02.13. FAITH - 02 - How is Faith Produced?
FAITH – 02 - How is Faith Produced?
We believe in the occurrences of every-day events which have not happened in our own presence on the testimony of others Belief in Christ and the gospel facts comes in precisely the same way. Some have denied this; but they do so only on the mistaken notion that the denial of the sinner’s power to exercise saving faith on the simple proclamation of the gospel honors God, and because they strain to breaking point certain statements as to man’s helpless condition. We need not enter into argument. It is sufficient to quote the Bible’s own statement as to the production of faith.
(a) John said he wrote his gospel to produce faith. "These are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name" (John 20:31). If the gospel story is given to produce faith, surely it is idle to expect faith apart from such testimony as the gospel gives.
(b) Paul asked, "How shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" and in most explicit fashion continued, Isaiah saith, Who hath believed our report? So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" (Romans 10:14-17). A volume of argument could make the matter no clearer.
(c) Jesus said: "Preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:15-16). As in the former cases, the preaching has as its consequent belief. It is worse than sad, it is sinful, to say aught to men which will keep them from the appointed method of getting faith in Christ. Men who lack it should be referred to the divine testimony. When this is once fairly put before them it is in their power either to believe or disbelieve.
There is one passage which is often quoted in favor of the view that faith is in the direct gift of God to the human soul. Paul says: "By grace have ye been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). This text does not prove the theory. It is almost certain that the word "that" refers to the idea of salvation running through the passage. Yet we do know that faith has its origin in God (Ephesians 6:23; Php 1:29). Just as repentance is a man’s own act, yet is said to be given by God (Acts 5:31), since he furnishes the motives, so faith is at once man’s act and the gift of God who provides the testimony. What we have said already of the Spirit’s work in conversion applies here. Man is commanded to believe (Mark 1:15; Acts 16:31). A gift is not commanded. If man is told to believe, it implies he can do it. God would not command belief but for this ability He would not condemn men for the disbelief which did not lie within their power. We must not teach that faith is God’s gift in such a sense as to make him responsible for the unbelief of men. Much mischief has been done to human souls by the doctrine that "saving faith" is some mysterious and direct gift; the sinner is often encouraged to wait and agonize, when as a matter of fact the testimony of the Word of God through which faith comes (Romans 10:17) is within his reach; or when, as often happens, it is not faith which is lacking but letting faith find its legitimate outcome in obedience to and service of God.