The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 437

—

;

XXXVII. Faith

in

the Sacred Scriptures. "

With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession tion."

is

Rom.

made unto

salva-

X. lo.

Calvin says beautifully and comprehensively that the object of saving faith is none other than the Mediator, and invariably in the garments of the Sacred Scriptures. This should be accepted unSaving faith is possible, therefore, only in sinful men and so long as they remain sinful. To suppose that saving faith existed already in Paradise is to destroy the order of things. In a sense there was no need of salvation in Paradise, because there was pure and undisturbed felicity conditionally.

and

for the

development of

this felicity into still greater glory, not

Faith belongs to faith, but works, was the appointed instrument. " Covenant alone. covenant that and to the of Grace," Hence it may not be said that Jesus had saving faith. For " Jesus was no sinner, and therefore could not have that assured given the was also, Him but to others, confidence that not only to the name connect only to We have Mediator." righteousness of the

and transparent description of saving to show how foolish it is for the Catechism by the Heidelberg words, " Jesus, the Author and the explain cal theologians to had saving faith like every He tho as isher of our faith,"

of Jesus with the clear

faith

Ethi-

Finchild

of God.

Faith is saving; faith is unthinkable in heaven. He no longer faith. of end the obtained saved has and thoroughly be therefore should It by sight. faith, but walks by understood that saving faith refers only to the sinner, and that Christ

Hence saving he that

is

of the Sacred Scripture is its only object. things must, therefore, be carefully distinguished: faith in the testimony concerning a person, and faith in ^aX person himself. Let us illustrate. A ship is ready to sail, but lacks a captain.

in the

garments

Two

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