Posted on 01/28/2016 7:12:13 AM PST by Gamecock
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (vv. 8-10).
- Ephesians 2:1-10
One of the signature confessions of the Reformed tradition, the Westminster Confession of Faith stands out for its comprehensive summary of biblical doctrine. Chapter 14 of this confession deals with saving faith, explaining that "the grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts" (14.1). This statement asserts that faith, although it is something we exercise, does not find its origin ultimately in our will or in our cooperation with divine grace. Instead, saving faith is a gift to us from the Holy Spirit. He is its ultimate origin, and we exercise faith because of His work in our hearts. It follows that since the Holy Spirit is omnipotent, we will not fail to possess faith if He works it in our hearts. Salvation from beginning to end is guaranteed by the Spirit, who gives us faith and sustains it forever.
The confession draws on Ephesians 2:1-10 at this point. Verse 8 is key, telling us that we have been saved by grace through faith, and that "this" is not our own doing. But to what does the term "this" refer? Is it grace? Is it faith? Is it both?
Conceptually speaking, grace is by nature a gift, so it seems odd that "this" would refer exclusively to grace. If so, then Paul would be saying that the gift of grace is a gift; this is redundant. But if the term "this" refers to grace and to faith, we find no redundancy. The entire package of grace and faith is a gift of God, and it makes far more sense for Paul to have to tell us explicitly that grace and faith are gifts than it would be to tell us that only grace is a gift. We already knew that grace was a gift before we read Paul's letter.
Grammatically speaking, the Greek of the passage can have the whole package of grace and faith as the antecedent to which "this" refers, and the rest of Scripture confirms that the gift Paul speaks of must include our faith. Only those who are "born again" can see the kingdom, Jesus says (John 3:3). We cannot even see the kingdom, let alone enter it by faith, unless and until the Spirit changes our hearts. We are first born again; then, and only then, will we believe in Jesus.
Ephesians 2:1 says that we are dead in sin apart from Christ. God must draw us, and when He draws a person to Him, He does so effectually. Everyone whom He draws He raises up at the last day (John 6:44). Faith is God's gift to us, and if He gives it to us, we will possess it forever.
Coram Deo
That faith is the gift of God is some of the best news we could ever receive. If faith is God’s gift to us, we do not have to depend on our own fervor or strength for our salvation. Since God is omnipotent, the only kind of faith He can give is persevering faith, faith that is strong enough to press through every doubt and trial. The faith we have is of divine origin, so we can look with confidence to Christ that He will keep us safe forever in and by this faith.
Passages for Further Study
Deuteronomy 30:6 And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
Jeremiah 31: For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it ton their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
John 20:11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." 14 Having said this, she turned around and "saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic,2 "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord"-and that he had said these things to her.
James 1:18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Ping.
I will once again be traveling this weekend. Since I will not be packing my laptop I will be unable to post the devotional. I will be checking in by way of my smart phone.
Good Lord willing I will be back on Monday.
This passage also reveals to us just how sinful we are. It takes God's effort for us to love Him.
Mat_7:11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
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