Word of Salvation – Vol. 22 No. 29 – April 1976

 

The Holy Spirit, Faith And Assurance

 

Sermon by the Rev. W. Wiersma on Lord's Day 25

Scripture Reading: Romans 10

Psalter Hymnal: 89; 116; 95; 378; 491

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ,

Our life is to be found in Christ Jesus alone.

This truth can never be stressed too much.  It can never be repeated too often.

You and I need to be reminded constantly of this central Gospel truth, because we are so easily tempted to trust in things apart from Christ or other than Christ alone.

It is with this in mind that the Catechism deals with these vital questions of faith, the gospel and the sacraments.

The whole approach to these questions is affected by our view of what salvation really is.

Now there is quite some confusion and even uncertainty on this point among church people today as much ― if not more ― than there was at the Reformation.

What is salvation and what is necessary to be saved?

All kinds of answers are given.  One emphasises, you must be born again.  Others urge us to receive Jesus.  Still others call for the baptism of the Spirit.  All these and more make us wonder sometimes where we stand.  What is it really all about?

The Catechism draws our attention to the heart of the gospel message.  It gives us a definition of salvation which goes to the heart of what it is all about.

It is life in Christ ― being made partakers of Christ and all His benefits.  Everything else flows from this life in Christ Jesus.

The question with which we are concerned at this moment is: How are we made partakers of Christ and all His benefits?  How are we united to Christ?  How do we gain a living interest in all that He is and does?

We have already learned that it is by faith alone.  By faith, which is not something meritorious, not a work of man by which he proves himself worthy of God's favour.  Faith is rather like empty, open hands by which we receive and take to ourselves the precious and free gift of God which is Jesus Christ ― the Mediator whom God has made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption.

God's way of salvation is really great and wonderful.  The gospel of Christ is unique, totally different from the teachings of all other religions.  This was the conviction of the Reformers who emphasised that true Christianity was dependent on Faith Alone, Scripture Alone and Grace Alone.

Now then the question: but where does faith come from?  The simple biblical answer is: from God.  From God the Holy Spirit.

Faith is not the work of man

It is the gift of God.

We ought to realise brothers and sisters, that Reformed teaching is very distinctive on this question of faith.  We understand the Bible to teach that faith itself is a benefit of the saving work of Christ on behalf of His own.  We do not believe that Christ and all His benefits are available to each and every man as if it were only a matter for man to decide whether he will accept it or not.  We do not believe that it is just a matter of one man having the good sense to believe in Christ and another not.

It is not within the power of the natural man to believe!  Is that not what Jesus meant when He said (John 6:44) "No man can come to me unless the Father who has sent me draw him."?

Does Scripture not teach us that man is dead in sin truth, insensitive to the things of the Spirit?

Therefore the Holy Spirit Himself has to convict.

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The Holy Spirit has to make the truth to be understood and to be applied.

The Holy Spirit has to give us faith.  Has to bring us to a true and living knowledge of Christ – which is life eternal.

You see, Christ does not begin His saving work for us personally when we begin to believe.

Jesus Himself said that He would lay down His life for His sheep and that He would bring all His sheep into the one fold.

Scripture teaches that the Father has chosen His own in Christ from before the foundation of the world.

Later, now nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ was delivered for the offences of those whom the Father had given Him, and was raised for their justification.

Now, at the present moment, the Holy Spirit makes this good news known to and believed by those the Father has chosen and for whom Christ has died.  In the purpose of God, God's elect have been partakers of Christ and all His benefits from before the foundation of the world.

But we do not become aware of this, it is not a living and life transforming reality to us, till we actually believe, till the Holy Spirit makes us to know and rejoice in Christ.

Faith, in a sense, is nothing other than knowing Christ as our complete and sole Saviour.  Knowing Him with mind and heart as the One through whom alone we have acceptance and peace with God.

Jesus said this would be the work of the Spirit: to reveal Christ to His own; To take of Christ and make it theirs.

We cannot know Christl; we do not recognise Him, without the Holy Spirit revealing Him to us.

Therefore Christ has sent His Spirit so that His sheep might hear His voice, recognise Him and follow Him.

So there is a close connection between the Holy Spirit working faith in us and the preaching of the gospel and administration of the sacraments.

It is in the gospel and the sacraments that Christ calls and speaks to His own.  It is from the gospel and the sacraments that we learn about Christ; learn to know Him and all He is to us and has done for us.

Faith is the gift of God, but not as if it drops straight from heaven.

God speaks and reveals Christ to us but not without the use of means.  Not in the way of mysticism, but by the Gospel.  Paul writes, "How shall men believe in Him of whom they have never heard.  And how can they hear without a preacher."  You see we are not left to our private thoughts and personal opinions, to discover Christ for ourselves.  Christ has come, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth.  The church, guided by the Spirit, has witnessed to Christ.  His words and works have been recorded for us, the sacraments have been given to us that we might know Christ and knowing Him might become partakers of Him and all His benefits.

And if anyone, if you or I, are ever to be partakers of Christ and all His benefits, we shall have to give careful and continuous attention to the gospel and the use of the sacraments.  We shall have to make use of the means which God has appointed.

Just because something is a gift of God, that does not exclude responsibility on our part.

Think, for instance, of the prayer for daily bread.

The fact that we see our daily food as a gift of God does not stop us from working for it.  In fact Scripture heartily encourages us to work in faith.  So the teaching that faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit ought not to lead us to think that we should not put any effort into making use of the means for receiving faith.  Jesus Himself urges us to give earnest attention to His words and to act on them.

The Lord has told us to pray: to ask, seek and knock.

And has promised that He will give His Spirit to those who do so.  The apostle John in chapters 14-16 of his gospel, records how the Lord urges His disciples to keep His commandment so that they might receive His Spirit of truth and come to know the Father and Christ Himself intimately.

Yes, there is such a thing as growing in faith: in understanding, knowledge and conviction.

Make use therefore of the means which the Holy Spirit uses to grant us faith, and a living and active part in Christ.

For the gospel and the sacraments speak of Him – of Christ the bread and water of life.  They direct our hearts to Him whose perfect sacrifice is the only ground of our salvation and fellowship with God.

Here the Catechism is at pains to show us the true meaning of grace and the atoning work of Christ.

Grace is not some substance which makes the believer acceptable to God.  Grace is the favour of God shown to undeserving sinners.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and gave His Son an offering for our sins.  Christ died for the ungodly.  In the Gospel and sacraments the message is not about what we give to God, but about what God gives freely to us in Christ Jesus.  Gospel and sacraments are used by the Holy Spirit to make Christ known to us in all His self-sacrificing love.  Our attention is drawn to Him who is now seated at the right hand of God.  To Him who once for all gave His life a ransom for many.  We do not have to, we cannot, add to His perfect obedience which alone is the only ground of our salvation.

Now, that salvation, which stands in the one sacrifice of Christ made for us on the cross, will bear fruit in our lives.  It is impossible that those who are implanted into Christ by a true faith should not bring forth fruits of thankfulness.

But that thankfulness rests entirely on us knowing and believing that through Christ alone we have peace with God.  And it is this knowledge and faith which the Holy Spirit gives to those who hear and take notice of the Gospel of Christ crucified.  The Gospel which is repeated and emphasised in the sacraments.

The right approach to the preaching of the Gospel and to the partaking of the sacraments is therefore one of discovering more of the love and reconciling work of Christ.  The question is not, are you good enough for God but rather, do you confess that you abhor and humble yourself before God because of your sins and do you confess that you seek your life – not in yourself but only in Christ Jesus your Saviour.

Amen.