WCF 14.1 & WSC 79

WCF 14.1 (Of Saving Faith)

The grace of faith, by which God’s chosen are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls(a), is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts(b). It is ordinarily worked by the ministry of the Word(c), by which, along the administration of the sacraments and prayer, the grace of faith is also increased and strengthened(d).

“Saving faith”? Grace of faith?

(NEXT) Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Based on this, let’s first go over what Saving faith “isn’t”...

Saving Faith is not merely believing that Jesus existed (like we believe Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president)

… or professing that Jesus died and rose again for your sins or acknowledging that He is God.

Saving Faith is not even “deciding” to choose to follow Jesus Christ

Don’t get me wrong. These are necessary facets of “faith”, but here is the thing.

Even those not elect by God can hold these type of faiths, but they are in themselves not saving.

Why? Because these faiths can actually can be derived from within ourselves, by our intellect.

So? What’s wrong with that? Can’t God acknowledge my efforts and decisions to strive for Him as valid faith? Or maybe He gave me true faith BECAUSE I was making an effort.

Scripture says you were spiritually “dead” in your sins, under rulership of Satan (eph 2)

Let me ask you, “what chance does the ‘dead’ have of even raising a finger towards God for help”? Being under the power of Satan no less?

To borrow an analogy from RC Sproul:

You can treat someone kindly, in loving manner. We can conjure up a will to do that.

But does that mean you can also willfully produce genuine affection (even feeling) for that person?

In other words, can you “decide” to affectionately love someone whom you don’t love? NO!

In the same way, you can “act” like you have faith by “deciding” to attend church every Sunday and try to live a righteous life with good works. But if there is no genuine affection and love for Christ from our souls, that faith is not saving.

So how do we “obtain” this saving faith. Short answer = we can’t

Claim in Eph 2: ONLY by “grace of faith” are God’s chosen able to “believe” that their souls are saved

Recall what grace is = God’s undeserved gift (Mathew volunteer)

We are reminded here that “faith that saves” or “saving faith” is GIFT of God. That’s what grace of faith means.

Meaning saving faith is not something you can buy or work for to earn it in any way.

It’s not derived from within ourselves, but...

worked into your heart by the “Spirit of Christ” who is “Spirit of God” who “dwells” in you- Holy Spirit(Romans 8)

This is why Paul kept praying for the church of Ephesus:

(NEXT) Ephesians 1:17–20 “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places”

Here is the wonderful work of the triune God that works out His redemptive will.

The Father gives you Holy Spirit to work in your heart to see and know that Christ is your ONLY hope for salvation. And He supplies this sustaining with great power and authority, which we could never hope to conjure ourselves.

Therefore, saving faith can never be about “earning” our way to heaven.

Exercising your faith therefore looks different when it comes from indwelling Holy Spirit.

But if you find that you are “boasting” in your works, I challenge you to re-examine your faith and test whether your motives and actions, your heart is stemming from your flesh or from Christ (2 Cor 13)

Is there love for Christ and His church? Is there repentance? Is there thanksgiving?

I’m not saying be perfect. But be honest in self-evaluation and check for evidence of the Holy Spirit working in your life.

b. 2 Corinthians 4:13 “Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak,” .

c. Romans 10:14 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” , Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” .

Q.79. What is the tenth commandment?

The tenth commandment is: You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his manservant, or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

Exodus 20:17 ““You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.””

Deuteronomy 5:21 ““ ‘And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’”

“fields” added to Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy was really a parting speech by Moses 5 wks before his death—40 years after he reads 10 cmds in Exodus.

Israelites not yet in promised land of Canaan but they had land in Moab(east Jordan river) right before entering promised land.

Pretty established in their camp with land. Not like in Exodus where they were wandering wilderness 40 yrs.

Shows us that the cmds, though written in stone, was not limited to the scope of what was written on them.

It addresses the core issue of sin and exposes deceptions of our flesh to always twist and sliver to get its way.

And the 9th cmd is really about coveting, not just your neighbor’s belongings, but the world

"Covet” - "hah-MAHD" - desire, take pleasure in

In context, an obsessive desire and loves of the world.

A heart the is set on worldly things and not of Christ.

It really comes down to, “are you content in Christ”? Is He not sufficient?

Let’s meditate on this and we will dive into this more next week.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

There is no greater name in all of existence. From You stems existence itself. And all creatures depend on You for their own existence. The way You designed the heavens and the earth is a wonder. In them are Your fingerprints and by Your grace, we see them. You are the truth, and there is no truth outside of Yourself. Your holiness is so far removed from everything else in creation as You stand alone in Your sovereignty. Yet it is also inconceivable to us how intimately close You choose to relate to Your creatures as the creator God. We praise You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Thank you for having such and amazing and unchanging will to bring glory to Your name. As triune God, You work in the hearts of Your people to reflect Your image as intended, with love. So continue to carry out Your will, Father, through Your Holy Son, Jesus Christ who is the Word, by Your Holy Spirit. That Your people will exercise faith in love, with the affection and longing for You alone that drives all action and all works, full of humility and thanksgiving for Your sake. Transform neighborhoods and towns and cities by Your own authority and power and grace.

Give us this day our daily bread

You supply sufficient strength for the day. Not more. Not less. We cannot draw on yesterday’s grace to sustain us today. We rely wholly on the grace You have given us this day, to expend it all so that there is none for tomorrow. May we focus on giving our all to You today without worrying about tomorrow, for You will supply us new strength tomorrow for the day. So we thank You for what You have given us today.

and forgive us our sins

Forgive us for living and deciding matters on our own this week apart from Your Word. Even as we know that life can only be in Your Son our savior, we have stumbled in our thoughts, our words, our actions based on our own judgement for the sake of our own selfishness. Yet You knew all the ways we would sin against You. And though You have an immeasurable hatred of our sins, instead of pouring that hateful wrath unto us deserving of it, You poured that infinite wrath unto Your perfectly righteous Son. Because of Your eternal love for us. This is the amazing grace and truth that we cannot and should not keep to ourselves. Yet Your churches are doing this everyday, unconsciously or consciously because of the comforts offered by the world. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, transform Your people’s hearts by the renewal of our minds to break through our fleshly comforts and desires with an even greater desire to please Your Son

as we also have forgiven those who sin against us.

And lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil.