You Gotta Have Faith (John 3:16; Lord’s Day 7)
Everyone says you’ve got to have faith—but faith in what? Are all people saved through Christ just as they were lost through Adam? No; only those who through true faith are grafted into Christ. Distinguishing true faith from its counterfeits—historical, miraculous, and temporary faith—Dr. Daniel Hyde unfolds the Catechism’s famous definition: a sure knowledge by which I hold as true all God has revealed, and a wholehearted trust that forgiveness, righteousness, and salvation are freely given in Jesus Christ not only to others but to me also.
God has spoken in his Word. Let us confess its teaching in the Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 7, questions and answers 20–21:
Q.20. Are all people then saved through Christ just as they were lost through Adam?
A. No. Only those are saved who through true faith are grafted into Christ and accept all his benefits.
Q.21. What is true faith?
A. True faith is not only a sure knowledge by which I hold as true all that God has revealed to us in his Word; it is also a wholehearted trust, which the Holy Spirit works in me by the gospel, that God has freely granted, not only to others but to me also, forgiveness of sins, eternal righteousness, and salvation. These gifts are purely of grace, only because of Christ’s merit.
Q.22. What then must a Christian believe?
A. All that is promised us in the gospel, a summary of which is taught us in the articles of our catholic and undoubted Christian faith.
Faith. Whenever I think of the word faith I think of my childhood and George Michael’s song, “Faith.” You just gotta have faith. Faith in what? It doesn’t matter as long as you have faith. And even you have faith in something it’s all too often misplaced. Karajean and I heard a while back someone say about the election, “I have faith in the American people.” What does that even mean?
This is why our Catechism is so helpful to us and why we need to read and preach through it. The Catechism transitions now from the disobedience of Adam to make us sinners and the obedience of Jesus to satisfy for our sins to the subject of faith. Note how Q&A 20–23 deal with the necessity of faith, then 24–58 the content of faith in the Apostles’ Creed, and then 59–61 on the benefits of faith.
Why is Faith Necessary? (Q. 20)
The first thing we want to meditate on is why is faith necessary? After all the questions about sin and how Jesus satisfies for sin, the logical question is if in Adam all die then in Christ all live, right? Look at question 20: “Are all people then saved through Christ just as they were lost through Adam?” This is what we call universalism?
Do we believe this? No. Only those are saved who through true faith are grafted into Christ and accept all his benefits. Jesus tells us, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. The reason not all are saved is not because there is something wrong or inadequate with Jesus. He’s God’s Son and whatever he does is of infinite value (Ursinus, 106. See Canons of Dort 2). The reason not all are saved is God has ordained that it is through faith in what Jesus accomplished we apply to our hearts salvation. Listen again to verse 16: …whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life; and then verse 18: “whoever believes in him is not condemned” and verse 36: “whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.” Our Catechism expands on this when it says in Q&A 22 that a Christian must believe all that is promised us in the gospel, which is summarized in the Apostles’ Creed.
We also don’t believe in universalism because the contrary of faith in Jesus is true: without faith a sinner dies in sin: “whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God…whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:18, 36).
What is Faith? (Q. 21)
So faith in Jesus who is the gospel is necessary to be saved. But this begs the question what is faith? Q&A 21 explains in more detail in its famous question, “What is true faith?” I got to be a substitute teacher last week for Mr. Stares and asked the catechism students this question: “If there is true faith, then there must also be ____ ____?” Cyprian, do you remember the answer? If there is true faith, then there must also be false faith. Children, do you know why if you give a $20 or $100 bill to the cashier at the grocery store they will hold it up to the light or mark it with a special marker? There are authentic $20 bills and there are counterfeit $20 bills. We’ve got to be able to distinguish true faith from various forms of false faith (Ursinus, 108–111).
Historical faith
The first kind of false faith is what we call historical faith. We call it this because it is a merely an intellectual grasp of truth. It is accepting that the truths of Scripture happened just like you accept that George Washington was a real historical person. But do you know George Washington personally? No. That’s why even demons have historical faith—they “believe” in God only because they know he exists (Jas. 2:19).
Miraculous faith
The second kind of false faith is what we call miraculous faith because a person believed that God would perform a miracle by him or on his behalf. This is the kind of faith of those who were merely instruments in the hand of God, who could even say, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” (Matt. 7:22)
Temporal faith
The third kind of false faith is what we call temporal faith because a person has some persuasion of the truths of religion in their conscience and heart but it is only temporary. This is the faith of the one whose heart is like rocky soil and they “hear the word and immediately receive[…] it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away” (Matt. 13:20–21).
True faith
So, if there’s false there then there must be…? True faith is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. Our Catechism says which the Holy Spirit works in me by the gospel. It is faith that says, “I am one of those ‘whosoevers’ who believes in God’s Son, Jesus!” And notice what it is, briefly:
First, it involves knowledge of the mind: true faith is not only a sure knowledge. It’s not only, meaning, it involvesknowledge. In other words, we can’t just “love the Lord” anymore than we husbands can just “love our wives” without knowing anything about her, what she likes, etc.
Second, true faith involves an assent of the will: by which I hold as true all that God has revealed to us in his Word.
Third, true faith involves most importantly of all, trust with my heart: it is also a wholehearted trust. Notice the “heartiness” of this trust: that God has freely granted, not only to others but to me also, forgiveness of sins, eternal righteousness, and salvation. Do not leave tonight without embracing every part of the truths founds in the Apostles’ Creed as being for you personally: God the Father is my Creator, Provider, and Father; God the Son is my Redeemer and Lord; God the Holy Spirit is my Sanctifier and Comforter (Olevianus, A Firm Foundation, 12–13).
“But how can I leave knowing I have this true faith?” First and foremost, because of the supernatural witness of the Holy Spirit with your spirit. We know that we know because we’ve been born again supernaturally. Second, and this might sound strange to you, but we know we have faith because of the conflicts we have with doubts about faith. The dead heart doesn’t know it is dead. The unawakened soul has no conflict. Just think of all the Psalms we’ve been studying recently. Finally, know you have faith from its effects in your heart and life as you seek to love God and do good (Ursinus, 114).