Chapter Eleven
Endeavour diligently to perform the great work of believing ake a diligent effort to believe in Christ in the right manner without delay, and then continue and grow in your most holy faith. By doing so, your experience of Christ, your union and fellowship with Him, and your pursuit of holiness through Him, will be initiated, sustained, and enhanced within you.
After explaining the powerful and effective means for holy living, my remaining task is to guide you in putting them into practice and improving upon them for the immediate achievement of the desired outcome. It should be evident from the preceding instructions that faith in Christ is the starting point for a holy life, and it lays the foundation for all other righteous duties within the soul.
It has already been sufficiently demonstrated that by faith, Christ
Himself, along with all the necessary qualities to enable us to live a holy life, is actually received into our hearts. This is the unifying grace through which the Spirit of God establishes a mystical marriage between Christ and us, making us branches of the noble vine, members of the body joined to the glorious head, living stones of the spiritual temple built upon the precious living cornerstone and sure foundation, and partakers of the bread and drink that descended from heaven and give life to the world. This grace enables us to transition from our corrupted natural state to a new state of holiness in Christ, moving from death in sin to a life of righteousness. It also provides us with comfort, stability, and strength in every good word and deed.
If we ask the question, "What must we do to do the works of God?"
Christ provides the answer: "Believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:28, 29). He emphasizes the importance of the work of believing, which is the foremost work of God, the work from which all other good works proceed.
The first aspect of this instruction is to prompt you to actively engage in the great work of believing in Christ and to guide you in doing so. You must consider four distinct elements within it.
1. The first is that you must diligently strive to perform the great work of believing in Christ. Many people pay little attention to this duty.
It is not known through natural understanding like many moral duties; rather, it is only revealed supernaturally through the gospel, and it is considered foolishness by those who rely solely on their natural senses. These individuals may be alarmed by other sins and examine themselves concerning them, even making lists to aid their memory and devotion. However, the great sin of not believing in Christ is rarely contemplated during their self-examinations or included in their extensive lists of sins. Even those who acknowledge that believing in Christ is a necessary duty for salvation often neglect to make diligent efforts to fulfil it. This may be because they believe it to be a mere emotional response that can be easily performed at any time without exerting effort or diligent endeavour. Alternatively, they may view it as equally difficult as all the works of the law and deem it utterly impossible to accomplish through their most diligent efforts unless the Spirit of God works it within them by His mighty power. Consequently, they believe it is futile to strive until they experience this inward working of the Spirit in their hearts. Lastly, some consider it a duty so exclusive to the elect that it would be presumptuous for them to attempt it unless they know themselves to be chosen for eternal life through Christ.
Despite these obstacles, I urge you to diligently engage in this duty by considering the following: its worthiness, as evidenced by its preciousness, excellence, and necessity that have already been revealed.
If the natural understanding were not clouded in matters of salvation, it would reveal to us that we cannot discover the way of salvation on our own.
It would condemn those who disregard the revelation of the way of salvation given to us by God in the gospel, as declared in the Holy
Scriptures. The primary purpose of preaching the gospel is for the obedience of faith (Rom. 1:5), so that we may be brought to Christ and all other forms of obedience. Indeed, the ultimate goal of all revealed doctrines in the entire Scriptures is to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 3:15). The law given by Moses was intended for righteousness to everyone who believes (Rom. 10:4), and Christ was the fulfilment of that righteousness. The moral law itself was revealed to lead us to salvation through faith in Christ, for without it, the knowledge of the law would be of no benefit to fallen mankind, who are unable to fulfil it.
Therefore, those who disregard the duty of believing and consider it foolishness are essentially disregarding, despising, and demeaning the entire counsel of God revealed in the Scriptures. The law, the gospel, and even Christ Himself become ineffective for the salvation of such individuals. The only result they can attain through the saving doctrines of the Scriptures is hypocritical moral duties and slavish performances, which will be like filthy rags in the sight of God on the Day of Judgment.
Although many do not consider the sin of unbelief during self-examination and do not include it in their lists, they should know that it is the most destructive sin of all. All the sins listed would not be condemning, nor would they dominate their conduct, if it were not for unbelief. This one prevailing sin makes it impossible for them to please God in any duty whatsoever (Heb. 11:6). If they do not pay attention to this primary sin now, God will ultimately call it to their attention with great severity, for "he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36). "The Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus" (2 Thess. 1:7, 8).
1. Believing in Christ is a task that requires diligent effort and labour to accomplish. We must labour to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall through unbelief (Heb. 4:11). We must strive for the full assurance of hope until the end, so that we may be followers of those who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises (Heb. 6:11, 12). It is a work that necessitates the exertion of might and power, thus we need to be strengthened with power through the Spirit in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith (Eph.
3:16, 17). I acknowledge that it is easy, pleasant, and delightful in its essence, as it is an inward motion of the heart without burdensome physical labour. It involves accepting Christ and His salvation as our own, which is immensely comforting and enjoyable. The soul is propelled by love for Christ and its own happiness, an affection that makes even difficult tasks easy and pleasurable. However, it becomes challenging for us due to the opposition we face from our own inner corruptions and Satan's temptations.
It is not an easy task to receive Christ as our happiness and free salvation with genuine confidence and fervent affection, especially when the weight of sin burdens the conscience and the wrath of God is revealed through the Word and terrifying judgments. This difficulty is compounded when we have long been accustomed to seeking salvation through our own works and view the way of salvation by free grace as foolish and harmful.
