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Let's pray. Heavenly Father, 
we rejoice in you this day. We rejoice in Father, Son, Holy 
Spirit, the one and only living and true God, and we thank you 
once again that you've called us to arise on a new day with 
a breath in our lungs, with our spirits cheered by the prospect 
of worshiping our great God in this place. We just pray that 
you would help us on this, your Lord's day, to be focused upon 
your worship, We would have warm Christian hearts expecting to 
be blessed by God and expecting to worship in spirit and in truth 
by the aid of the Holy Spirit. We do pray that you'd help us 
in this hour. to study your truth, to have our minds focused upon 
your truth as you've given it to us in your word. And Lord 
God, that we would rejoice in our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 
in his righteousness, in the forgiveness of sins, and in that 
salvation you've given to us by your amazing and victorious 
grace. And we pray in the name of Jesus 
Christ, our Savior. Amen. Well, you can turn in your 
confession with me to chapter 14. Does anyone need one? Hands 
up if anyone needs a confession. Yeah? Right here, okay. Blue basket, Roger's coming. 
Roger's. One over there and one over here. 
And we're good. What's that? Right here. Chapter 14 of Saving Faith. So 
we continue to work through the doctrine of salvation in this 
portion of the confession where we have laid out for us something 
of the order of salvation, or at least those elements of salvation. 
God, in his grace, having saved us, pours out upon us the blessings 
of salvation. And we're now at the doctrine 
of saving faith. It's a three-paragraph chapter. Somewhat brief, but very rich, 
of course, as these chapters often are, of course. However 
concise they may be, they normally pack a lot of blessed theology 
in them. So let's read chapter 14 here. 
Paragraphs 1, 2, and 3. The grace of faith, whereby the 
elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, 
is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is 
ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word, by which also, and 
by the administration of baptism in the Lord's Supper, prayer, 
and other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened. 
By this faith, a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed 
in the word for the authority of God himself, and also apprehendeth 
an excellency therein above all other writings and all things 
in the world, as it bears forth the glory of God in his attributes, 
the excellency of Christ in his nature and offices, and the power 
and fullness of the Holy Spirit in his workings and operations. 
and so is enabled to cast his soul upon the truth thus believed, 
and also acteth differently upon that which each particular passage 
thereof containeth, yielding obedience to the commands, trembling 
at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this 
life and that which is to come. But the principal acts of saving 
faith have immediate relation to Christ. accepting, receiving, 
and resting upon him alone for justification, sanctification, 
and eternal life by virtue of the covenant of grace. This faith, 
although it be different in degrees and may be weak or strong, yet 
it is in the least degree of it different in the kind or nature 
of it, as is all other saving grace from the faith and common 
grace of temporary believers, and therefore, Though it may 
be many times assailed and weakened, yet it gets the victory, growing 
up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ, 
who is both the author and finisher of our faith. Amen. Just a few 
points of introduction on this chapter. Compared to the Westminster 
Confession of Faith in the Savoy, this chapter is 38% larger. Just 
some stats for you. But we'll touch upon the reason 
why it's larger and where in that sort of largeness obtains 
in the chapter. But it's 38% larger than the 
Westminster Confession and 33% larger than the Savoy. and we'll see where it is. The 
bulk of it is in Chapter, excuse me, Paragraph 2, and we'll get 
there. But one of the things maybe to 
note is that we've come across saving faith previously in the 
Confession of Faith a number of times. From the outset of 
Chapter 1, and you can turn there just for a moment, just a quick 
review of how saving faith, we're not simply introduced to it here. It's the content proper in Chapter 
14, but of course we've come across it in previous chapters. 
