Why is faith selected as the channel of salvation?
No doubt this inquiry is often made. "By grace are ye
saved through faith," is assuredly the doctrine of
Holy Scripture, and the ordinance of God; but why is it so? Why
is faith selected rather than hope, or love, or patience?
FAITH WAS CREATED TO BE THE RECEIVER OR GRACE...
Suppose that I am about to give a poor man some money: I put it into his hand—why? Well, it would hardly be fitting to put it into his ear, or to lay it upon his foot; the hand seems made on purpose to receive. So, in our mental frame, faith is created on purpose to be a receiver: it is the hand of the man, and there is a fitness in receiving grace by its means.
Do let me put this very plainly. Faith which receives Christ
is as simple an act as when your child receives an apple from
you, because you hold it out and promise to give him the apple if
he comes for it. The belief and the receiving relate only to an
apple; but they make up precisely the same act as the faith which
deals with eternal salvation. What the child's hand is to the
apple, that your faith is to the perfect salvation of Christ. The
child's hand does not make the apple, nor improve the apple, nor
deserve the apple; it only takes it; and faith is chosen by God
to be the receiver of salvation, because it does not pretend to
create salvation, nor to help in it, but it is content humbly to
receive it. "Faith is the tongue that begs pardon, the hand
which receives it, and the eye which sees it; but it is not the
price which buys it." Faith never makes herself her own
plea, she rests all her argument upon the blood of Christ. She
becomes a good servant to bring the riches of the Lord Jesus to
the soul, because she acknowledges where she drew them from, and
owns that grace alone entrusted her with them.
FAITH GIVE ALL THE GLORY TO GOD...
Faith, again, is doubtless selected because it gives all
the glory to God. It is of faith that it might be by grace,
and it is of grace that there might be no boasting; for God
cannot endure pride. "The proud he knoweth afar off,"
and He has no wish to come nearer to them. He will not give
salvation in a way which will suggest or foster pride. Paul
saith, "Not of works, lest any man should boast." Now,
faith excludes all boasting. The hand which receives charity does
not say, "I am to be thanked for accepting the gift";
that would be absurd. When the hand conveys bread to the mouth it
does not say to the body, "Thank me; for I feed you."
It is a very simple thing that the hand does though a very
necessary thing; and it never arrogates glory to itself for what
it does. So God has selected faith to receive the unspeakable
gift of His grace, because it cannot take to itself any credit,
but must adore the gracious God who is the giver of all good.
Faith sets the crown upon the right head, and therefore the Lord
Jesus puts the crown upon the head of faith, saying, "Your
faith has saved you; go in peace."
FAITH LINKS MAN WITH GOD...
Next, God selects faith as the channel of salvation because it
is a sure method, linking man with God. When man confides in
God, there is a point of union between them, and that union
guarantees blessing. Faith saves us because it makes us cling to
God, and so brings us into connection with Him. I have often used
the following illustration, but I must repeat it, because I
cannot think of a better. I am told that years ago a boat was
upset above the falls of Niagara, and two men were being carried
down the current, when persons on the shore managed to float a
rope out to them, which rope was seized by them both. One of them
held fast to it and was safely drawn to the bank; but the other,
seeing a great log come floating by, unwisely let go the rope and
clung to the log, for it was the bigger thing of the two, and
apparently better to cling to. Alas! the log with the man on it
went right over the vast abyss, because there was no union
between the log and the shore. The size of the log was no benefit
to him who grasped it; it needed a connection with the shore to
produce safety. So when a man trusts to his works, or to
sacraments, or to anything of that sort, he will not be saved,
because there is no junction between him and Christ; but faith,
though it may seem to be like a slender cord, is in the hands of
the great God on the shore side; infinite power pulls in the
connecting line, and thus draws the man from destruction. Oh the
blessedness of faith, because it unites us to God!
FAITH TOUCHES THE SPRINGS OF ACTION...
Faith is chosen again, because it touches the springs of action. Even in common things faith of a certain sort lies at the root of all. I wonder whether I shall be wrong if I say that we never do anything except through faith of some sort. If I walk across my study it is because I believe my legs will carry me. A man eats because he believes in the necessity of food; he goes to business because he believes in the value of money; he accepts a check because he believes that the bank will honor it. Columbus discovered America because he believed that there was another continent beyond the ocean; and the Pilgrim Fathers colonized it because they believed that God would be with them on those rocky shores. Most grand deeds have been born of faith; for good or for evil, faith works wonders by the man in whom it dwells. Faith in its natural form is an all-prevailing force, which enters into all manner of human actions. Possibly he who derides faith in God is the man who in an evil form has the most of faith; indeed, he usually falls into a credulity which would be ridiculous, if it were not disgraceful. God gives salvation to faith, because by creating faith in us He thus touches the real mainspring of our emotions and actions. He has, so to speak, taken possession of the battery and now He can send the sacred current to every part of our nature.
When we believe in Christ, and the heart has come into the
possession of God, then we are saved from sin, and are moved
toward repentance, holiness, zeal, prayer, consecration, and
every other gracious thing. "What oil is to the wheels, what
weights are to a clock, what wings are to a bird, what sails are
to a ship, faith is to all holy duties and services." Have
faith, and all other graces will follow and continue to hold
their course.
FAITH HAS THE POWER OF WORKING BY LOVE...
Faith, again, has the power of working by love; it
influences the affections toward God, and draws the heart after
the best things. He that believes in God will beyond all question
love God. Faith is an act of the understanding; but it also
proceeds from the heart. "With the heart man believeth unto
righteousness"; and hence God gives salvation to faith
because it resides next door to the affections, and is near akin
to love; and love is the parent and the nurse of every holy
feeling and act. Love to God is obedience, love to God is
holiness. To love God and to love man is to be conformed to the
image of Christ; and this is salvation.
FAITH CREATES PEACE AND JOY...
Moreover, faith creates peace and joy; he that hath it rests, and is tranquil, is glad and joyous, and this is a preparation for heaven. God gives all heavenly gifts to faith, for this reason among others, that faith worketh in us the life and spirit which are to be eternally manifested in th e upper and better world. Faith furnishes us with armor for this life, and education for the life to come. It enables a man both to live and to die without fear; it prepares both for action and for suffering; and hence the Lord selects it as a most convenient medium for conveying grace to us, and thereby securing us for glory.
Certainly faith does for us what nothing else can do; it gives us joy and peace, and causes us to enter into rest. Why do men attempt to gain salvation by other means? An old preacher says, "A silly servant who is bidden to open a door, sets his shoulder to it and pushes with all his might ; but the door stirs not, and he cannot enter, use what strength he may. Another comes with a key, and easily unlocks the door, and enters right readily. Those who would be saved by works are pushing at heaven's gate without result; but faith is the key which opens the gate at once." Reader, will you not use that key? The Lord commands you to believe in His dear Son, therefore you may do so; and doing so you shall live. Is not this the promise of the gospel, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved"? (Mark 16:16). What can be your objection to a way of salvation which commends itself to the mercy and the wisdom of our gracious God?