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
Calvin’s Confession
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…]
We Must Believe
“And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.’” (Numbers 20:12)
These words are spoken to Moses primarily because he struck the rock twice with his staff. God’s instruction to Moses had been to speak to the rock and tell it to bring forth water (vs. 8). But Moses was so provoked by the rebellion of Israel that he struck the rock in anger. In mercy, God provided water abundantly form the rock for parched Israel, but in judgment, God pronounced that Moses would not enter the land of promise.
If you have ever seen the movie Peter Pan, you know that toward the end the demise of Captain Hook is declared with those final words: done for. That’s how we feel when we think on this passage. For forty years Moses has put up with Israel with incredible patience, and in one second, he forfeits the privilege of entering Canaan. Doesn’t seem right, does it? Doesn’t seem fair!
The lesson is always the same from God. You cannot get away with sin. Not even a life of faithfulness merits God overlooking sinfulness. God always rewards faithfulness and obedience, but never disobedience or unfaithfulness. How could he? That would make him less than God. The book of Numbers is about the faithfulness of God which comes to Israel through God’s grace. God’s faithfulness is grounded in his covenant with Israel. In spite of the many failures of Israel, God remains committed to bringing them to the land. He judges them and punishes them when they sin and rebel, yet he remains unchanged.
Faith
“Faith is the condition of our reception of life (Gal. 3:22). No person can quicken themselves; this is a thing the law is incapable of, and hence no good deed can obtain it for us (Gal. 3:21). It is the Holy Spirit who does the work in us.”
B B Warfield (Selected Shorter Writings)
Unbelief vs. Belief
“Unbelief will destroy the best of us; Faith will save the worst of us”
C H Spurgeon
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