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THE NECESSITY OF FAITH IN CHRIST
THE real scope of these words is more clearly seen in the original than in the translation. Our blessed Lord, knowing that many had followed him from carnal motives, and under an expectation that He who had fed thousands of persons with a few loaves and fishes would establish a temporal kingdom amongst them, had given them this solemn caution: “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.” These words they had not fully understood. They supposed that some great advantages were to be derived from him; and that some particular works were to be done, in order to obtain them: but what works they were, they did not know. They asked therefore of our Lord, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God? thou speakest of some works appointed to be done by us; and we want to know what they are, in order that we may commence the performance of them.” It must here be observed, that they use, throughout their reply, the very same word as Jesus had used when he bade them “labour [Note: ver. 27. ἐ ñ ã Ü æ å ó è å .].” Our blessed Lord, still using the same word, says, “This is the work of God,” (that is, this is the thing which God enjoins you to do, in order to a participation of the blessings which I am come to bestow), that ye believe on Him whom he hath sent.”
In opening these words, I will shew,
I. What is that work which God more particularly requires of us—
It is, that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ.
Let us, however, distinctly notice what kind of a work this is—
[It is not a mere assent to the truth of his Messiahship, but an humble affiance in him as the Saviour of the world. We must feel our need of him — — — We must see the suitableness and sufficiency of his salvation — — — We must actually go to him as the appointed Saviour, and seek acceptance with God through Him alone — — — We must renounce every other hope — — — and make him “all our salvation and all our desire” — — —]
And let us bear in mind, that this is “the work of God”—
[It is a work. True, indeed, it is often in the Scriptures opposed to works; as when it is said, “A man is not justified by the works of the Law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ [Note: Gal_2:16.]: still, however, it is a work, and a great work too, and such a work as none but God himself can enable us to perform. Only bear in mind the foregoing description of it, and you will see, that, in order to the exercise of it, there must be the deepest prostration of soul before God, and a going-forth of the whole soul to him in a way of humble and grateful affiance. And who is sufficient for the performance of it? Verily, “it is the gift of God,” and of God only [Note: Eph_2:8.]: it is his grace, and his grace alone, that can ever form it in the soul [Note: Act_18:27. Php_1:29.]. It is his work also, not merely because he alone can work it in us, but because it is that which he requires of every living man. When he commanded his Gospel to be preached to the whole world, this was the declaration which was to be universally and invariably made; “He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; and he that believeth not, shall be damned.”]
To justify what is here said of faith, I proceed to shew,
II. Why it has this great pre-eminence above all other works—
In some respects, faith is inferior to other graces: as the Apostle says, “Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity [Note: 1Co_13:3.].” There are, however, some points of view in which faith rises above every other grace, and may, in a pre-eminent degree, be called, “The work of God.”
1. It is that for which Christ himself “was sent” into the world—
[He was sent, no doubt, to redeem the world by his own most precious blood. He was sent “to die for us—He, the just, for us the unjust, that he might bring us to God.” But, in executing this office, he was to become the one object of faith and hope to the whole world. He was lifted up upon the cross, precisely in the way that the brazen serpent was erected on the pole in the wilderness. The serpent was to convey healing to those only who looked to it as God’s appointed instrument for that end: and the Lord Jesus must in like manner be looked to, in order to a participation of his benefits; as he says by the prophet, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth [Note: Isa_45:22.].” This our blessed Lord pointed out, with very extraordinary fulness, in his discourse with Nicodemus. He repeated it again, and again, and again: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so shall the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world as to give his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God .. … He that believeth on the Son hath life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him [Note: Joh_3:14-18; Joh_3:36.].” If we believe not on him, we defeat, as far as respects ourselves, all the gracious purposes of God the Father, who hath sent him; and all that Christ himself has done, in dying for us; and all that the Holy Spirit has done, in bearing testimony to him, and in revealing him to the world. There is no other grace, the want of which does such dishonour to God, as this: for it sets aside all the wonders of his love, and pours contempt on all the riches of his grace. The whole mystery of godliness is made void, unless he who was “God manifest in the flesh” is also “believed on in the world [Note: 1Ti_3:16.].”]
2. It is that, without which all other graces will be of no avail—
[I will suppose a person to possess as many graces as St. Paul himself: of what use will they be to the salvation of his soul, if he believe not in the Lord Jesus Christ? If, indeed, we had never sinned at all, and were to continue sinless to our dying hour, we might hope for acceptance with God without the intervention of Christ. But, as we are sinners before God, how can we ever obtain forgiveness with him, except through the atonement which has been offered for us? But, if we obey perfectly, we do no more than our duty: there can be no overplus to merit the forgiveness of past sin. And, if God were freely to forgive the past, what could we do to purchase heaven? What act have we ever done which we could presume to carry to Almighty God, saying, ‘This needs no forgiveness at thy hands; on the contrary, it is so perfect and meritorious, that I can claim all the glory of heaven as a just recompence for it?’ Verily, if Job himself, the most perfect man upon earth, dared not urge such a plea in his own behalf [Note: Job_9:20.], much less can we: and therefore we must renounce every such self-righteous thought, and, with the Apostle Paul, “desire to be found in Christ; not having our own righteousness, which is of the Law, but the righteousness which is of God by faith in Christ [Note: Php_3:9.].” Let me not be misunderstood, as though I would undervalue graces of any kind: they are all good and necessary in their place: but no one of them, nor all together, can justify the soul before God: that can be effected only by faith, which unites us unto Christ, and interests us in all that Christ has done and suffered for us.]