If you notice at the outset of Chapter 1 of the Holy Scriptures, 
the Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible 
rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience. Also, you 
can see there at the end of at the end of paragraph two, considering 
all of the books of the canon, all of which are given by the 
inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life. And then 
also you could see in paragraph six, the whole counsel of God 
concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, 
Faith in life is either expressly set down or necessarily contained 
in the Holy Scriptures. Paragraph 10 of Chapter 1, the 
Supreme Judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, 
and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, 
doctrines of men, and private spirits are to be examined, and 
in whose sentence we are to rest can be no other but the Holy 
Scripture delivered by the Spirit into which Scripture is so delivered, 
our faith is finally resolved. And we'll have a point to note 
that when we look at paragraph 1 and also paragraph 3 in our 
particular chapter this morning. But as a special note, turn to 
chapter 3 for a moment and paragraph 6. This touches upon what we'll 
look at when we get to paragraph 1. of our chapter and the divine 
power behind saving faith. Notice in 3.6, as God hath appointed 
the elect unto glory, so he hath, by the eternal and most free 
purpose of his will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, 
they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, 
are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit, working 
in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept 
by His power through faith unto salvation. And also, just as 
we narrow down or move towards our paragraph, another important 
point is the connection between covenant of grace and faith. So if you turn to chapter 7 for 
a moment, There's a vital connection, of course, to the decree of God 
that we just noted, and faith, but also to the covenant of grace 
and faith. Notice in chapter seven at paragraph 
two, moreover, man having brought himself under the curse of the 
law by his fall, it pleased the Lord to make a covenant of grace, 
wherein he freely offereth unto sinners life and salvation by 
Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in him. that they may be 
saved, and promising to give unto all those that are ordained 
unto eternal life His Holy Spirit to make them willing and able 
to believe. And then we can find our way 
back to chapter 14 by noting, though, as we move back there, 
that in chapter 11 on justification, in paragraphs one, two, and five, 
we also have, of course, reference to faith as that being that instrument 
whereby we are justified. Not the object of our justification, 
or the ground of our justification, that is, the exclusive, finished, 
perfect work of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we, as saved Christians, 
as the elect, made alive by amazing grace, we lay hold of that righteousness, 
that perfect work of Christ, by saving faith. And so, we'll 
look now at chapter 14, Jim Renahan, Dr. Jim Renahan outlines the 
chapter this way. Paragraph one, the origin and 
increase of faith. Paragraph two, the basis and 
definition of faith. And then paragraph three, the 
nature of true faith. We're going to look at it in 
four parts, though. That's a wonderful outline and 
better than the one I have. But as far as progressing through 
the content this morning, we're going to look at four things. 
And those things are these, where saving faith is from, what saving 
faith does, what saving faith is, and then how saving faith 
triumphs. So first off, we'll look at where 
saving faith is from. And first off, we'll look at 
the divine power in saving faith. So where saving faith is from 
and sub-point the divine power in saving faith. Notice at paragraph 
one here, the grace of faith whereby the elect are enabled 
to believe to the saving of their souls is the work of the spirit 
of Christ in their hearts. There are three things here, 
or there's a three-fold emphasis upon the divine power in saving 
faith. So that in contrast to man's 
power. It's not man that by nature has 
the faith whereby he can exercise belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. 
It is a divine gift. Saving faith comes from God, 
and we see a three-fold emphasis emphasis upon that in these first 
sets of clause. Notice, first off, the grace 
of faith. Faith is a grace. It is that 
unmerited favor from God. It is a gift of God, Ephesians 
2.8. So faith is a gift of God. Saving 
faith is from God. It is a grace. And then secondly, 
whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their 
souls. So secondly, there is a divine 
enabling. We are given faith, we are enabled 
by God to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And then thirdly, 
with respect to that divine power, we see it here that it is the 
work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts. So we have this 
threefold emphasis that faith is from God, the divine power 
in our saving faith. And just a few places in the 
Holy Scriptures that we can look at when we consider that saving 
faith is from God. Now, we'll get to the point, 
of course, where we would acknowledge that it is not God who believes 
for us. It is man who believes. It is the elect who believe. 
It is the saved who believe. But as far as the blessing of 
faith and the fact that we are able to believe in Christ, that 
is from divine power, from the grace that God gives us. Now, first off, I just noted 
it, but turn to Ephesians 2.8 for a moment. If we were asked 
by someone, what is the passage, there are many, but what is a 
wonderful passage that very clearly discloses the fact that it is 
God who gives us faith, it is God who blesses us with faith, 
that faith is a gift of God, we could say Ephesians 2, and 
capturing the entirety of the message, 8 to 10. Notice in Ephesians 
2, 8 to 10, a rehearsal, no doubt for many of us, but a wonderful 
passage. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and 
that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, 
lest anyone should boast. Now, in that wonderful language, 
there is repetition by the Apostle Paul as if to jettison any notion 
that it is man who conjures up faith, that it is man who by 
his own nature can somehow believe, that a sinner can believe outside 
of the grace of God. Notice, for by grace you have 
been saved through faith. So we already have this introduction 
of grace into the blessed economy of salvation. It comes from God. 
