- Jan 1, 2024
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From James Durhams message by that name:
When we speak of believing here, we presuppose these things that are necessary for clearing the Object of faith and capacitating us to believe, though they be not saving faith, as namely that the Object of faith be held out to people in the preaching of the Gospel; that it be told them that there is a way for a sinner’s justification through Christ Jesus, and that sinners may be accepted before God on His account and through Him. There must also be an understanding of the Mediator’s fullness, the covenant’s freeness, and the efficacy of faith to receive Christ as theirs. It is necessary that there be some acquaintance with our own condition, as that we are naturally under sin, that we are lost and under the curse, sick and utterly unable to get ourselves recovered by anything that we can do of ourselves, and that we are undone if we do not get a Savior. Now when we have gone all this length, saving faith is that which the Gospel calls for, namely the heart’s acting according to the sound light and conviction it has on Jesus Christ—as held forth in the promise for obtaining life and salvation through Him. When the soul is lying still under its conviction, then the work of the Spirit prevails with the soul and brings it to embrace and lay hold on Him, not only as One able to save sinners, but to save itself in particular.
When we speak of believing, we would premise this, that saving faith may be considered in its different acts for its different needs. Though the covenant be one, yet the acts of faith are many, because we have to do with the pardon of sin, with sanctification, vivification, mortification, peace. etc. Now the faith that we would insist on is the faith that rests on Christ for the pardon of sin, on which all the rest of the acts of faith depend. In other words, the faith we speak of is the faith whereby a sinner receives Christ, the faith whereby he is united to Christ, the faith which puts a sinner off the ground he stood on, viz. the covenant of works, to a new holding of life by Christ and His righteousness.
It is not the knowing that Christ is God and man; that He was born, was crucified, dead and buried, and rose again. Speculative knowledge is needful, but it will not be taken for saving faith.
It is not a touch of warmness of the affections in a natural way. If it rises from dispensations of Providence or from temporary things, it is not so much as temporary faith; if it rises from the promises of the Word, and there be no more, it is but temporary faith.
It is not convictions, which many take for faith. They take for granted that if they be convinced of sin, they believe; they will say, “Whom should we believe on but Christ?” and yet, they never follow the conviction to put in practice what they are convinced of.
It is not simply a resolution to believe, as others take saving faith to be, who being convinced that their own righteousness will not do their turn, resolve to believe on Christ for righteousness. But a bare resolution to believe is not faith; so many think that they have the promise beside them, and they resolve to make use of it when it becomes necessary, but do not presently do it, so that the ship sinks down and they perish, while the promise abides and swims above.
It is not prayer. People very often have these two miserable mistakes about prayer: either they put it in the room of Christ, or in the place of faith, not considering that these are different things. Faith exercises itself on Christ as Mediator,[5] and prayer takes Him as God, the true Object of divine worship—yet if it be not founded on Christ as Mediator, it is not heard. There are many that think that their prayers serve for all, whereas faith not only respects Christ as God, but also His merits and offices as Mediator.
It is not a believing this Word of God to be true. It is here as when Abraham’s servant was sent to Rebekah. She and her friends believed all the report that the servant made of his master and of his son to be true; and then it was given to her option whether she would go with the man or no; and she consented to go and actually went. Many when they hear there is a possibility of life to be had in Christ, and much more, when they hear it is to be had on good, easy, and free terms, it will make them smile; but when it comes to that “Hearken, 0 daughter, and consider, forsake thy father’s house” (Psa 45-10), it halts there, and they hold back and hesitate to close the bargain.
To them that desire further clearness or confirmation in this business of concern, we shall speak a little; yet you must know that it is such a thing as is impossible to be made clear to a proud-humored or un-humbled sinner; it is the poor, humbled soul that will understand it; and to such a soul half a word will be enough.