3. It is that which will secure, for every one that possesses it, all the blessings both of grace and glory—
[It is impossible for one who believes in Christ to perish. Whatever he may have been, whatever he may have done, even though he may have been as wicked as Manasseh himself, we are warranted in affirming, that, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, he may find acceptance with God: “though his sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as wool; though they have been red like crimson, they shall be made white as snow.” Our blessed Lord has expressly declared this, without any limitation or exception: “Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out.” Nor is there any limit to the benefits which the believing penitent shall obtain at his hands. Does he desire pardon? The declaration of an inspired Apostle is, “All that believe, shall be justified from all things.” Does his troubled soul sigh for peace? “Being justified by faith, be shall have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, so as to rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Does he pant after holiness? Such shall be the transforming efficacy of his faith, that “his very heart shall be purified by it;” and in the exercise of it he shall “be changed into the Saviour’s image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
Now there is no other grace, of which these things can be spoken; because there is no other grace that can unite us to Christ, or derive from him those rich communications which alone can produce these great effects.]
Application—
1. Is there, then, an inquirer here?
[I suppose there are some who are ready to ask, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ Let me, before I reply to this, ask in return, ‘Are you sincere in making this inquiry? And will you, if I set before you the very truth of God, endeavour earnestly to comply with it? Can you, from your hearts, declare before God what Jeremiah’s hearers engaged to him, “The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for which the Lord thy God shall send thee unto us: whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the Lord our God [Note: Jer_42:3-6.].” ’ If this be really the disposition of your minds, then do I confidently return to you the answer which St. Paul gave to the jailor’s inquiry, “What shall I do to be saved?” “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” This is the work which must be done by all: and this work really and truly done, you shall as surely find acceptance with God, as if you were already in heaven. I do not say, that, when you have done this, there remains nothing more to be done: but I say, that if this he really done, all the rest will follow. Once find the sweetness of that truth, “There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus,” and you will soon attain the character inseparable from it: “You will walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”]
2. But methinks I hear the voice of an objector—
[Some one, perhaps, is saying, ‘A fine easy way to heaven indeed! Only believe; and you may live as you will, and be sure of heaven at the last!’ But this objection will never be urged by one who knows what faith really is. Were it a mere assent to any set of truths, we might well be alarmed at the virtue assigned to it. But it is a grace, which contains in it the seed of all other graces. We speak of a living, not a dead faith: and a living faith will as surely be productive of holiness, both of heart and life, as the light of the sun will dispel the shadows of the night.
But the objector will say, that our whole statement is contrary to the Holy Scriptures; since our blessed Lord, in answer to one who had asked him, “Good Master, what shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” replied, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” The same answer will I give, if, like that inquirer, you are determined to save yourselves by your doings. But then, remember, you must keep them all, and perfectly too, and from the first to the latest moment of your existence. But if, in one instance, even though it be in thought only, you fail, the law will curse you to all eternity; as it is written, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them.” And if you will not rest your hopes on such an obedience as this, then is there no other refuge for you but the Lord Jesus Christ, nor any other hope of acceptance for you than through faith in him. But if you still wish to adhere to the commandments, know that “this is God’s commandment, that ye believe in his Son Jesus Christ [Note: 1Jn_3:23.];” and that there is no commandment in the Decalogue more peremptorily given than this; since it is expressly declared, that “if you obey it, you shall he saved: and if you obey it not, you shall be damned.”]
3. Let me not close the subject without a few words to one, as an approver—
[It is truly delightful to think, that, however hostile the heart of man is to this doctrine, there are some who cordially approve it. Beloved brother, whoever thou art, who embracest it from thy heart, I congratulate thee from my inmost soul. For, in relation to all other works, a self-righteous man can never tell whether he has a sufficiency of them to justify him before God. To his latest hour he must be in fearful suspense about the state of his soul: but thou hast in thine own bosom a ground of the fullest assurance. The work of faith is such as will at once commend itself to thy conscience as really done. Thou wilt feel a consciousness that thou renouncest every other hope, and reliest on Christ alone. And in Christ there is such a sufficiency of all that thou needest, that thou canst not possibly entertain a doubt, whether he be able to save thee to the uttermost. Go on, then, “strong in faith, and giving glory to God.” And, as the world will look for the fruits of thy faith, yea, and as God himself also will judge by them, see that thou shew thy faith by thy works, and that thou “abound in all the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God.”]