Jul 11
14
Here is a sevenfold definition of faith I
picked up from a sermon by Ebenezer Erskine a long, long time
ago.
1. Faith is the gift of God. It is not the product of a free will. It is
the operation of the Spirit of God by the Word of God and is
the parent of all other grace.
2. Faith has Christ Jesus as its principal object, for it is faith in
Christ Jesus — our Lord, Savior, Mediator and Hope. Christ is
the bread; faith is the mouth which eats. Christ is the brazen
serpent; faith is the eye that looks.
3. Faith is receiving Christ, not just hearing about Him or
acknowledging Him, but a committal to Him. Is Christ food?
Then eat! Is Christ living water? Then drink! Is Christ the
refuge? Then flee to Him! Is Christ Lord? Then worship Him!
4. Faith is to rest upon Christ. “Rest in the Lord” (Psalm 37:7).
Faith is not an isolated act based upon an intellectual
knowledge of some facts, but is a trusting in and resting upon
Christ to perform all that I need.
5. Faith is to rest upon Christ alone! The word “alone” is
important. Most men, by nature, try to add something to the
sacrifice and intercession of Christ. God has established a
bridge of communication between heaven and earth by the
obedience and blood of Christ, and every other passage is
blocked by the holiness and justice of God.
6. Faith rests upon Christ as he is presented in the Gospel. We
ask no other sign than the Word of God. Faith is to believe the
record that God hath given concerning His Son. — “He that
hath the Son of God hath life.”
7. Faith rests upon Christ for salvation, sanctification,
righteousness and full redemption! The goal of faith is the
salvation of our souls; and this our Lord undertook in the
eternal covenant and which He completed on Calvary when
He cried, “It is finished!’’