holy Spirit, this is impossible.
Third, faith sees what cannot be seen. The Christian cannot see the fullness of her salvation, but she lives with full assurance of it (2 Tim 1:12). She is fully persuaded by the indwelling Spirit of God (Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9, 11; Gal 4:6; 2 Tim 1:14), who tells of her salvation, by illuminating the Word of God. This quiet confidence is a gift of God. He gives her peace and joy through many trials in life (Rom 14:17). She knows she is loved by God (1 Jn 3:1).
Fourth, faith is certain about what it sees. It is a misrepresentation to call faith “a leap.” Faith is a spiritual knowledge that is fully substantiated. Faith itself is evidence for truth that although not all have faith (2 Thess 3:2), God, who is the Author of faith (Heb 12:2), has appointed some to have it (Acts 13:48; Rom 12:3).
Imagine the archaeologist who digs and finds an article that tells him something. He adds that particular item to his ever-growing collection. His faith grows with each message gleaned from each discovery. Faith melds into knowledge (what is known) by what has been revealed/uncovered. Faith is strengthened by this growing knowledge to the point they become inseparable, identical. There is no end to the measure of faith in this life, however, because we are speaking about the knowledge of God, who is infinite.
Faith is not an intellectual exercise that causes one to make up one’s mind to decide to take the leap (intellectual assent), nor is it a feeling that one did this or that and got the exercise correct. Just say, “I believe,” or just say, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” does not save anyone (Sandemanianism).
These are forms of easy-believism so prevalent, today. The first has psychologically affected its participant; the second has emotionally affected him, but neither of them is saved.
It is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, in the regenerate saint that coincides with faith. In other words, no man has faith or can attain faith if He does not have the Spirit of Christ (Jn 10:26; Rom 8:9), who gives faith by His grace (Eph 2:8–9), to those who belong to Christ, who belongs to God (1 Cor 3:23).
The Spirit causes the man He has made alive to believe (Eph 2:5; Col 2:13), to be fully persuaded (Jn 6:29). This man embraces the promises of God found in His Word. When God calls him to faith, the person is willing and able to respond with the gift of God has given to him (Acts 2:38; 10:45; 2 Cor 5:5). He has been given the necessary instrument of apprehension. With the gift of faith, he receives all grace issued to him by God, “You are ‘not guilty’ now and in the future at the bema seat.” The Christian man replies, “I believe.” God, in one sense, says, “My will is to sanctify you (1 Thess 4:3), which I will do with the truth brought to you by My Spirit (Jn 17:17), employing My Word. I will complete this good work I have begun (Phil 1:6).” The Christian replies, “I believe.”
Fifth, faith is the principle that engages in works. The apostle James writes against those who claim intellectual assent, that faith is a mere decision of the will. He presses the idea that works accompany faith. The good works God prepared for His saved saint (Eph 2:10) are acted upon, as the Spirit leads and guides him into all truth (Jn 16:13). It is actually the Spirit of Christ in the believer who wills and works the works of God (Phil 2:13). Man looks at the outward appearance, so he sees the good works and glorifies God because he knows the worker to be a believer in Jesus Christ. Thus, faith in Christ is shown by works of Christ, which appear as a Christian’s obedience to what Jesus has commanded (Jas 2:14–26).
Faith knows the profound promises of God. The true believer knows He can do nothing apart from Christ (Jn 15:5), and that all things are possible with God (Mt 19:26). He must avoid having a double-mind regarding the revelation of God (Jas 1:8). As long as He has the Bible and the Spirit, he has the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16). He believes God is sovereign because God has revealed that fact (Ps 103:19; 115:3; 135:6; 1 Tim 6:15).
The devil distracts and dissuades, but the shield of faith quenches his fiery assault (Eph 6:16), and the child of God claims, “I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced, He is able…to will and to do all His good pleasure in and through me.” That, my friends is the statement of faith. Faith is given. Faith sees. Faith knows. Faith works.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
April 20, 2022
