Faith: Union With The Mediator

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: John 15; Lord's Day 7
Psalters: 203, 339, 397, 356
  1. The power of faith.
    1. Scripture and the Catechism speak of being grafted into Christ and of receiving Him.
      1. In grafting a branch from one tree is attached on the stem of another tree, so they grow together.
      2. Applied, God takes the elect branches from the dead tree of Adam and grafts them into the vine of Christ.
    2. This work of uniting us with Christ is accomplished before we are conscious of it (as unseen as a building’s foundation).
      1. Faith is given when God implants Christ’s life in the elect at regeneration.
      2. The activity of believing is possible because the power (ability) to believe was given (Acts 5:31).
  2. The power (ability) to believe is a living thing, and therefore it is active (James 2:17,20,26).
    1. The essential activity of faith is that of knowing Christ, drawing from Him, and turning to Him.
      1. Faith is knowing Whom we have believed so we abide in Christ, to cleave to the Lord (Acts 11:23).
      2. Living branches (on this side of the grave) need pruning and purging, so we produce more and better fruit.
    2. The activity of faith is like anything living, namely, it should be developing, but sometimes is wanes.
      1. The activity of faith is also a work of the Holy Spirit, Who constantly breathes live into us.
      2. The Spirit works the activity of faith through the means of the Word, the means of grace.
  3. Bound together with Christ, Christians gain an assurance of their salvation.
    1. The nature of our faith is that we have a certain intellectual knowledge of all that God has revealed in His Word.
      1. What believers know makes them confident and sure.
      2. Confidence is a part of friendship and is rooted in the knowledge that we are loved (as children with parents).
    2. Our assurance usually corresponds to the activity of faith.
      1. The further we are from God’s Word, the more barriers are set between ourselves and Christ.
      2. Jesus always calls us to Himself, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden.”