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Contrast Paul's conversion with Timothy's, and the Philippian jailor's with Lydia's. What differences and similarities do you observe? |
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Why do we name the faith planted by God the Holy Spirit in His children's hearts:
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"I see," Edith replied. "Somehow I thought that people who experienced miracles had to be God's true people."
Can you think of some scriptural examples which testify of unsaved persons performing, or being blessed by, a miracle?
Two dangers are produced from intermixing or positively connecting miraculous and true saving faith. The one danger is to assume that one possesses true saving faith because of a remarkable miracle taking place in his life. The second danger is to assume that saving faith cannot be true in one's life if there is an absence of remarkable miracles.
All judgments regarding true saving faith must be based upon its scriptural marks -misery (repentance), deliverance (faith), and thankfulness (obedience); and its scriptural fruits -love to God and others, not upon the activity of miraculous faith.
TRUE SAVING FAITH
True saving faith differs from the previous types of faith in its planting, rooting and fruit. Only true saving faith is planted by the saving work of the Holy Spirit. Its rooting is in the heart of the person, and therefore, it engages the total person. All his faculties are affected -his will, emotions, thoughts, and actions. It is the only faith which produces the fruit of wholehearted love to God and others. It is the only faith which is saving through its believing, trusting, and communing with Jesus Christ. It centers in God rather than self; it is God-directed rather than self-directed.
Rev. Hellenbroek defined true saving faith in its essence and principal act in the following way:
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It is that act of the soul, whereby the sinner not only wholeheartedly wills and desires that the promises of the gospel might be true in themselves for him, but also is given to freely embrace the Lord Jesus as the only cause of his salvation, thereby denying himself and all other things or persons - Divine Truths, Chapter XVI, Q. & A. 10 |