Additionally, our desires strongly incline us towards worldly and carnal pursuits, and Satan does his utmost to hinder us from sincerely fulfilling this duty through his own suggestions, false teachers, worldly allurements, and terrors.
Many works that are easy in themselves prove to be difficult for us to perform in our specific circumstances. Forgiving our enemies and loving them as ourselves may seem like a simple mental act, but many who are aware of their duty find it challenging to bring their hearts to actually do it.
Similarly, casting our cares on God for worldly matters may seem easy for the rich, but it becomes difficult for the poor who have large families to provide for. Even the seemingly easy and comforting duty that Moses exhorted the Israelites to perform when they were trapped at the Red Sea by Pharaoh and his chariots - "Fear not; stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show you today" (Exod. 14:13) - was not easily carried out.
Ironically, the very easiness of certain duties makes them difficult to perform. For example, Naaman the Syrian struggled to accept the simple and easy remedy of washing himself to be cleansed of leprosy because he thought it was too trivial (2 Kings 5:12, 13). Similarly, in the case of believing in Christ, some people are offended by the duty, considering it too slight and easy a remedy to cure the soul's leprosy. They believe that a more challenging task should be assigned to achieve such a great end as eternal salvation. Even though the work of believing may appear easy to many, common experience has shown that people are more readily inclined to engage in the most burdensome, unreasonable, and inhumane practices. For instance, the Jews and Christian Galatians were more easily swayed to take on the yoke of Moses' law, which no one could bear (Acts 15:10). The heathens were more easily convinced to burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods (Deut. 12:31). The Papists are more easily led to make vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, adhering to rigorous rules of monastic discipline, subjecting their bodies to fasting, scourging, and pilgrimage, and enduring the excessive tyranny of the papal hierarchy through a multitude of burdensome superstitious and absurd devotions.
Those who underestimate the work of faith due to its easiness reveal that they have not yet grasped the multitude of their sins, the terrible curse of the law, and the wrath of God under which they were condemned. They have not recognized the darkness and futility of their minds, the corruption and hardness of their hearts, and their bondage to the power of sin and Satan.
They have not truly been humbled, and without such humility, they cannot believe in the right manner. Many sincere believers have experienced that it is a difficult task to bring their hearts to the duty of believing. It has required vigorous struggles and fierce battles against their own corruptions and Satan's temptations. It is such a challenging work that we cannot accomplish it without the mighty working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
Only He can make it absolutely easy for us and determines whether it remains difficult based on the varying degrees of grace He chooses to impart to our souls.
1. Although we cannot perform this great work in the right manner until the Spirit of God works faith in our hearts through His mighty power, it is necessary for us to endeavour it. We cannot perform any holy duty acceptably unless the Spirit of God works it in us.
However, this does not excuse us from our own efforts; rather, it stirs us up to greater diligence. As the Scripture says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12-
13). The Spirit works faith in the elect by urging them to endeavour to believe. This is in line with the means that the Spirit employs, namely the exhortations, commands, and invitations of the gospel.
These would have no effect if we were not to obey them until faith had already been worked in us.
Likewise, we cannot find that the Spirit of God effectively works faith or gives strength to believe until we act upon it. Just as all internal virtues, like other internal habits, are discerned through their actions, we cannot perceive love for God or others in our hearts until we act upon it. Children do not know their ability to stand on their feet until they make the effort to do so. Similarly, we do not know our spiritual strength until we gain experience and understanding through its use and exercise.
We cannot know or absolutely assure ourselves that the Spirit of God will give us the strength to believe before we act in faith. Such knowledge and assurance, if genuine, already involve having faith to some extent. Whoever confidently trusts in Christ for the strength to believe through His Spirit essentially trusts in Christ for their own salvation, as it is inseparably linked with the grace of saving faith. Although the Spirit works other duties in us through faith, He directly works faith in us through hearing, knowing, and understanding the Word. As it is written, "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Rom. 10:17).
In the Word, the Spirit does not make an absolute promise or declaration that He will work faith in a specific unbelieving heart or give strength to believe to any particular individual, or initiate the work of believing in Christ. For faith itself is the first grace through which we have a personal interest in any saving promise. It remains hidden in God's secret counsel and purpose concerning us whether He will grant us His Spirit and saving faith, until our election is revealed by our actual belief.
Therefore, as soon as we understand the duty of believing, we must immediately apply ourselves to its vigorous performance. In doing so, we will find that the Spirit of Christ has strengthened us to believe, even though we do not know for certain beforehand. The Spirit comes upon the elect invisibly, working faith within them, like the wind that blows where it pleases and no one knows its origin or destination, yet we hear its sound and thereby recognize it when it has passed by (John 3:8). We must therefore commence the work before we know that the Spirit is or will be working in us for salvation. And if we belong to Christ, we will be willing to engage in the work, for "Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power" (Psalm 110:3). It is sufficient that God reveals to us in the gospel what faith is and the foundation we have to believe in Christ for our own salvation. He requires this duty of us and will assist us in its performance if we wholeheartedly devote ourselves to it. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:6). "Arise and work, and the LORD will be with you" (1 Chronicles 22:16). Therefore, whoever receives this gospel revelation as the Word of God in genuine love is taught by the Spirit and will certainly come to Christ through faith (John 6:45).
Anyone who rejects it despises God, calls Him a liar, and justly deserves to perish due to their unbelief.
