The Law of Faith – Part 4

Romans 4:1-8

Preached February 29, 2009, Grace Family Church of Americus

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You can download the complete sermon manuscript by clicking here. Here is an excerpt:

John Calvin, speaking of the established church (The Roman Catholic Church) at the time of his writing, decries one of the great evils of that day, and strangely, as history tends to repeat itself, one that is currently perpetuated in our Protestant churches today. This evil that he speaks of is the teaching that faith is a concept or doctrine which is merely taught as truth, and not necessary to be completely understood or necessarily experienced personally in great measure….obscuring what true, biblical, saving faith is, and simply delivering it as fact to the people, as an example, and not to be personally experienced or lived out:

"…..Besides impairing, and almost annihilating, faith by their obscure definition, they have invented the fiction of implicit [hidden, mysterious] faith……they delude the [people] to their great destruction. Nay, to state the fact more truly and plainly, this fiction not only buries true faith, but entirely destroys it. Is it faith to understand nothing, and merely submit your convictions implicitly to the Church? Faith consists not in ignorance, but in knowledge, knowledge not of God merely, but of His divine will….By this knowledge, I say, not by the submission of our understanding, we obtain entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven…..it is not enough to believe implicitly without understanding….the thing required is an explicit recognition of the divine goodness, in which our righteousness consists."

Faith is personal knowledge of the divine will. And this personal knowledge is gained by personal, divine revelation. Matthew 11:

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. (Matthew 11:25-27, KJV)