It's a gift. So, by grace you have been saved 
through faith, and then notice, and that not of yourselves. So 
there's a positive statement, by grace you've been saved, and 
then there's this negative statement, and that not of yourselves. So 
it doesn't come from man, it doesn't come inherently from 
the one who does believe eventually. And then another positive statement, 
it is the gift of God. So this wonderful repetition 
of positive statement, negative statement, and a negative statement 
follows. Not of yourselves, or excuse me, not of works, lest 
anyone should boast. And that's almost a, it's a double 
negative statement, not a double negative, but two statements 
being made there. Not of works, one statement, 
and then this reason for this particular grace of faith. one of the reasons, it's lest 
anyone should boast. There is no boasting on the part 
of the Christian. God forbid that I should boast, 
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. We don't boast 
in ourselves. If it was the case that man, 
by nature, that the sinner could conjure up faith, conjure up 
the power to believe in Jesus outside of saving grace, there 
would be something to boast in. You know, that's one of the things 
that, sort of one of the things that Paul brings out in Romans 
chapter four, if, you know, Abraham could boast if, you know, he 
was justified by his works, but not before God. There is no boasting 
before God, because salvation is by grace alone, through faith 
alone, in Christ alone, and the apostle Paul here jettisons any 
notion that it could be otherwise by these blessed repetitions 
of statement. To look more at the divine power 
of saving faith, you can turn with me to 1 Peter. Just one 
more verse here, there are many, and this will actually bring 
us into our next particular point. But in 1 Peter, we have this 
language of the power of God with respect to salvation, the 
language of being born again. is used here by Peter, no doubt, 
learning that language from his master, the Lord Jesus Christ, 
as he observed the life and times of his Savior and listened to 
his discourses. But notice in 1 Peter 1 at verse 
22, in obeying the truth through 
the spirit, in sincere love of the brethren, love one another 
fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of 
corruptible seed, but incorruptible through the word of God, which 
lives and abides forever." So we have this divine power in 
salvation, and we can see these theological statements, these 
doctrinal statements that It is the power of God that is behind 
our salvation. It is God who gives us the grace 
of faith. We see this practically borne 
out in some examples in the Bible. One would be Lydia in the book 
of Acts, where we see the power of God. This is a wonderful case 
study in the power of God giving the grace of faith to a sinner. 
Remember, Lydia hears the word preached. And we read sort of 
a summary or a closing statement that the Lord opened Lydia's 
eyes to receive the things spoken by the apostles. So there's this 
divine power. It's pictured, it's imaged as 
the opening of eyes. The opening of of eyes, that 
language is used not only of salvation, saving a sinner, but 
it's also used, as the confession here will go on to say about 
the increase and strengthening of faith, that same opening of 
eyes language is used with regards to the disciples who, having 
already been saved, are further instructed by the resurrected 
Christ, where he opens their eyes that they might understand 
the scriptures, not in a saving fashion, but in a more didactic 
fashion, instructing them and bringing them along to a knowledge 
of why Christ had to suffer to rise again, and that sort of 
a thing. So divine power in saving faith. Saving faith comes from God. We could also think of James 
1.18, we're brought forth, not of our own will, but we're brought 
forth by God through the word of truth. And that brings us 
to the point number two here, under where saving faith is from, 
the divine word in saving faith. Notice the language here in chapter 
one, paragraph one of chapter 14. The grace of faith whereby 
the electors, enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, 
is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and then 
notice this next clause, and is ordinarily wrought by the 
ministry of the Word. We just noted in 1 Peter, after 
we see the divine power in saving faith, having been born again, 
not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, we then read, 
through the word of God, which lives and abides forever. So 
where saving faith is from, or we'll ask the question, where 
is saving faith from? It is from God, and then this 
next point, comes through the ministry of the Word. In Romans 
10 we see, well and actually before we get to that point, 
we want to sort of observe what this means here when it says, 
and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word. That 
doesn't mean that there is nothing special to the ministry of the 
Word. or anything like that. Sometimes 
we can take the word ordinarily to somehow mean that there's 
nothing really special about it or that sort of a thing. This just means that the way 
that God has ordained saving faith to come to sinners is largely 
and primarily through the ministry of the church and the ministry 
of ministers in the church. So that's how this faith is ordinarily 
wrought, or the common manner by which faith is wrought in 
the elect is through the ministry of the church by ministers ordained 
to preach the gospel. Now, that clause doesn't exclude 
other means whereby sinners can be brought forth by the word 
of God and the power of God, a sinner sitting at home with 
his Bible, a sinner sitting at home with a good gospel tract, 
That sort of a thing, and God is using there the word still 
to bring him forth from darkness to light. But the idea here is 
that under the ministry and the governance of the church, when 
sinners come under the preaching of the word of God, God blesses 
that preached word. unto the salvation of sinners, 
the giving of faith. One of the texts that we see 
in the scriptures that speaks to this is in Romans 10, where 
it speaks about sinners. How can they be saved unless 
they hear? How can they hear unless the 
word is preached to them? you know, how can a preacher 
preach to them unless that preacher is sent? I think there's a legitimacy 
there to the ordaining of gospel ministers to go to sinners within 
the context of the church to preach the gospel and for sinners 
to come to saving faith by the power of God under that ministration. 