1. Although the Spirit works saving faith exclusively in the elect, and others do not believe because they are not among Christ's sheep (John 10:26), and it is referred to as the faith of God's chosen ones (Titus 1:1), everyone who hears the gospel is obligated to the duty of believing, just as they are obligated to all the duties of the moral law. This obligation exists prior to their knowledge of their own individual election, and they are subject to condemnation for unbelief, as well as for any other sin. "Whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" (John 3:18). The apostle Paul shows that the elect
Israelites obtained salvation, while the rest who were not chosen were blinded. Yet even these were cut off from the good olive tree because of their unbelief (Rom. 11:7, 20).
We cannot have certain knowledge of our election to eternal life until we believe. It remains a hidden matter in God's unfathomable counsel until it is revealed through our effectual calling and belief in Christ. The apostle recognized the election of the Thessalonians by observing the evidence of their faith, that the gospel came to them "not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction" and that they had "received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit" (1
Thess. 1:4-6). If we desire to ascertain our calling, we must first examine our faith (1 Cor. 1:26-27). Therefore, we must believe in Christ before knowing our election, otherwise we will never come to know it and will never have faith.
It is not presumptuous for us to place confident trust in Christ for eternal life before we have any solid evidence of our election. This is because God, who cannot lie, has made a general promise "that everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame," without making any distinction among those who fulfill this duty (Rom. 10:11-12). This promise is as firm and certain to be fulfilled as any of God's decrees and purposes, making it a valid and sufficient basis for our confidence. It is certain that all whom the Father has given to Christ through the eternal decree of election will come to Him, and it is equally certain that Christ will never cast out anyone who comes to Him, regardless of who they are (John 6:37). We need not fear that we will violate God's decree of election by confidently believing in Christ for our salvation before knowing what God has specifically ordained for us. For if we believe, we will eventually be counted among the elect, and if we refuse to believe, we will willingly place ourselves among the reprobate, those who stumble at the word and are disobedient, as they were destined to be (1
Peter 2:8).
I would like to emphasize that even though we have no proof of our specific election before we believe, we should confidently trust in Christ to make it evident to us by granting us the salvation that is exclusively for the elect. All the spiritual and saving blessings that God bestows upon His people in Christ are specifically reserved for those whom He chose in Christ before the world was created (Eph. 1:3-4). However, we must trust in Christ for those saving blessings; otherwise, we will have none at all. We should pray in unwavering faith, believing that God will remember us with the favour He shows to His people, so that we may experience the goodness of His chosen ones and share in His inheritance (Ps. 106:4-5). Therefore, we should have full confidence in God, trusting that He will treat us as His chosen people.
This clearly shows that it is not presumption but rather our solemn obligation to engage in the significant task of believing in Christ for salvation without questioning beforehand whether we are elected or not.
"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deut. 29:29).
The second aspect I want to address is the necessity of striving for a proper manner of fulfilling this duty. This is crucial because the absence of it will render your faith ineffective for sanctification and salvation. The great duty of love, which is the fulfillment of the law and the primary fruit of sanctification, must flow from sincere faith (1 Tim. 1:5). There exists a counterfeit faith that does not truly welcome Christ into the heart and does not produce genuine love or obedience, as exemplified by Simon Magus (Acts 8:13, 23), who, despite his faith, remained in the "gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." Similarly, there were Jews to whom Christ would not entrust Himself because they did not openly confess Him, fearing they would be expelled from the synagogue (John 2:24; 12:42). The apostle
James also speaks of this kind of faith: "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? Even the demons believe—and shudder!" (James 2:14, 19). Therefore, be cautious not to deceive yourselves with a counterfeit faith, but rather possess the genuine faith in God's chosen ones.
The key to distinguishing between true and false faith lies in understanding the correct manner of believing that leads to salvation.
Hypocrites may perform the same actions as genuine believers, but they lack the proper manner of performance, which is the essence of excellence in this work. One of the main reasons why "many strive to enter through the narrow door and are not able" is because they are ignorant and deficient in the right way of exercising the faith that enables them to enter (Luke
13:24). I acknowledge that only God is capable of effectively guiding us in the right way of believing. When we recognize our own foolishness and propensity to go astray, and when we genuinely desire and strive to believe in Christ correctly, we can confidently trust that Christ will guide us. God has promised that even simple and foolish travellers will not go astray on the path of holiness and that He will teach sinners along the way. He guides the humble in judgement and teaches them His ways (Psalm 25:8-9). He also commands those lacking wisdom to ask for it from Him in faith, without doubting (James 1:5-6). However, we must understand that God guides us according to the principles laid out in His Word, and we must make an effort to learn the right way of believing from the Word itself.
Otherwise, we will not be able to trust God correctly for guidance and direction in this significant work.
To assist you in this matter, I have previously provided a description of saving faith in this treatise, explaining that it consists of two acts: believing the truth of the gospel and believing in Christ as revealed and freely offered to us in the gospel for our salvation. Your primary endeavour should be to perform both of these acts in the right manner, as I will now explain in detail for each of them.
Firstly, it is crucial that you strive for a genuine belief in the truth of the gospel of Christ. This will equip, dispose, and encourage you to believe in Christ as He is revealed and promised in the gospel. By doing so, you will overcome any unsettling thoughts and objections raised by Satan or your own conscience, as well as conquer any corrupt inclinations that hinder a joyful acceptance of Christ and His salvation. Through experience, it has been observed that when individuals falter in the second act of faith, the root cause can usually be traced back to a deficiency in this first act. There is often some false notion or misconception within them that contradicts the belief in the truth of the gospel. This false belief acts as a stronghold of sin and Satan that must be dismantled before they can truly receive Christ into their hearts through faith. If they truly understood the nature of Christ as revealed in the gospel and rightly discerned the truth and excellence of it, they would not hesitate to place their trust in Him. We are in great danger of entertaining such false notions due to our ignorance, self-conceit, guilty consciences, corrupt affections, and numerous errors that cloud our judgement in matters of salvation. Moreover, Satan labours to deceive us, as he did with Eve, using his cunning to corrupt our minds and divert us from the simplicity of the gospel found in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3). Therefore, I will provide you with specific instructions of utmost importance to prevent the defects to which we are most susceptible in the first act of our faith.
