The Wednesday Word - 12JUL23 A.D.

Faith That Sees

by D.G. Miles McKee

 
How is faith obtained? Listen to this! “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

Faith, real faith, is neither faith in ourselves nor faith in what we do.  Real faith is a living, personal faith, in that living, personal Saviour who came to earth and lived, died, was buried, and rose again.  And real faith now informs us that this same Saviour ascended into heaven and is ruling and reigning in cosmic authority (see Acts 2:33; Hebrews 10:12).
 
“Behold Him there, the risen Lord,
The sinless spotless sacrifice.
Upward I look and see Him there,
Who made an end of all my sin.”
 
As we listen to what God’s word says about Christ Jesus and His work for us, faith grows.  Faith bows to the truths of the person, work and offices of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Faith sees, in a very real personal way, that the Bible is true. (2 Timothy 3:16).

Faith believes the Bible when it says that all have sinned. (Romans 3:23).

Faith agrees that, in ourselves, we are lost and undone. (Isaiah 53:6).

Faith leads us to trust in Christ Jesus as our sin-bearer. (1 Peter 2:24-25).

Faith sees that Christ alone did all the work that was needed to cleanse us and make us fit for the presence of God. (John 19:30).

Faith rests on the fact that the work which Christ finished on the cross 2000 years ago, is really finished.

Faith agrees that we cannot add to this work. (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Faith agrees that we cannot take away from this work. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
 
Salvation is received by faith plus nothing. If a friend paid your debt, how much would you pay?  Nothing!  Salvation was obtained by Christ apart from us.  He paid for us.  Faith receives it as a gift. How much do we pay for salvation? Nothing!
 
If there were a way for us to contribute to our salvation; or if there were some way we could earn it or deserve it … then we would not receive our salvation by faith alone. We would be saved by faith plus works.  But salvation is God's gift. It is all of grace!  There is nothing we can possibly add to what God has already done to save us in Jesus Christ. There is no other way to receive the benefits of Christ Crucified than by faith.  

However, we do not depend upon faith to save us.  Nor do we depend upon the fact that we were converted to save us.  We depend on the  Lord Jesus Christ alone to save us for time and eternity.
 
Some years ago, an old preacher had just finished giving a lecture at a Bible College and asked for questions.  One student raised his hand and inquired, “Sir, when were you saved.” The old pastor knew what the student wanted to know.  He wanted to know where and when the Pastor had received Christ ... was it at a gospel meeting, or in a church, did he raise his hand or walk to the front of the church?
 
The old preacher smiled and quietly said, “When was I saved? Ï was saved 2000 years ago at Calvary, for it says in 2 Corinthians 5:19, “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself not imputing their trespasses to them.”  I received that accomplished salvation by faith alone 50 years ago.”
 
To receive this glorious salvation, we don’t do anything…we simply rest on His doing, dying and rising again.  

Salvation was accomplished by Christ alone; it is received by faith alone without the addition of any works of our own.
 
And that’s the Gospel Truth!