TEXT: I John 5:13

SUBJECT: Christian's Great Interest #3

Tonight, with God's blessing, we'll continue our study of The Christian's Great Interest. The book was written by William Guthrie, a Scottish pastor who died about 300 years ago. He wrote it to help his readers obtain the assurance of salvation--and to keep it.

I needn't prove how important that is. If you've ever lacked assurance, you know how important it is.

How do you know that you're saved? In chapters three and four, Guthrie provides two pieces of "evidence". If you have them--even a little of them--you belong to God and will go to heaven when you die.

What are they? (1) Faith; and (2) A New Life in Christ. Tonight, we take up the first; next week, the Lord willing, we'll study the second.

Chapter Three is titled "Faith as an evidence of an interest in Christ".

THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH

Does "faith" occupy an important place in the believer's life? Of course it does. Positively, the Bible says, "The just shall live by faith"; negatively, it says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God" (cf. Habakkuk 2:4; Hebrews 11:6). I don't have to labor the point--you know it's true.

So does William Guthrie,

And so, if you want to be saved--or to know you are--you must believe in Christ. Whatever else you lack, you must have faith! There's no salvation--or assurance--without it.

THE CLARITY OF FAITH

To be saved, you must have faith. To know you're saved, you must know you have faith. Is this knowledge possible?

Some say it isn't at all. Others say it is, but it's awfully hard to be sure. Guthrie says otherwise:

To prove his point, he cites Romans 10:6-11.

To Paul's way of thinking, faith isn't as "high as the heavens" or as "deep as the grave". It's a matter of listening to the Gospel, believing that God raised Jesus from the dead, and confessing His Lordship.

That's not nearly as complicated as some people think it is.

"Easy Believism" teaches (or implies) that one is saved by raising his hand at the right time, walking the aisle, signing a card or praying the sinner's prayer. This is a real problem in today's Church.

But it's not solved by "Hard Believism". By combining faith with knowledge, holiness, perseverance, and more. If I had time, I could show you that "Hard Believism" is the official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church and the main cause for the Reformation. When Martin Luther asked, "How can I be just with God?" he couldn't get a straight answer out of his Church. So he went to the Bible and found out: Faith alone in Christ alone!

Saving faith, then, is not a super-complicated matter, but a fairly simple thing. The ordinary person can know if he has it or not.

A DESCRIPTION OF FAITH

What is faith? Guthrie tells us what it isn't. Two things:

This is a very sharp. Believers tend to be humble. For us, it's hard to believe that God chose us out of a fallen race to redeem; that He loves us with a special love; that He sent His Son to die for us in particular. For proud men, it's easy to believe these things. "God owes it to me" they think. So, if you're looking for assurance in these things, you won't find it.

Faith and understanding overlap somewhat, but are not the same thing. An atheist can "know" what the Bible teaches; he can understand it and even teach the Gospel very clearly, without believing a word of it. Saving faith, then, is more than knowledge.

What is it?

Guthrie describes it in various ways. Saving faith is

These quotes were strung together from several pages, but they tell us one thing: That saving faith is fixed on Jesus Christ! Feeling his own need, the believer turns to Christ for his "all in all".

Guthrie brings it to a head:

In other words, if salvation in Christ alone pleases you, you're saved. If it doesn't, you're not.

This is one of the most comforting things I've ever read! With all my faults and failures and worse, I can honestly say: I wouldn't have any other Savior and I wouldn't be saved in any other way. Faith alone in Christ alone is good enough for me! If you feel the same way, you belong to God.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAVING FAITH AND THE FAITH OF HYPOCRITES

At the close of the chapter, Guthrie answers a question. It's one many believers have asked and agonized over. Here it is: "How can I know I have a saving faith and not the faith of a hypocrite?"

That's a good question! The Bible teaches that some faith is phony. "Simon the sorcerer believed" says Acts 8:13, but the following verses tell us he was not saved. "The devils also believe", (James 2:19) bur are not and cannot be saved.

Before telling you what Guthrie says, let me say something myself: I wonder if hypocrites ever worry about their faith? Do they struggle with doubts the way we do? I can't say for sure, but I very much doubt it.

When arguing with our Lord, they said, "We know who our father is--Abraham". In prayer, the Pharisee didn't seem at all worried about his standing with God: "Lord, I thank you that I am not as other men are..." Job's friends were eager to expose his hypocrisy, but their own never occurred to them.

Let's get back to William Guthrie. He says there are three big differences between the faith of a true believer and a false believer.

They want "some Christ" but not the whole Christ. They're happy for His priestly work that brings forgiveness, but they're so fond of His other works of teaching and ruling them.

Like the scribe, they talk big--"Master I will follow You wherever You go". But that's all they do--talk. When it comes to trusting Christ when things go bad--that they won't do!

CLOSE

That is a short description of saving faith. Remember, no one's faith is perfect. Even the disciples were sometimes "Slow of heart to believe". But whether your faith is new or old, strong or weak, that is basically what it is. It is believing and trusting Christ for your salvation. Nothing less will do. Nothing more is needed.

And so, if you want assurance, don't ask: "Am I perfect?" "Am I nearly perfect?" "Do I love God with all my heart, soul, and mind?" or any such thing.

Instead, ask yourself: Do I believe in Christ? Do I trust Him? Am I happy that God saves through Him alone? If so, you can be sure that you belong to God. For God's people--for all their faults--"glory in Christ".