1. You must fully believe and be convinced that by nature, like everyone else, you are a child of wrath, separated from God due to the sin of the first Adam. You are spiritually dead in your transgressions and sins, subject to the curse of God's law and the power of Satan, and destined for eternal misery. It is impossible for you to reconcile with God or gain spiritual life and strength to do good works by attempting to obtain salvation through the terms of the legal covenant. You cannot escape from this sinful and miserable condition through your own reasoning and understanding; it requires supernatural revelation and the infinite power that raises the dead.
We should not fear, as some do, to acknowledge our own wretchedness and sinfulness, nor should we be willing to think better of ourselves than we truly are. Instead, we should sincerely desire and be glad to know the worst about our own condition. Even when we have discovered the worst about ourselves, we should be willing to believe that our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked, beyond what we can comprehend (Jeremiah 17:9). This is necessary to produce true humility, self-despair, and self-loathing within us, so that we may highly value and earnestly seek the salvation of Christ as the one essential thing. It causes us to detest sin and become aware of our need for the great Physician, being willing to follow any of His prescriptions, regardless of the suffering involved, rather than relying on our own wisdom (Matthew 9:12).
The lack of this humility is what hindered the scribes and Pharisees from entering the kingdom of heaven as readily as the tax collectors and prostitutes (Matthew 21:31).
2. You must firmly believe that there is no way to be saved without receiving all the saving benefits of Christ: His Spirit as well as His merits, sanctification as well as the forgiveness of sins, through faith.
Many souls are ruined because they trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins without considering holiness. However, these two benefits are inseparably connected in Christ, so that only those who are enabled to walk in holiness, that is, "not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:1), are freed from condemnation by Christ. It is also detrimental to seek only the forgiveness of sins through faith in Christ while pursuing holiness through our own efforts according to the terms of the law. We can never live for God in holiness unless we are dead to the law and live solely through Christ dwelling in us by faith. Faith that does not embrace holiness along with the forgiveness of sins from Christ will never sanctify us, and as a result, it will never lead us to heavenly glory (Hebrews 12:14).
1. You must firmly believe in the all-sufficiency of Christ for your own salvation, as well as for all who believe in Him. His blood is capable of cleansing from all sin (1 John 1:7). No matter how great and terrible our sins may be, no matter how long they have persisted, He is able to deliver us from the power of sin and mortify our strong corruptions.
In Scripture, we find that even abominably wicked individuals have been saved by Him: idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, covetous, drunkards, extortioners, and so on (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Those who have sinned against the light of nature, like the heathens, or against the light of Scripture, like the Jews. Even those who have denied Christ, like Peter, or persecuted and blasphemed Him, like Paul. Many who have fallen into great sins are eternally ruined because they do not consider the grace of Christ sufficient for their forgiveness and sanctification. When they believe they have gone too far and are beyond all hope of recovery, they question how they can live with their sins upon them (Ezekiel 33:10). This despair silently works in many souls, causing them to become careless about their souls and true religion. The devil fills some with abhorrent, filthy, and blasphemous thoughts with the intention of making them believe their sins are too great to be forgiven. However, such thoughts are often the least of their sins, and rather the devil's sin than their own, as they are forced into them against their will. But if their hearts are somewhat polluted within them, Christ testifies that "all kinds of sins and blasphemies will be forgiven, except the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 12:31).
As for those guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the reason they are never forgiven is not due to any insufficiency in the blood of Christ or the merciful pardon of God, but because they never repent of that sin and never seek God's mercy through Christ, persisting in obstinacy until death.
Scripture attests that "it is impossible to renew them again to repentance" (Hebrews 6:5-6). Therefore, the merits of Christ are sufficient for all who seek mercy by believing in Him.
There are others who despair of ever gaining victory over their lusts because they have made many vows and resolutions in the past, and have made vigorous efforts against them in vain. Such individuals must persuade themselves that the grace of Christ is sufficient for them when all other means have failed. They should have the faith of the woman with the issue of blood, who, despite not being healed by any remedies prescribed by physicians, believed that if she could just touch the clothes of Christ, she would be made well (Mark 5:25-28). Those who despair due to the magnitude of their guilt and corruption greatly dishonour and underestimate the grace of God, His infinite mercy, and the infinite merits of Christ's blood and the power of His Spirit. They deserve to perish with Cain and Judas. In this wicked generation, many people who indulge in licentiousness secretly harbor despair, which leads them to be desperate in swearing, blaspheming, whoring, drunkenness, and all manner of wickedness. No matter how heinous and abhorrent our sins and corruptions may be, we must learn to consider them insignificant in comparison to the grace of Christ, who is both God and man. He offered Himself up as an infinitely valuable sacrifice for our salvation, through the eternal Spirit, and is capable of recreating us as easily as He created the world with a mere word.
1. You must firmly believe in the truth of the general free promise, specifically in your own case, that if you sincerely believe in Christ, you shall have everlasting life just like anyone else in the world.
