The Doctrinal Heading for this section of questions (Q85-87) is Repentance & Faith, the Means of. (see Harmony Index)
WSC Q86. What is faith in Jesus Christ?
This and the next several catechism questions flesh out what was outlined in the previous question regarding what is needed to address the problem and effect of sin—that is, God’s wrath and curse due to us for sin. As a reminder from our last study, in order to escape that wrath and curse, we need the right information, along with the ability to understand and take the right actions. The information the fathers of our faith gave to us in our Confessions are singularly important to our present and future hope.
Let us consider these things carefully and by the Holy Spirit embrace the truth as our own. May God grant us grace and faith unto that end.
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Westminster Shorter Catechism Q86
Illustrations by John Whitecross – #1 of 6 ‘Children,’ says Richard Cecil, ‘are capable of very early impressions. I imprinted on my daughter the idea of faith at a very early age. She was playing one day with a few beads, which seemed wonderfully to delight her. Her whole soul was absorbed in her beads. I said, “My dear, you have some pretty beads there?” “Yes, father.” “And you seem vastly pleased with them? Well, now, throw them behind the fire.” The tears started into her eyes; she looked earnestly at me, as if she ought to have a reason for so cruel a sacrifice. “Well, my dear, do as you please; but you know, I never told you to do any thing which I did not think would be for your good.” She looked at me a few minutes longer, and then summoning up all her fortitude, her breast heaving with the effort, she dashed them into the fire. “Well,” said I, “there let them lie; you shall hear more about them another time; but say no more of them now.” Some days after, I bought her a boxful of larger beads and toys of the same kind. When I returned home, I opened the treasure, and set it before her: she burst into tears of excessive joy. “These, my child,” said I, “are yours, because you believed me when I told you to throw those paltry beads behind the fire; your obedience has brought you this treasure. But now, my dear, remember as long as you live, what faith is. I did all this to teach you the meaning of faith. You threw your beads away when I bade you, because you had faith in me, that I never advised you but for your good. Put the same confidence in God; believe every thing that He says in His Word. Whether you understand it or not, have faith in Him that He means your good.”‘
John Whitecross – 1828
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WSC Q86. What is faith in Jesus Christ?
A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace[a], whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel[b].
[a] Eph. 2:8-9; cf. Rom. 4:16
[b] John 20:30-31; Gal. 2:15-16; Phil. 3:3-11
Question 86 asks what faith in Jesus Christ is, and answers that faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, by which we receive and rest on him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.
Comments and considerations:
In the Garden of Eden, hostilities broke out due to man’s disobedience. God made a promise (Gen 3:15ff) that all would be made right through another man’s obedience and atonement for sin (Rom 5:10-19); Christ would come at the appointed time so that we might be redeemed and restored from our lost and hopeless estate:
“Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent’” (John 17:1-3).
So, what is faith in Jesus Christ? The answer is of such critical importance that we must not get it wrong. Recently, I happened upon an account of the trial and death of the early reformer John Huss, in Schaff’s History of the Christian Church. As I read, I wondered, how could the Church, at one time entrusted with the treasures of Christ and the gospel of truth, have fallen so far from the light and simplicity of God’s saving grace? Then I recalled Jesus’ words to Nicodemus: “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?” (John 3:10) There are none so blind as those who do not see that “faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.”
We cannot do justice to the wealth of writings on this topic, but here are a few things to note in summary:
Faith in Jesus Christ is first and foremost faith in a person. It is not a work that we do, but a work that he did. We are to place our faith and confidence in him alone. As the old hymn says, “Just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidd’st me come to thee, O Lamb of God I come, I come.” It must be faith in a particular person, the Son of God who died and gave himself to save his people (Matt 1:21).
Faith is a saving grace, an unmerited favor—God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).
In faith, we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel. Try this exercise to understand what our fathers intended to convey: consider the meaning and implication of each word, using a dictionary or asking a friend to get at the meaning of each one. What does it mean to receive, to truly rest, to rest upon Christ alone and nothing else? What is salvation? Try a synonym: what does deliverance bring to mind? Finally, what is the gospel, and what does it mean that it is offered?
It is said that the best commentary on the Bible is the Bible itself; we are to compare Scripture with Scripture. We should marvel at our secondary standards as well, how our fathers artfully pulled from the Scripture its themes and teachings, weaving together our Confessions of Faith. Here we have a definition of faith in Jesus Christ. But look further at how the Larger Catechism crafts two important questions and answers from this one.
WLC Q72. What is justifying faith?
A. Justifying faith is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God, whereby he, being convinced of his sin and misery, and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition, not only assenteth to the truth of the promise of the gospel, but receiveth and resteth upon Christ and his righteousness, therein held forth, for pardon of sin, and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for salvation.
WLC Q73. How doth faith justify a sinner in the sight of God?
A. Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God, not because of those other graces which do always accompany it, or of good works that are the fruits of it, nor as if the grace of faith, or any act thereof, were imputed to him for his justification; but only as it is an instrument by which he receiveth and applieth Christ and his righteousness.
From here you could look up the supporting verses for each of the statements above, or go down the confessional path to see what is to be learned in the Westminster Confession. It is worthwhile to follow Paul’s exhortation in II Tim. 2:15—“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [understanding] the word of truth” (KJV).
