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- Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2
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REQUISITES OF
CHRISTIAN VIRTUE: SAVING FAITH (2Pe 1:5 from vss. 3-10) 8-5-12 Grace Bible Church,
Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert I. PERCEIVE THE SUFFICIENCY
OF GOD’S POWER (3) II. PERCEIVE THE SUFFICIENCY OF GOD’S WORD (4) III. POSSESS THE SUFFICIENCY OF
GOD’S SALVATION (5) A. The Meaning of Faith 1. “Faith
comes from the Greek word pistis which
means faith or faithfulness. Pistis comes
from the root word peithō which
means to persuade or have confidence. 2. It has several aspects: a) Subjectively,
it is trust or confidence directed toward a person or thing (Mat 9:2; Col
1:4). b) Adjectively, it is what brings confidence
(i.e faithfulness) (2Ti 2:2, 13). c) Absolutely, it is a term that represents
the Christian religion (i.e. the faith) (Gal 6:10; 1Ti 4:1). d) Objectively, it is the content of what is
believed (i.e. doctrine) (Gal 1:23; 1Ti 4:6; Tit 1:13; Jud 1:3). B. The Phrase “in your Faith” 1. With the
phrase here, “in your faith,” it refers to one’s subjective faith. It is the
personal faith that they have in Christ and becomes saving faith. 2. With the idea of the root peithō it refers to one who has saving
faith being persuaded by the Gospel contained in the Scriptures through the
Holy Spirit. 3. The gospel requires faith as confidence
in the person and work of Christ. C. Scriptural View of Saving
Faith 1. It is
Faith that Exercises Volition a) Often
faith is regarded as mere intellectual acknowledgement. By that is meant that
an individual merely acknowledges something about Christ’s death and agrees
intellectually with it. b) Scripture teaches that even the demons
have intellectual assent but clearly they are not saved (Jam 2:19). c) There are three elements to saving faith: (1) Intellectual element (notitia)
- Knowing the facts about Christ’s work on the cross for salvation. (2) Emotional element (assensus)
- An assent to those facts about Christ’s work on the cross for salvation. (3) Volitional elements (fiducia)
- An act of the will to trust and rely upon Christ for salvation (Act 16:31). d) It is entirely possible for someone to
know the facts of the Gospel, and to give assent to its truthfulness, but not
add the third element and never exercise their will
to trust Christ for their salvation (Heb 2:3). 2. It is
Faith that Relies upon Christ’s Substitutionary Atonement a) Salvation is not just having faith, but
having faith in the person and work in Christ. b) What is it about Christ that one must
exercise faith? It is Christ’s death on the cross, specifically Christ’s
substitutionary atonement. c) The whole premise of salvation is that
Christ was the sinner’s substitute on the cross and that Christ’s death made
atonement for his sin. (1) Christ took the sinner’s sin (2Co 5:21; 1Pe
3:18). (2) Christ took the sinner’s punishment (Rom
5:9; 6:23). (3) Christ made atonement and removed the
sinner’s sin (Lev 1:4-5 cp. Joh 1:29). (4) Christ’s work is applied at the moment of
faith (Joh 3:16; Rom 10:9-10). d) The
essence of the gospel then is faith (trust, reliance) in Christ’s death on
the cross on the behalf of the sinner (Rom 5:6-8). e) It was reported that when asked to put
the gospel into a few words, C.H. Spurgeon said, “I will put it in four words
for you: Christ died for me.” 3. It is
Faith that is Alone Without Works a) In regard
to salvation, the Scriptures explicitly teach that salvation is by faith
alone. The reason why it is by faith alone is because the work of Christ is
not only sufficient to make atonement, but it is the only atonement that is
acceptable to the righteousness of God. b) God declares that justification is by
faith apart from works (Rom 3:28). c) In fact, no one will be justified, partly
or wholly, by the works of the Law (Gal 2:16). d) The Law was given to reveal man’s
unrighteousness so that man relies solely on Christ (Rom 3:20). e) Furthermore, the Scriptures teach that no
one is righteous (Rom 3:10) and God does not accept man’s works of
righteousness for salvation (Isa 64:6). f) Therefore only God’s grace through
Christ’s work on the cross can save sinful man. All man can do is avail
himself of it by faith alone (Rom 11:6; Eph 2:8-9). 4. It is
Faith that Includes Repentance a) Repentance
in the NT comes from the Greek word metanoe,ō
and literally means an afterthought as in a change of mind (meta -
after noe,ō - mind or thought, i.e. change of mind or
thought). It is a change of mind that leads to a change of heart and
behavior. b) In salvation, repentance is a change of mind
in regard to one’s sinful state and behavior, one’s inability to save
himself, and one’s unbelief toward Christ, His death and resurrection, and
His salvation (Luk 24:47; Act 11:18; 17:30; 26:20). c) Both faith and repentance are granted by
God (Act 5:31; 11:18; 2Ti 2:25) and grow with the believer’s sanctification
(1Th 3:2; 1Ti 1:5; 2Co 7:9; 12:21; Rev 2:5). d) Though repentance is preached, the concept
of faith appears to be the focal point with the assumption that repentance is
an essential part of faith. In order for there to be true faith (saving), it
must include true repentance (change of mind). e) The Scriptures and the Reformers taught
“Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone.” True faith
includes true repentance which will bring about true change. D. Saving Faith and Christian
Virtue 1. Saving
faith is the basis for Christian Virtue (2Pe 1:3). a) Saving
faith must come first before Christian virtue. b) Without saving faith one cannot produce
Christian Virtue nor is it acceptable to God (Isa 64:6; 2Ti 3:5). 2. Saving
faith enables the believer to exhibit Christian Virtue (2Pe 1:3). a) The
believer is empowered by God to live in Christian Virtue as well as
everything for life and godliness. 3. Saving
faith enables the believer to understand Christian Virtue (2Pe 1:4). a) Man cannot
determine virtue apart from God, His attributes, and moral excellence (Rom
1:32; Col 3:10). 4. Saving
faith brings the by-product of Christian Virtue (2Pe 1:5-7). a) True
salvation results in a new nature by the Holy Spirit and the supernatural
out-working of Christian Virtue (Rom 6:22; 1Jo 2:6). 5. Saving
faith is assured by Christian Virtue (2Pe 1:8-10). a) Christian
Virtue brings assurance of the possession of saving faith (1Jo 5:2-5). |
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