You do not need to fulfill any works or conditions to have a share in Christ, for the promise is universal: "Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame" (Romans 9:33), without exception. If God does not exclude you, then you must not exclude yourself. Instead, confidently conclude that no matter how vile, wicked, and unworthy you may be, if you come to Christ, you will be accepted just like anyone else in the world. You must believe in the great article of the Creed—the forgiveness of sins—in your own case, when you are personally concerned, for it will be of little benefit to believe it in the case of others. This is what prevents many broken and wounded spirits from coming to the great Physician when they are convinced of the abominable filthiness of their hearts, realizing that they are dead in sin without even a spark of true grace and holiness. They think it is pointless for people like them to trust in Christ for salvation, believing that Christ will never save someone like them.
But why so? At worst, they can only be lost creatures, and Christ came to seek those who are lost. If those who are dead in sin cannot be saved, then all must despair and perish, for no one has any spiritual life until they receive it through believing in Christ.
Some believe themselves to be worse than others, thinking that no one has as wicked a heart as theirs, and even if others are accepted, they will be rejected. But they should know that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15), and that God's purpose is to "show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7), which is most glorified by pardoning the greatest sinners.
It is simply our ignorance to think ourselves as nobodies, for everyone else, just like us, is naturally "dead in trespasses and sins." Their minds are hostile to God, not submitting to His law, and they cannot do so (Romans
8:7). "Every intention of the thoughts of their hearts is only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). They all have the same corrupt source of abominations in their hearts, even though we may have exceeded many others in various actual sins.
Others believe that they have stayed too long and therefore will find no place for repentance, even if they seek it earnestly with tears (Hebrews
12:17). But behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2), as long as God calls you through the gospel.
Although Esau was rejected for seeking earthly blessings rather than the spiritual blessings of the birthright, those who seek the enjoyment of Christ and His salvation as their sole happiness will not be rejected. If you come into Christ's vineyard at the eleventh hour of the day, you will receive your reward just like those who came early in the morning, because the reward is given by grace, not merit (Matthew 20:9-10). In this regard, you must firmly believe that Christ and His salvation are freely given as a gift to those who do not work to earn any right or title to Him, or any worthiness or deservingness to receive Him. Simply "believe in him who justifies the ungodly" (Romans 4:5). If you place any condition of works or good qualifications between yourself and Christ, it will become a partition wall that you can never climb over.
1. You must firmly believe that it is the will of God for you to believe in Christ and have eternal life through Him, just like anyone else.
Your act of believing is a duty that is highly pleasing to God, and He will assist you in this work, just as He assists anyone else, because
He calls and commands you through the gospel to believe in Christ.
This encourages us to embark cheerfully on the task of believing, as when Jesus commanded the blind man to be called, and they said to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you" (Mark 10:49). A command from Christ made Peter walk on water (Matthew 14:29).
In this matter, we are not to delve into God's secret of predestination or the purpose of His will in His gracious invitations and commands, through which we are required to believe in Christ. This divine will is affirmed by His oath: "As I live, declares the Lord
God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?" (Ezekiel 33:11).
Christ testifies that He "would often have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing" (Matthew 23:37). And the apostle Paul testifies that "God desires all people to be saved" (1 Timothy 2:4), and so on.
You must reject and dismiss all thoughts that contradict this conviction.
Even if only a few are saved, your salvation will not make the number too great, for few will join you in the duty of believing. Even if the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against you through various terrible judgments, and the Word of God and your own conscience condemn you, and it seems as if Christ regards you no better than a dog, as He did the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:26), you must interpret all these things in a positive light—that their purpose is to drive you to Christ—just as the curses of the law and all their dreadful consequences served the purpose of leading you to Christ (Romans 10:4). If a prophet or an angel from heaven were specifically sent by God to proclaim the sentence of eternal damnation against you, it would be your duty to believe that God sent them to give you timely warning for the very purpose of believing and turning to God through faith and repentance. Jeremiah prophesied against the Jews, declaring that God would "pluck up, break down, and destroy" them because of their sins, yet he himself taught them that if they turned from their evil ways, God would relent of the disaster He had pronounced against them (Jeremiah 18:7-8, 11). Jonah preached nothing but certain destruction to Nineveh, announcing that the city would be overthrown in forty days (Jonah 3:4), yet the intention behind this terrifying message was for the people of Nineveh to escape destruction through repentance.
The most severe and absolute declarations of divine punishment against us in this world must always be understood with a hidden provision of salvation for us, based on our faith and repentance. We should believe that God pronounces His judgements against us in such a terrifying manner so that we may escape them by seeking refuge in His free mercy through Christ.
Be cautious of entertaining thoughts that God has decreed to show no saving mercy to you, or that you have already committed the unforgivable sin, or that it is futile for you to attempt the act of believing because God will not assist you in it. If such thoughts prevail in your hearts, they will cause more harm than the most blasphemous thoughts that frighten you or the grossest sins you have ever committed because they hinder your belief in Christ for salvation. "The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come.'" Christ says, "Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (Revelation 22:17). Therefore, we must reject all thoughts that hinder us from coming to Christ as extremely sinful and harmful, arising from our own corrupt nature and Satan's deception, and completely contrary to the mind of Christ and the teachings of His Spirit.