And so that's what this clause has to do with here. It's ordinarily 
wrought by the ministry of the word. Sinners are saved through 
the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ within the context 
of the church. But that doesn't exclude other 
maybe extraordinary ways or not so common ways that God can save 
sinners still by the word of God, But as I mentioned, a sinner 
reading his Bible at home, reading a gospel tract, other examples 
could abound. But the ordinary means is through 
the ministry of the church and through ordained ministers preaching 
the word. And I think that this clause 
brings to view the importance of the church and the preeminence 
or the particularity of the church, the specialness of the church, 
and its role in bringing the word of God to sinners and preaching 
the gospel to all who will give ear within the context of the 
church. So the divine word in saving faith, the ordinary means, 
that is the proclamation of the word of God within the context 
of the church, that which is common with regards to God's 
ordaining of the ministry of the gospel, And we ought to note 
here, too, that we see here, you see in the paragraph that 
the W is capitalized, and I don't want to spend too much time on 
the fact of a capitalized letter, but we also ought to think here 
when we read, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the 
Word, we ought to think of the Word of God incarnate now ascended 
to the right hand of the majesty on high, who sends his spirit 
to empower the minister in the pulpit to proclaim the gospel, 
but also sends his spirit to make dead sinners alive." I think 
when we read of the the ordinary means of the ministry of the 
word, we ought to think, yes, the word of God, but also the 
ongoing ministry of the word of God, who took upon himself 
man's nature for the elect's redemption and recovery, who 
ascended to the right hand of his father, and now sends forth 
the Spirit for the proclamation of the Gospel and the salvation 
of sinners. What a blessed thing we have 
in our ascended Christ, blessing the proclamation of the Word 
of God and bringing dead sinners to life through the sent Spirit. We ought to always think that 
it is Christ at the right hand who is blessing His Church, blessing 
His ministers, and bringing forth elect sinners to life in Christ. So, where saving faith is from, 
it's from God, it is by virtue of or through the ministry of 
the Word, and then notice the divine means in the increase 
of saving faith. So this is still under where 
saving faith is from, the divine means in the increase of saving 
faith. We read, "...and is ordinarily 
wrought by the ministry of the Word," and then notice, "...by 
which also, and by the administration of baptism in the Lord's Supper, 
prayer, and other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened." a sinner saved by grace, given 
the gift of faith, and then that faith that is given as a gift 
by God, from God, is then subsequently increased and strengthened. And 
what is it increased and strengthened by? Well, the first thing that 
we read here is in the clause that says, by which also. So 
the first thing whereby sinners saved by grace and given faith 
are increased and strengthened in that faith is by the Word 
of God just mentioned. So it's wrought, faith is wrought 
by the ministry of the Word, and then by that Word also, it 
is increased and strengthened. So it's not the case that the 
Word of God is preached, The sinner is saved, God gives him 
the grace of faith, and then, okay, let's move on to bigger 
and better things. There's nothing bigger and better 
than the Word of God to increase and strengthen the faith of those 
who have been saved by God. So this divine means, the divine 
means used to increase strength, the first is the Word of God. And that would go back to, as 
well, not just the Word of God, but the ministry of the Word 
of God. So faith is strengthened, yes, 
by the Word of God, generally speaking, but more peculiarly, 
the ministry of the Word of God within the context of the gathered 
church. And I think that's what's in 
view here, by which also is not just the Word of God, but the 
ministry of the Word. And so vital in our growth in 
strength, increase of faith and strength of faith is the ministry 
of the Word of God within the context of the local church. 
And then also notice the administration of baptism and the Lord's Supper. 
So the two sacraments that God has ordained for the good of 
his church are means whereby the church has their faith increased 
and strengthened. This is why baptism in the Lord's 
Supper are so vital, and this is one of the reasons why we 
refer to the sacraments as means of grace, as well as prayer and 
preaching. But these are means of grace 
whereby God, whereby the risen Christ, through the scent spirit, 
feeds his church with an increase in growth and strength. When 
we gather for the Lord's Supper, we see that picture of the gospel, 
the bread broken, the body broken with respect to the emblem of 
the bread, the blood shed with respect to the emblem of the 
wine. We receive that picture of the gospel, remembering Christ, 
looking forward to His second coming, reflecting upon the blessing 
of His death for the salvation of sinners. By that, Christ, 
through His Spirit, strengthens and increases the faith of believers. Of course, prayer as well. Prayer 
is a means of grace whereby we are strengthened and increased 
in our faith. We must never neglect prayer, 
that act of worship to our God, whereby our God hears us, whereby 
we engage in that blessed communion with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 
whether it's corporate prayer or private prayer, this is something 
whereby our faith is increased or strengthened. And then it 
says, other means appointed of God. Here the Baptists added, appointed 
of God. In the Westminster Confession 
of Faith, and now it may be in the Savoy, I'd have to check, 
but I think it's just in the Baptist Confession, the other 
two read, and other means. it is increased and strengthened, 
whereas the Baptists added appointed of God, and one of the reasons 
for that is the regulative principle of worship, the Baptists' emphasis 
on the regulative principle of worship, and that we don't use 
other means that weren't appointed by God for our growth in faith. We wouldn't want to use anything 
other than those means appointed by God for our growth in strength 
and our increase in faith. Turn to 22.5 for a moment because 
there we have what is meant by other means appointed of God. 