All the Scripture expressions and similitudes that hold forth saving faith in its nature and exercise imply these three things:
1. What is it to believe the Gospel savingly?
We shall not insist at large on the doctrine of faith, but only, in a plain way, glance at what is required of the hearers of the Gospel, viz., believing in Christ savingly.When we speak of believing here, we presuppose these things that are necessary for clearing the Object of faith and capacitating us to believe, though they be not saving faith, as namely that the Object of faith be held out to people in the preaching of the Gospel; that it be told them that there is a way for a sinner’s justification through Christ Jesus, and that sinners may be accepted before God on His account and through Him. There must also be an understanding of the Mediator’s fullness, the covenant’s freeness, and the efficacy of faith to receive Christ as theirs. It is necessary that there be some acquaintance with our own condition, as that we are naturally under sin, that we are lost and under the curse, sick and utterly unable to get ourselves recovered by anything that we can do of ourselves, and that we are undone if we do not get a Savior. Now when we have gone all this length, saving faith is that which the Gospel calls for, namely the heart’s acting according to the sound light and conviction it has on Jesus Christ—as held forth in the promise for obtaining life and salvation through Him. When the soul is lying still under its conviction, then the work of the Spirit prevails with the soul and brings it to embrace and lay hold on Him, not only as One able to save sinners, but to save itself in particular.
When we speak of believing, we would premise this, that saving faith may be considered in its different acts for its different needs. Though the covenant be one, yet the acts of faith are many, because we have to do with the pardon of sin, with sanctification, vivification, mortification, peace. etc. Now the faith that we would insist on is the faith that rests on Christ for the pardon of sin, on which all the rest of the acts of faith depend. In other words, the faith we speak of is the faith whereby a sinner receives Christ, the faith whereby he is united to Christ, the faith which puts a sinner off the ground he stood on, viz. the covenant of works, to a new holding of life by Christ and His righteousness.
2. What the act of believing is not
To prevent mistakes we shall speak a little to what we conceive this act of saving faith is not.It is not the knowing that Christ is God and man; that He was born, was crucified, dead and buried, and rose again. Speculative knowledge is needful, but it will not be taken for saving faith.
It is not a touch of warmness of the affections in a natural way. If it rises from dispensations of Providence or from temporary things, it is not so much as temporary faith; if it rises from the promises of the Word, and there be no more, it is but temporary faith.
It is not convictions, which many take for faith. They take for granted that if they be convinced of sin, they believe; they will say, “Whom should we believe on but Christ?” and yet, they never follow the conviction to put in practice what they are convinced of.
It is not simply a resolution to believe, as others take saving faith to be, who being convinced that their own righteousness will not do their turn, resolve to believe on Christ for righteousness. But a bare resolution to believe is not faith; so many think that they have the promise beside them, and they resolve to make use of it when it becomes necessary, but do not presently do it, so that the ship sinks down and they perish, while the promise abides and swims above.
It is not prayer. People very often have these two miserable mistakes about prayer: either they put it in the room of Christ, or in the place of faith, not considering that these are different things. Faith exercises itself on Christ as Mediator,[5] and prayer takes Him as God, the true Object of divine worship—yet if it be not founded on Christ as Mediator, it is not heard. There are many that think that their prayers serve for all, whereas faith not only respects Christ as God, but also His merits and offices as Mediator.
It is not a believing this Word of God to be true. It is here as when Abraham’s servant was sent to Rebekah. She and her friends believed all the report that the servant made of his master and of his son to be true; and then it was given to her option whether she would go with the man or no; and she consented to go and actually went. Many when they hear there is a possibility of life to be had in Christ, and much more, when they hear it is to be had on good, easy, and free terms, it will make them smile; but when it comes to that “Hearken, 0 daughter, and consider, forsake thy father’s house” (Psa 45-10), it halts there, and they hold back and hesitate to close the bargain.
3. What is saving faith?
What is saving faith? What is it to believe in Christ?To them that desire further clearness or confirmation in this business of concern, we shall speak a little; yet you must know that it is such a thing as is impossible to be made clear to a proud-humored or un-humbled sinner; it is the poor, humbled soul that will understand it; and to such a soul half a word will be enough.
All the Scripture expressions and similitudes that hold forth saving faith in its nature and exercise imply these three things:
- a great hazard and danger that the hearers of the Gospel are in;
- a fullness and sufficiency in Christ Jesus held forth to them as the Object of their faith, as One that can deliver out of that danger;
- an act wherein mainly the exercise of faith is held forth; it is the act of the soul under that danger and distress, betaking itself to Christ’s fullness for help; it is a fleeing from the curse of the Law to Him, as to the city of refuge, a real passing from death in ourselves to life in Him (Gal 3:13; Num 35:25; Joh 5:24).