And what reason do we have to entertain such unbelieving thoughts? Has God made us part of His inner circle, enabling us to know that He has decreed our damnation before it becomes evident through our final unbelief and impenitence? As for the unforgivable sin, it consists of "renouncing salvation through Christ with a whole heart, after we have come to know it and have been convinced of its truth by the gospel." It is the sin that the Christian Hebrews would have committed if they had turned away from Christianity and embraced the religion of the unbelieving Jews who considered Christ to be an impostor and were vehement persecutors of Him and His ways (Hebrews 6:4-5). Those who have committed this sin remain relentless, malicious enemies of Christ and His ways until the end, without any repentance. Therefore, if you can find within yourself a genuine desire to have a relationship with Christ and to be a better Christian than you currently are, if you are troubled and saddened by the wickedness of your heart and life and long for faith, love, and true obedience, and if your heart is not maliciously inclined to persecute the gospel or to prefer atheism, licentiousness, or any false religion over it, then you have no reason to suspect that you are guilty of this unforgivable sin.
Add to all these a firm belief in the incomparable and glorious excellence of Christ and the way of salvation through Him. You are to consider the experience of Christ as the only true salvation and genuine happiness, a happiness that holds immeasurable riches of glory and will overflow with abundant peace, joy, and glory for all eternity. We must regard everything else as worthless compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord (Philippians 3:8). Such a conviction will allure and incline your will and affections to choose and embrace Christ as the ultimate good, and you will never be satisfied until you experience Him and reject anything that competes with Him or His enjoyment. Christ is precious in the eyes of all true believers (1 Peter 2:7). Their high esteem of His incomparable preciousness and excellence motivates them to sell everything in order to obtain this priceless pearl (Matthew 13:46). It leads them to say, "Lord, always give us this bread" that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:33, 34, 68). "Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, your name is as ointment poured forth; therefore the virgins love you" (Song of Solomon 1:3). They are lovesick for Him because, in their eyes, He is the most excellent among ten thousand (Song of Solomon 5:8, 10).
Just as the glory of God, manifested in the magnificent beauty of the temple and in the wisdom and splendour of Solomon, drew worshippers from all corners of the earth, the unparalleled excellence of Christ, which was foreshadowed by the glory of Solomon and the temple, more powerfully attracts believers in the present age of the gospel. The devil, who is the god of this world, knows how crucial it is for our salvation to perceive the full glory and excellence of Christ. Therefore, wherever the gospel is preached, he works tirelessly to obscure the glory of Christ in the ministry and blind the minds of people, "lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them" (2
Corinthians 4:4). One who is convinced of the truth of the gospel may hesitate to embrace it until they also see its goodness, that Christ is altogether lovely and excellent.
Now I turn to the second key act of faith, which is actually receiving
Christ Himself, His Spirit, and all His saving benefits into the heart. This act involves believing in Christ as He is revealed and freely promised to us in the gospel, for the sake of His complete salvation. The Spirit of God habitually predisposes and inclines our hearts to perform this act correctly by enabling us to carry out the first act of faith as instructed earlier— believing firmly in the great truths of the gospel that deliver us into a form of teaching (Romans 6:17). We are to obey this teaching from the depths of our hearts and follow it as our model in the way we exercise faith in Christ for salvation. Therefore, I only need to briefly exhort you to put your faith into action in Christ according to the form and pattern that has already been extensively explained to you.
You are to believe in Christ as the sole and more than sufficient source of your happiness and salvation, completely abandoning any notion of finding happiness through our own wisdom, strength, righteous works, or any earthly or worldly confidences whatsoever. We must consider all other confidences as loss for the sake of Christ, following the example of the blessed apostle (Philippians 3:3, 7, 8). We should not be saddened by the fact that we have nothing else to rely on for our salvation besides Christ; rather, we should rejoice that we need nothing else and that we have a secure and incomparably superior foundation to rely upon. We must resolve to place the burden of our souls entirely on Christ and seek salvation in no other way, regardless of the outcome.
If a cripple does not place their full weight on a strong staff but part of it on a rotten one, they are likely to fall. If a swimmer does not fully commit their body to the water to keep them afloat but instead clings to weeds or struggles to feel the ground, they may sink to the bottom. Christ must be all our salvation or nothing at all. If we seek to be saved by any other means, as the Galatians did through circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to us (Galatians 5:2).
You are also to receive Christ solely as a free gift given to the chief of sinners, resolving not to perform any conditions to earn a right or title to Him, but to come to Him as a lost sinner, an ungodly creature, trusting in "Him who justifies the ungodly" and "buying Him without money" and "without any price" whatsoever (Romans 4:5; Isaiah 55:2). Do not look at your faith, love, or any good qualifications in yourself as the basis for trusting in Christ, but solely on the free grace and loving-kindness of God in Christ. "How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings" (Psalm 36:7). For if you make your own faith, love, or good qualifications your primary foundation and build Christ upon them instead of building everything on Christ, you invert the order of the gospel, and Christ will be of no benefit to you.
Another thing to carefully observe is that you must come to Christ not only for deliverance from the wrath of God and the torments of hell, but also for a new holy heart, a transformed life, and everything necessary for this transformation. You must come to Him with a fervent love and affection, esteeming Him more valuable than a thousand worlds, as the sole excellent portion. You should loathe and abhor yourself as a vile, sinful, and wretched creature, considering all things as worthless compared to His surpassing excellence. So that you can sincerely say from the depths of your heart, "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You" (Psalm 73:25).
Lastly, you must strive to approach Him with full confidence and assurance of faith, relying on Christ with certainty for your own personal salvation, based on the general promise that "whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame" (Romans 9:33). You should rebuke any doubts, fears, or hesitations concerning your salvation through Christ, echoing the words of the psalmist, "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?" (Psalm 42:11).
