Reformed Baptist Congregation Exaltation | Edification | Evangelism
“We receive Christ and the Scriptures by faith. Faith reaches out in a single act to the person of Christ as well as to Scripture. It embraces Christ as Savior and Scripture as the Word of God.”
Herman Bavinck
Luther said – “the Scriptures are the cradles in which Jesus Christ lies.”
Those to whom the Lord has granted faith he enables to persevere by that faith. This means we can never fall away from our salvation, but we will press on to the end. We are thus preserved and kept by and for the Lord. He who began this great salvation will bring it to completion.
A. W. Tozer makes this excellent point: “Unbelief is actually perverted faith, for it puts its trust not in the living God, but in dying men.”
(The Knowledge of the Holy, p. 42)
What does saving faith do?
it yields obedience to God’s commands.
it trembles at God’s threatenings.
it embraces the promises of God.
1689 Confession, 14. 2
I love Calvin’s statements to Sadolet regarding true faith and the burdens of his past life under the Roman Church. (See Vol. 1, Tracts and Letters, p.61, 62)
“Thou, O Lord, knowest, and the fact itself has testified to men, that the only thing I asked was, that all controversies should be decided by thy word, that thus both parties might unite with one mind to establish thy kingdom; and I declined not to restore peace to the Church at the expense of my head, if I were found to have been unnecessarily the cause of tumult. But what did our opponents? Did they not instantly, and like madmen, fly to fires, swords, and gibbets? Did they not decide that their only security was in arms and cruelty? Did they not instigate all ranks to the same fury? Did they not spurn at all methods of pacification? To this it is owing that a matter, which might at one time have been settled amicably, has blazed into such a contest. But although, amidst the great confusion, the judgments of men were various, I am freed from all fear, now that we stand at thy tribunal, where equity, combined with truth, cannot but decide in favor of innocence.” [Read more…]