Faith is not…
We must never make faith our savior, our righteousness before God,
or our salvation. Christ alone is our Savior. Christ alone is our Wisdom,
Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption. Christ alone is our Salvation.
In order to show you that in the matter of salvation Christ is all, let me tell
you what faith is not.
Divine
Satisfaction
Faith is not our satisfaction to God. There is no sense in which
faith can be said to satisfy the righteousness and justice of God. Faith cannot
be said to satisfy the law of God. Yet, if faith is to be considered our
righteousness, if faith is our justification, it must satisfy God. Can
imperfect faith satisfy perfect holiness? Can the finite faith of a mere man,
even if it were perfect, satisfy the infinite justice and righteousness of the
infinite, eternal God? You know better!
That which satisfies the justice of God
must be capable of bearing our guilt; and that which bears our guilt must be
not only perfect, but also infinite and divine. Faith cannot be a sin-bearer;
but that is what we must have. Faith cannot expiate guilt, make propitiation,
pay our debt, wash away our sins, or provide righteousness for us. Faith brings
us to the cross, where there is infinite expiation, and propitiation, infinite satisfaction
and righteousness, and infinite forgiveness and cleansing. Faith, in itself has
no merit and no virtue. Faith looks to Christ alone for merit and virtue.
Christ
Faith is not Christ, or the cross of Christ. Faith is not the blood, or the sacrifice. It is not the altar, or the laver, or the mercy-seat, or the incense. Faith does not work redemption, righteousness and justification, but simply receives the work done two thousand years ago. Faith does not wash away sin, but leads us to the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness. Faith does not make an end of sin or bring in everlasting righteousness, but leads us to him who did make an end of sins and did bring in everlasting righteousness by the sacrifice of himself upon the cursed tree (Dan 9:24).
Faith is always the beggar's outstretched
hand, never the rich man's gold. Faith is the cable, not the anchor. Christ is
the Anchor of our souls. Faith is the knocker, not the door. Christ is the
Door. Faith is the lattice that lets in the light, not the light. Christ is the
Light.
No Worthiness
Faith is altogether without worthiness in itself. It knits us to
the infinite worthiness of him in whom the Father delights. Knitting us to
Christ, we stand perfect before God in the perfection of Christ. Faith is not
the foundation laid in Zion. Christ is that Foundation. Faith brings us to
Christ, the only Foundation for our souls, and keeps us there "grounded
and settled" (Col 1:23), that we may not be moved away from the hope
of the gospel. Faith is not "the gospel," the "glad
tidings." Faith simply receives the good news as God's eternal word of
grace and gives us joy. Faith is not the burnt-offering. That is Christ. Faith
simply stands still, gazing upon the ascending flame, assured us that the wrath
which should have consumed the sinner has fallen upon the sinner’s Substitute. AMEN.