In chapter 22 and paragraph 5, we have the answer to what the 
end of paragraph 1 means. Notice, the reading of the scriptures, 
this is 22.5, the reading of the scriptures, preaching and 
hearing the word of God, teaching and admonishing one another in 
psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in 
our hearts to the Lord, as also the administration of baptism 
in the Lord's Supper, are all parts of religious worship of 
God. to be performed in obedience 
to Him with understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear. Moreover, 
notice, solemn humiliation with fastings and thanksgivings upon 
special occasions ought to be used in an holy and religious 
manner." So the stuff that we read in that paragraph outside 
of the stuff that is already in paragraph one of chapter 14, 
which is administration of baptism and the Lord's Supper and prayer, 
those things would be those other means appointed of God for the 
increase and strengthening of faith. So that is where saving 
faith is from. Let's now look, moving to paragraph 
two, at what saving faith does. So what saving faith does, first 
off, Saving faith is the ground for assent to the truth. Notice 
the first set of clauses here in paragraph two. By this faith, 
a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the 
word for the authority of God himself. So, saving faith is 
the ground for, it's the foundation for, our ascent to the truth. By this faith, we, Christians, 
we believe to be true whatsoever is revealed in the word. And 
then, that wonderful clause, for the authority of God himself. 
The Christian recognizes that the Word of God is the Word of 
God. It comes from God, and it bears 
God's authority. Therefore, anything in the Word 
comes with the authority of God himself. It is inerrant. It is 
infallible. because it is inspired of God 
and therefore wholly reliable for all things that it discloses. So we have faith as the ground 
of our ability to that enabling whereby we can ascent to the 
truth. We hear the word preached. with cheerful Christian hearts, 
we ascent joyfully to those propositions that are set before us in the 
Holy Scriptures, those wonderful truth statements. Who do you 
say that I, the Son of Man, am? Thou art the Christ, the Son 
of the living God. We affirm by God's enabling blessed 
things concerning Christ and salvation from Him, by Him. We assent to those truths laid 
out regarding, as we'll see here in a moment, the triune God, 
the attributes, the perfections of God. Whatever the Word discloses 
is right, and we believe to be true those things in the Word 
for the authority of God himself. So, saving faith is the ground 
for our ascent to the truth. We could note, again, chapter 
1, paragraph 1, and chapter 7, paragraph 2 in that regard. Now 
also, and secondly, saving faith as the ground for the ennobling 
of the Word of God. Now that's an interesting word. 
I didn't mispronounce enabling. The ennobling of the Word of 
God. That means holding it in a high 
regard, setting it, exalting it, if you will, above all other 
things. And that's what the next set 
of clauses says. And also, apprehendeth an excellency 
therein above all other writings and all other things in the world. What a wonderful thing that we 
can do as Christians as we've been enabled by God to believe, 
we see by God's grace the glory of the word of God. We see that 
it's not just the writings of men, God used men to write it, 
but it is the case that we have one grand superintending divine 
author and that is God himself. The word of God is not the works 
of Shakespeare. You know, the word of God is 
not the Koran. The word of God is not insert 
any other piece of human literature and human history here. The Word 
of God is the Word of God, and the Christian then, by grace, 
apprehends an excellency with respect to its very nature and 
character above all other things, writings, and all things in the 
world. Now, there's a qualification 
here, because there is a statement in chapter 1, paragraph 5, where 
it talks about even the unbeliever, by the testimony of the Church 
of Christ, can hold the Word of God in high esteem. It speaks 
with regards to the characteristics of the Word of God, the heavenliness 
of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of 
the style, the consent of all the parts and the scope of the 
whole, which is to give all glory to God. It goes on to say, though, 
that that individuals cannot rightly recognize and appreciate 
the Word of God for the authority of God Himself without the work 
of the Holy Spirit upon the heart, bringing that sinner to life 
and light in Jesus Christ. all of that to come back to this 
blessed thing that the saving faith is the ground for the Christians' 
ennobling of the Word of God. We hold it in the highest regard 
because it comes from God, it is inspired, it is inerrant, 
and it is infallible. And there's a three-fold elaboration 
upon why it should be so ennobled and why the Christian holds it 
in a high regard. And this is where the Baptists 
added this Trinitarian confirmation, this Trinitarian set of clauses 
here. It's absent in the previous to 
confessions, but notice the language, and so saving faith in its Trinitarian 
orientation. Notice, after the ennobling of 
the word, as it bears forth the glory of God and his attributes, 
the excellency of Christ in his nature and offices, and the power 
and fullness of the Holy Spirit in his workings and operations. What a wonderful expansion that 
the Baptists have added here. the Baptists emphasized that 
the Word of God is a Trinitarian document. In our ennobling of 
it, in our holding it in the highest regard, we at the same 
time recognize, and perhaps one of the reasons for that ennobling, 
we recognize that it is concerning Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The salvation wrought by the 
mediator and the blessed benefits of that salvation wrought poured 
out upon the elect by the Holy Spirit. It bears forth the glory 
of God in his attributes, the excellency of Christ in his nature 
and offices, and the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit in 
his workings and operations. What a wonderful declaration 
concerning our triune God, our triune God in the word of God, 
and our triune God in the salvation of sinners. And so, saving faith 
and its Trinitarian orientation. We're saved by the Triune God 
unto the end that we believe in that Triune God and unto the 
end that we hold in high regard the word of that Triune God, 
recognizing that in that word, it discloses the glories of Father, 
Son, and Holy Spirit and salvation by amazing grace. And then notice, lastly, under 
what Saving Faith does, Saving Faith and its demonstration. 