Training Hearts and Teaching Minds Questions:
1) Read Rom. 3:20-24. Outline or rephrase in simple terms what is said in these five verses, particularly focusing upon verses 22-24. What illustration does Starr Meade use in her book to describe the act of faith in securing Christ’s saving work? What other illustrations might we use to explain the role of our faith in obtaining salvation?
2) Faith does not save; it is rather the means by which we lay hold of the saving work of Christ on our behalf. Is the act of faith something we do for ourselves, or is it a gift from God as well? See Eph. 2:8-9 and John 1:10-13.
3) Because of our very nature, we are tempted to believe that there are things we can do to merit God’s favor and forgiveness. Yet how does the Apostle Paul describe what he learned in coming to the understanding that we are saved by Christ alone, apart from anything we think we can do? See Phil. 3:4-9.
4) We might face many difficulties in our lives; God is certainly able to remove them. Yet the needs we face are meant to drive us to put faith and trust in Jesus. As hard as these things might be, they are not the central problem Jesus came to earth to deal with. According to Acts 2:38; 3:19-20; 10:42-43, what is the central problem that is resolved by Christ?
Harmony of the Standards: WSC Q86, WLC 72 – 73, WFC XIV and IX
WSC Q86. What is faith in Jesus Christ?
A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace[a], whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel[b].
[a] Eph. 2:8-9; cf. Rom. 4:16
[b] John 20:30-31; Gal. 2:15-16; Phil. 3:3-11
WLC Q72 What is justifying faith?
A. Justifying faith is a saving grace[a], wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit[b] and Word of God[c], whereby he, being convinced of his sin and misery, and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition[d], not only assenteth to the truth of the promise of the gospel[e], but receiveth and resteth upon Christ and his righteousness, therein held forth, for pardon of sin[f], and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for salvation[g].
[a] Heb. 10:39
[b] 2Cor. 4:13; Eph. 1:17-19
[c] Rom. 10:14-17
[d] Acts 2:37; 16:30; John 16:8-9; Rom. 5:6; Eph. 2:1; Acts 4:12
[e] Eph. 1:13
[f] John 1:12; Acts 10:43; 16:31
[g] Phil. 3:9; Acts 15:11
WLC Q73. How doth faith justify a sinner in the sight of God?
A. Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God, not because of those other graces which do always accompany it, or of good works that are the fruits of it[a], nor as if the grace of faith, or any act thereof, were imputed to him for his justification[b]; but only as it is an instrument by which he receiveth and applieth Christ and his righteousness[c].
[a] Gal. 3:11; Rom.3:28
[b] Rom. 4:5; 10:10
[c] John 1:12; Phil. 3:9; Gal. 2:16
THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH
CHAPTER. XIV
Of Saving Faith.
I. The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls[a], is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts[b], and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word[c], by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened[d].
[a] Titus 1:1; Heb. 10:39
[b] I Cor. 12:3; John 3:5; Titus 3:5; John 6:44-45, 65; Eph. 2:8; Phil. 1:29; II Pet. 1:1; see I Pet. 1:2
[c] Matt. 28:19-20; Rom. 10:14, 17; I Cor. 1:21
[d] I Pet. 2:2; Acts 20:32; Rom. 1:16-17; Matt. 28:19; see Acts 2:38; I Cor. 10:16; I Cor. 11:23-29; Luke 17:5; Phil. 4:6-7
II. By this faith, a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God himself speaking therein[e]; and acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth; yielding obedience to the commands[f], trembling at the threatenings[g], and embracing the promises of God for this life, and that which is to come[h]. But the principal acts of saving faith are accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace[i].
[a] II Pet. 1:20-21; John 4:42; I Thess. 2:13; I John 5:9- 10; Acts 24:14
[b] Ps. 119:10-11; 48, 97-98, 167-168; John 14:15
[c] Ezra 9:4; Isa. 66:2; Heb. 4:1
[d] Heb. 11:13; I Tim. 4:8
[e] John 1:12; Acts 16:31; Gal. 2:20; Acts 15:11; II Tim. 1:9-10
III. This faith is different in degrees, weak or strong[k]; may be often and many ways assailed, and weakened, but gets the victory[l]: growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance, through Christ[m], who is both the author and finisher of our faith[n].
[k] Heb. 5:13-14; Rom. 14:1-2; Matt. 6:30; Rom. 4:19- 20; Matt. 8:10
[l] Luke 22:31-32; Eph. 6:16; I John 5:4-5
[m] Heb. 6:11-12; Heb. 10:22; Col. 2:2
[n] Heb. 12:2
CHAPTER. IX.
Of Free-Will.
IV. When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, he freeth him from his natural bondage under sin[h]; and, by his grace alone, enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good[i]; yet so, that by reason of his remaining corruption, he doth not perfectly, nor only, will that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil[k].
[h] Col. 1:13; John 8:34, 36; Rom. 6:6-7
[i] Phil. 2:13; Rom. 6:14, 17-19, 22
[k] Gal. 5:17; Rom. 7:14-25; I John 1:8, 10
V. The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to do good alone in the state of glory only[l].
[l] Heb. 12:23; I John 3:2; Jude 24; Rev. 21:27
Question(s) for further study:
Here the Larger Catechism and Confession of Faith expand greatly upon our instruction and understanding of the question at hand. How does “Justifying Faith” (WLC 72) add to our approach of the question at hand, adding to the depth of our knowledge and understanding of the work of saving grace? Why is it important to know and understand that faith differs in degree in our acquiring and attainment?