The third aspect of this instruction is to avoid any delay in the act of believing in Christ. As long as we fail to do so, we remain under the power of sin and Satan, and under the wrath of God, with nothing but the breath in our nostrils separating us from hell. It was dangerous for Lot to linger in Sodom, as fire and brimstone could rain down upon him. The one who has unintentionally caused a person's death must quickly flee to the city of refuge, lest the avenger of blood pursue and strike him down while his heart is still hot (Deuteronomy 19:5, 6). We should hasten and not delay to keep
God's commandments (Psalm 119:60), and to seek refuge in the hope set before us (Hebrews 6:18). God commands us to flee in this manner through faith, for without it, it is impossible to please God in other duties. This work can be accomplished as soon as you hear the gospel. "As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me." (Psalm 18:44). "As soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children" (Isaiah 66:8). We have many examples of those who received the Word by faith upon hearing it for the first time. Three thousand people were added to the church on the very same day that Peter first preached the gospel in Jerusalem (Acts 2:41). Many Jews and Gentiles were converted upon hearing the apostle Paul's message for the first time in Antioch (Acts 13:48). The jailer and his entire household believed and were baptized on the same night that Paul preached to them (Acts 16:33, 34). The gospel came to the Thessalonians "not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 1:5, 6). If God opens the hearts of His people to listen attentively, they can be sufficiently instructed in the knowledge of the gospel by a single brief sermon, enough to begin practicing saving faith. And once they understand their duty, God expects immediate action without allowing any respite in a state of unbelief.
When Satan cannot succeed in convincing people to completely reject the duty of believing, his next attempt to ruin their souls is to persuade them to at least delay and postpone its performance, using various false reasoning and imaginations he puts into their minds. The most ignorant and worldly individuals are easily swayed to defer this duty until they have indulged in the pleasures, profits, and honours of this world to their heart's content.
They hope that they will have ample time for repentance before they die, typically waiting until they are confronted with infirmities, old age, or sickness. However, such delays reveal that they are truly unwilling to repent and believe, except when forced by necessity, and that they value the pleasures, profits, and honours of the world above God, Christ, and their own souls. In doing so, they render themselves more unfit for this great duty through their habitual walk in sin and by squandering the precious time of their health and strength, which is most suitable for the performance of this important work. They greatly provoke God to never grant them time or grace to repent of it.
Others believe that, once they have heard the gospel of salvation through Christ, they can lawfully postpone believing in it until they have thoroughly examined the truth of some other doctrine or until God provides them with additional means to fully assure them of the gospel's truth. These individuals, known as "seekers," waste the day of grace, constantly learning but never attaining knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:7). However, the truth of the gospel is so clearly evident in its own light that, unless people willingly close their eyes or blind themselves due to pride and love for their sinful desires, they would easily perceive it as God's truth. The image of God's grace, mercy, power, justice, and holiness is clearly engraved upon it.
It is a sign of pride when people do not consent to the words of our Lord
Jesus Christ and to the "doctrine which is according to godliness" (1
Timothy 6:3). If they were humble and sincerely inclined to do God's will, they would "know whether the doctrine is of God or not" (John 7:17). They would quickly be convinced of the truth by Moses, the prophets, Christ, and the apostles speaking to them through Scripture. And if they refuse to listen to them, they will not be persuaded even if someone were to rise from the dead or perform any other miracle to confirm the divine authority of the gospel (Luke 16:31).
There is another group of people who delay the great work of believing, to the detriment of their souls, by simply relying on attending outward means of grace and salvation instead of making efforts to receive Christ through faith, even though they are convinced of the truth of the gospel.
They consider this as waiting upon God at the doors of His grace and salvation, engaging in the prescribed means appointed by Him, and sitting under the teaching of the sanctuary. However, they must understand that this is not the true waiting on God as required in Scripture. Instead, it is disobedience to God and to the means He has ordained. God expects us to be "doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves" (James
1:22), and to come in and partake in the spiritual feast (Luke 14:23), rather than just standing at the door or sitting under the teaching, lest Christ view us as mere eavesdroppers. The holy waiting on the Lord commended to us in Scripture is always accompanied by faith and hope in the Lord and depends on them. "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord" (Psalm 27:13, 14). "It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord" (Lamentations 3:26).
What is it that these deluded ones are waiting for before they fulfill the duty of believing? Is it for more knowledge of the gospel? The way to increase your knowledge, just like any other talent, is to make use of what you have already received. Believe wholeheartedly in Christ for your salvation, based on the little knowledge of the gospel that you possess, and you will have a share in the promise of knowledge contained in the new covenant: "They shall all know me, from the least to the greatest" (Jeremiah
31:34).
Is it for the appointed time of your conversion that you are waiting? Then you are waiting like those helpless people who lay at the pool of Bethesda, waiting for the season when the angel would come down and stir the waters. Know that if you enter into Christ now through faith, you will find in Him the waters of life, and the Spirit moving them to heal and revive your soul. God has ordained that it is your duty to strive for the present time to be the time of your conversion: "As the Holy Spirit says, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts'" (Hebrews 3:7-8). And you will never know the time God has appointed in His secret counsel to grant you faith until you actually believe.
Are you waiting for any manifestations or outpourings of God's saving love to your soul? Then the way to obtain it is to believe so that the "God of hope may fill you with all joy and peace in believing" (Romans 15:13). You have more than enough manifestation of God's love to your soul through the free promises of life and salvation in Christ. Just trust in the name of the Lord and rely on your God when you walk in darkness and see no other light of sensible comforts. Otherwise, waiting for comforts in vain will only bring you sorrow from the hand of the Lord (Isaiah 50:10-11).