So after we read about these things that the saving 
faith serves as a foundation for, notice after that set of 
Trinitarian clauses, and so is enabled to cast his soul upon 
the truth thus believed, and also acteth differently upon 
that which each particular passage thereof containeth. So, first 
of all, we have the reality of believing. Saving faith is, or 
serves as the foundation for, the act of believing in the truths 
disclosed. We are enabled by God in recognizing 
and in believing to be true whatsoever is revealed in the word to cast 
our souls upon that truth thus believed. So, saving faith and 
its demonstration. First off, the demonstration 
of saving faith is seen in that simple exercise of saving faith, 
which is believing revealed truth. Saving faith is demonstrated 
in our believing the revealed truth that God has set forth 
to us in His Holy Word. So firstly, faith demonstration 
is seen in believing the truth of the Bible. And then notice, 
secondly, saving faith is demonstrated or exemplified in the yielding 
of obedience. yielding obedience, or excuse 
me, backing up first to that, acting according to said obedience 
and the imperatives in the word of God, and also acteth differently 
upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth. basically what that means is 
what follows. So there are different ways wherein 
saints act according to the revealed word, and there's a three-fold 
elaboration on that. First, yielding obedience to 
the commands. Secondly, trembling at the threatenings. And then thirdly, embracing the 
promises of God for this life and that which is to come. So 
there is this threefold manner whereby a Christian demonstrates 
saving faith, and the first is yielding obedience to the commands. 
Remember, Christ himself said, if you love me, you will keep 
my commandments. The apostle John, his beloved, 
as he's writing his epistles, brings that forth as one of the 
evidences of one who believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of 
God, those who love the commandments of Christ. And so the first way, 
after saving faith, after the exercise of believing the truth, 
the next way that we demonstrate our saving faith is by yielding 
obedience to God's commands. Remember, of course, that we're 
not saved by yielding obedience to divine commands. We're saved 
by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. But having 
been so saved, we now, by grace, are able, enabled, to cheerfully 
and joyfully comply to the commands of God. You know, those commands 
come to us not as burdens, but as a joy, as a freeing, as a 
liberty that God has given us. We now have the freedom, as his 
bondservants, to obey and believe those things that God has set 
forth in his holy word. So we yield obedience to the 
commands and that carries the weight of a joyful compliance, 
not a begrudging compliance, not some sort of untoward fear 
of divine retribution, but rather from a renewed Christian heart, 
we yield obedience to the commands, wanting to do by God's grace 
that which He's called us to do. Now, secondly, we see this 
language trembling at the threatenings. There is a proper fear of God. There is this proper awe that 
we are to have for our Creator, for our sustainer and for our 
redeemer. And we tremble as a son to a 
father. You know, that language of Hebrews 
12, where God chastens those whom he loves. The chastening 
of the Lord isn't to be something to run from, but to embrace. What a blessing it is to be chastened 
by God. to have our God issue threatenings, if you will, 
and for us as sons unto a father to tremble with a reverential 
and off-field fear towards our God and pray that God would, 
by His Spirit, bring us back to a proper path. And then, thirdly, 
we see embracing the promises of God for this life and that 
which is to come. We rest upon divine promises 
that those who believe in the Son will have everlasting life. That those who believe in the 
Son will be brought to glory by the Son at the last and will 
be with Him for eternity. We embrace the promises of God 
for this life and that which is to come. This speaks to Christian 
hope, which is really the only proper and true hope that anyone 
can have in this world. Human hope is wishful thinking. Christian hope is the certain 
expectation that the divine promises will come to fruition most certainly. And so we can embrace with that 
hope the promises of God for this life and that which is to 
come. Now notice what saving faith is then. Thirdly, largely 
here, what saving faith is. And we'll notice two things under 
this, but just to read the clauses first, at the end of paragraph 
two, after we read, for this life and that which is to come, 
notice, but the principal acts of saving faith have immediate 
relation to Christ, accepting, receiving, and resting upon him 
alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life by virtue of 
the covenant of grace. So what is saving faith? First 
off, we want to note what the object of saving faith is. While 
we do hold the word of God with that proper measure of excellency, 
while we ennoble it, we hold it in the highest regard, we 
exalt it above all other writings and all things in the world, 
saving faith doesn't rest upon what the grain pattern of the 
Gopherwood and Noah's Ark is. Saving faith doesn't rest upon 
certain propositions that don't, in the end, bear upon everlasting 
life, but The principal acts of saving faith have immediate 
relation to Christ. So the object of saving faith 
is the Lord Jesus Christ. His person and his work, or as 
John Owen would say, the dignity of his person and the virtue 
of his operations. our saving faith has immediate 
relation to Christ. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
and you shall be saved is that repeated clarion call of gospel 
proclamation. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
and you shall be saved. So the object of our faith is 
Christ. Now, there's a connection here 
that Jim Renahan points out. If you go back to chapter eight 
for a moment with me, in paragraph eight, This, the end of paragraph 
two, has a blessed connection to the doctrine of Christ and 
his work as it's laid forth for us in 8.8. So notice, to all 
those for whom Christ hath obtained eternal redemption, he doth certainly 
and effectually apply and communicate the same, making intercession 
for them, uniting them to himself by his spirit, revealing unto 
them in and by the word the mystery of salvation, persuading them 
to believe and obey, governing their hearts by his word and 
spirit, and overcoming all their enemies by his almighty power 
and wisdom in such manner and ways as are most consonant to 
his wonderful and unsearchable dispensation and all of free 
and absolute grace without any condition foreseen in them to 
procure it. What a wonderful paragraph. If 
you want to engage in a morning devotional, just read paragraph 
8 of chapter 8. What a blessed thing we have 
in our mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the wonderful complex 
of salvific benefits that he brings to us by himself, through 
his spirit, and it's just so very rich. The primary act of 
saving faith has to do with that Christ, who lived for us, who 
died for us, who rose again for us, that we might have the forgiveness 
of sins, a righteousness that avails with God, and everlasting 
life. The principal acts of saving 
faith have immediate relation to Christ. He is, alone, the 
object of saving faith. And when we say alone, We would 
want to say that. We believe Christ's words when 
he says, this is eternal life, that they may know thee, the 
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. We don't 
exclude the Trinity from the object of saving faith. All of 
that to say, in the Bible, the revelation of the word of God 
points us towards the mediator of God's elect. It points us 
towards the Lord Jesus Christ, very God, who took on very man 
that his elect would have everlasting life. So Christ is the object 
of saving faith. And then secondly, under what 
saving faith is, the act of saving faith. So we have this statement, 
but the principal acts of saving faith have immediate relation 
to Christ, and then notice what saving faith is as far as a definition 
we could say, the act of saving faith, accepting, receiving, 
and resting upon Him alone for justification, sanctification, 
and eternal life by virtue of the covenant of grace. So that's 
a good small definition of what saving faith is. We've noted 
what it does and where it's from, but if we were to say what is 
saving faith, the believer accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ 
alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life by virtue of 
the covenant of grace. You'll notice there that there's 
a there's another jettisoning of anything other than the work 
of Christ for salvation. It's upon Him alone. It's a glorious clause, just 
those three words. Upon Him alone, upon Christ alone. We rest upon Him for justification. We rest upon Him for sanctification. We rest upon Him for eternal 
life. And all of this comes, here's 
this connection again, by virtue of the covenant of grace. The 
Baptists are covenantal theologians. They realize that God deals with 
man by way of covenant. It's that simple architecture 
of the Bible and the architecture, if you will, of redemptive history. God deals by way of covenant, 
and he deals with his elect by way of the covenant of grace, 
Christ having ratified the new covenant, in His blood and all 
of these blessings accrue by virtue of His perfect work and 
His alone. We rest upon Him alone for these 
saving, for these blessed saving blessings. So a good quick definition 
of faith there is that threefold accepting, receiving, and resting 
upon Him alone for justification. We believe to be true, as the 
first clause in paragraph two says, we believe to be true those 
things that Christ has done. And it's a personal appropriation. It's not just that we believe 
in historical data, but he is not just the Savior, but he's 
my Savior. There's this personal appropriation 
of the work of Christ. Yes, He lived, yes, He died, 
and yes, He rose again, but He did those things for me. He did 
those things for the elect throughout the ages, but He is my Savior. He's my Lord. He's my God. He's 
the one who lived and died and rose again for me. That blessed 
personal appropriation of the perfect work of Christ. And then, 
We have, lastly, how saving faith triumphs. So in paragraph three, 
we have some wonderful clauses there regarding the victory of 
saving faith. Now, first of all, we want to 
notice saving faith's fundamental distinction. Notice the first 
set of clauses. This faith, although it be different 
in degrees and may be weak or strong, yet it is in the least 
degree of it different in the kind or nature of it, as is all 
other saving grace, from, here's the distinction, the faith and 
common grace of temporary believers." So there's a fundamental distinction 
between what we could call a faith, a type of faith, that's exercised 
by temporary believers. It's not a true and saving faith, 
But it's this temporary believing in certain things concerning 
Christ, but the absence of saving faith is subsequently proved 
by their departure into apostasy or unbelief. One with saving 
faith can never lose that saving faith. They can never fall outside 
of the grace of God, though that faith may be weak or strong. 