Are you waiting for any qualifications to prepare you for the work of believing? If these qualifications are good and holy, you cannot obtain them before faith. Rather, they are included in the nature of faith or are its fruits, as has been extensively explained. If these qualifications are bad and sinful, it is strange that anyone would wait for them, yet it is true. Some foolishly wait to be terrified with a sense of God's wrath and despairing thoughts, considering them as the pains of the new birth, although by their nature, they are more the pains of spiritual death and give birth to hatred towards
God rather than holiness. Therefore, we should strive to prevent them by believing in God's love in Christ rather than waiting for them. It is true that God makes these despairing thoughts, as well as other sins, work for the good of those who are delivered from them by faith in Christ. They are moved to hate sin, value Christ and the comforts of His gospel more, and loathe and abhor themselves. Yet many are brought to Christ without experiencing these thoughts, as God gives them the knowledge of their own sins and Christ's salvation together. Several examples of this were mentioned earlier, those who received the Word with joy upon hearing it for the first time. We should not desire or wait for any evil or sin, such as these despairing thoughts, in the hope that something good will come out of it.
Nor should we expect to get worse before we get better, when we can and should get better immediately by believing in Christ.
The fourth aspect of this guidance is that we should continue and grow in the most holy faith. And in order to do so, we must not assume that once we have obtained the grace of saving faith and have been born anew in Christ, our names being recorded in heaven, we can be careless. As long as we remain in this life, we must strive to remain in the faith, rooted and steadfast, not shifting away from the hope of the gospel (Colossians 1:23).
We are to "hold firmly to the faith we profess" and "rejoice in the hope of our confidence" until the end (Hebrews 3:6, 14). We should "build ourselves up in our most holy faith" and abound in it with thanksgiving (Jude 20; Colossians 2:7). Although we receive Christ freely through faith, we are still spiritual infants in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1). We must not consider ourselves to have already attained perfection but strive to be deeply rooted and built up in Him until we reach maturity and become like
Christ (Ephesians 4:13).
If the new nature is truly within us through regeneration, it will have a desire for its own continuation and growth until it reaches perfection, just as a newborn baby desires milk (1 Peter 2:2). Our task is not only to receive
Christ and a new holy nature through faith but also to live and walk according to it, to resist the devil and extinguish his fiery darts with it. We are also called to "grow in grace" and to "perfect holiness in the fear of God," knowing that we are kept by God's mighty power through faith for salvation (1 Peter 1:5). Just as our Christian warfare is the battle of faith (1
Timothy 6:12), our spiritual life and holiness continue, grow, or decline in accordance with the state of our faith. When faith begins to waver due to fear and doubt, the person themselves starts to sink (Matthew 14:29-31).
Faith is like Moses' hands; as long as they were raised, Israel prevailed, but when they lowered, Amalek prevailed (Exodus 17:11). This continuation and growth in faith require our effort and diligence, although we attribute all the glory to the grace of God in Christ, who is both the initiator and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
The church encounters great challenges in its journey through the wilderness of this world towards the heavenly Canaan, just as it faced difficulties in its initial deliverance from Egyptian bondage. In fact, we often face even greater challenges in pursuing perfection than we did at the beginning of the good work. God's wisdom and mercy ordain that we should be tested by the harshest providential circumstances and the fiercest assaults of our own sinful nature and Satan's temptations after we have been given the grace to stand firm in times of adversity.
Therefore, you must strive to continue and progress in the same right manner as I have taught you to begin this great work of believing in Christ.
Your faith should remain consistent from the beginning to the end, even though it may grow in intensity. Our faith is imperfect and often accompanied by doubt in this world, so we need to pray, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24), and therefore we must strive for greater faith to receive Christ more perfectly. If you see that your faith has produced good works, let that increase your confidence in Christ for salvation through His grace alone. However, be cautious not to change the nature of your faith by shifting from trusting in the grace and merits of Christ to relying on your own works, as taught in the erroneous doctrine of "first justification by grace and faith only, but second justification by works" propagated by the papacy.
Beware also of placing your trust in faith itself as a righteous work, rather than placing your trust in Christ through faith. If you find that your belief, as I have described it, does not produce the fruits of holiness that you desire, do not diminish your confidence in Christ; instead, increase it, knowing that the weakness of your faith hinders its fruitfulness. The greater your confidence in God's love for you in Christ, the greater your love for God and His service will be. If you fall into serious sin after the work of faith has begun in you, like David and Peter did, do not think that you must abandon your confidence and expect only wrath from God and Christ. Do not refuse to be comforted by the grace of Christ, even if it may take some time. Such thinking would only make you more weak and prone to falling into other sins. Instead, strive to believe with greater confidence that you have "an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," and that "He is the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 2:1, 2). Do not let the guilt of sin linger on your conscience, but quickly wash it away in the fountain of Christ's blood, which is available to us for such occasions. In doing so, you will be humbled for your sins in a gospel manner, and you will detest your own sinfulness and genuinely sorrow over it out of love for God. If not for the prayer of Christ upholding Peter's faith, he could have been eternally ruined by denying Christ, just as Judas was ruined by betraying Him (Luke
Even if all your qualifications seem clouded, and you cannot see any grace in yourselves, still trust in Him who justifies the ungodly and came to seek and save the lost. If it appears that God is treating you as an enemy, bringing upon you some terrible affliction as He did to Job, be cautious not to condemn your faith and its fruits as if they are unacceptable to God.
Instead, declare, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him; but I will maintain my ways before Him" (Job 13:15). Strive to keep and increase your faith by continually exercising faith, by trusting in God to preserve and strengthen it. Be confident that He who initiated a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6).