I think this is something that ought to be comforting. First 
off, comforting to all of us. But secondly, it ought to sort of engender in us a patience 
and a humility and a love towards others who may not be as strong 
in the faith, perhaps as ourselves or others. You know, justification 
is the same. There are no, there is no spectrum 
of justification or scale of justification amongst believers. 
We are just as justified as Spurgeon was and Paul was and Moses was 
and all that sort of a thing. But there can be a weak and a 
strong faith. And we'll see that even though 
there may be a weak faith, nevertheless, that is still a saving faith. 
Weak faith brings us into contact with Christ. Weak faith brings 
us to heaven by God's grace and by the power of the Holy Spirit 
and the condescending favor of the triune God. Weak faith believes 
in the Lord Jesus Christ just as strong faith does. There's 
just this distinction though of course between the faith of 
true believers and the faith of temporary believers. And you 
know we could look at the parable of the sower for an example of 
that for an example of a of a temporary faith. Other examples that we 
have in the epistles, in 1 John, for example, there were those 
who were with us for a while, but went away from us, which 
was a demonstration that they were never truly of us. So saving 
faith is different from the temporary faith of, or the faith of temporary 
believers. Secondly, saving faith's victory 
through struggle, notice, And therefore, though it may be many 
times assailed and weakened, yet it gets the victory." Isn't 
that wonderful? That we will finally have, not 
our victory, And so much but Christ's victory 
as blessed participants in that with Him by virtue of our union 
with Him. We'll finally have the victory. We'll be assailed, 
we'll be weakened, we'll be assailed by the devil, we'll be hated 
by the world, persecuted by the world, we'll undergo the self-lament 
of the occasional victories of our own flesh. faith finally 
gets the victory through Jesus Christ. However we may struggle 
through in this lower life, faith finally gets the victory. And 
notice then next, saving faith's mature expression. Growing up 
in many, too, the attainment of a full assurance through Christ. 
So there is this mature expression of saving faith, perhaps in those 
who have a strong faith, whereby, no, it doesn't say everyone who 
has saving faith will have a full assurance. Obviously, it is the 
case with them that they will be brought into Emmanuel's land 
at the last, but growing up in many to the attainment of a full 
assurance through Christ, some struggle with assurance. Some 
will struggle with assurance unto that great and final day, 
but that doesn't mean we ought not to continue to press the 
confidence that we can have in the Lord Jesus Christ for our 
assurance, because in Him we do have assurance. And as chapter 
17 will say, though that's on perseverance, but chapter 17 
speaks to the fact that we're not kept in, we're not saved 
by, we don't persevere by virtue of our own free will, but by 
virtue of the immutability of the love of God, by virtue of 
the unshakeability of the perfection of Christ's mediatorship, by 
the power of the Holy Spirit, and by the certainty of the covenant 
of grace. And so we can have, in this life, 
a full assurance through Christ. And I believe a way that we can 
do that is through the stuff of paragraph one, under the ministry 
of the word, participating in the sacraments of the word, availing 
of those means that God has given us in order to lay hold of that 
Christ who does save us to the last. And then lastly, as we 
close, notice saving faith's confidence. So we read, growing 
up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ, 
who is both the author and finisher of our faith. It's a wonderful 
way to end this chapter with that confidence, that we are 
not the authors, nor are we the finishers of our faith, but it 
is the Christ who saves us perfectly by the perfection of his work 
alone who is the author and who is the finisher of our faith. 
What a blessed thing we have in our Savior, the object of 
saving faith, the one that gives us His Spirit, that we might 
believe in Him, and that we might, though we're assailed and attacked 
in this lower world, that we might believe unto the very end, 
resting upon Him and Him alone for our salvation. Well, let's 
pray. Heavenly Father, we thank You for this study. We rejoice 
in the doctrine of saving faith. We thank You that You have given 
us the grace of faith. We thank You that in due time 
You called us forth by amazing grace to believe in Jesus Christ 
and to rest upon the perfection of His salvation. We pray that 
You'd cause us to grow in our faith, that we would attend to 
the means, that we would Rejoice in your word that we would see 
in it that excellency above all Writings above all other things 
we do pray that we would rejoice in the one to whom it points 
Christ our Savior the one who lived and died and rose again 
for the perfection of the salvation of a multitude of sinners So 
do go with us into worship help us to worship you in spirit and 
in truth and to rejoice in our blessed Christ and it's in his 
name we