Faith and Transformation
I trust that many of you reading this are astute enough already to ask what is meant by "faith" or what aspect of faith am I talking about. Good questions. I think that is where some helpful clarification can be obtained from some of our favorite systematic theologians (at least some from among our circles). Let me begin with a few things I would paraphrase from Louis Berkhof (or St. Louie as one of my theology profs used to call him). [The whole section from page 492 to 537 in the 2003 Banner of Truth Trust printing of his Systematic Theology is very instructive here.] Faith can sometimes be used by speaker or writer to mean simply opinion, an obtained certainty, or a conviction based on the testimony of someone that we trust. Saving faith is "a certain conviction, wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirt, as to the truth of the gospel, and a hearty reliance on the promises of God in Christ." The elements of this faith include the intellectual, emotional, and the volitional. The last element involves the activity of going out towards the object of our faith and appropriating this. It has been simplistic of me to think that it is just the object of our faith (rather than the amount of faith we have) that is important. I missed the importance of this volitional exercise of our faith.
Berkhof goes on to break down what is meant by the object of faith, i.e. the Gospel. He identifies fides specialis as the more special faith for which the object is Jesus Christ and the promise of salvation through Him. What is received by this special act of faith justifies the sinner. He defines fides generalis as the more general faith whose object is the entirety of divine revelation (as taught in Scripture). In both justification and sanctification, faith is the "appropriating organ" (more precise than "instrument"). Justification is mediated by the weakest faith. But, sanctification is proportional to the strength of the Christian's faith. So, in some ways we are sanctified by faith just as we are justified by faith. But, the object of faith are different between them.
Comments
Steven, there are a couple links in this chain of thoughts that I am missing. The question was are we justified and sanctified by the same faith. Your answer: yes, but the object of the faith is different for each. So, are you saying that fides specialis (faith whose object is Jesus Christ & salvation through him) is the weak faith that mediates only justification? And that fides generalis (faith whose object is the entirety of divine revelation) is the faith which mediates sanctification? If so, why? Do you mean to say that fides specialis is the faith of a spiritual infant, one who has heard the story of Jesus and accepted it, but does not understand the rest of Scripture? Thinking of the paradigm of the parable of the sower (Mt 13), would fides specialis be a nascent stage faith in which an observer would not be able to distinguish between the seed on stony places (“hears the word and immediately receives it with joy”) and the seed on good soil (“hears the word and understands it”)?
Jason,
I hesitate to say that the parable of the sower describes fides specialis for the stony places because that would imply that justification could be lost. In that parable, I tend to see the faith in that case as being something other than “true” saving faith. I know someone could get into a long discussion of passages in Hebrews that seem to allude to meaningful faith being lost. However, I also suggest that the focus of the sower parable is on the types of soil rather than what kind of faith is portrayed by the different types of growth.
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Now what about the idea of sanctification being a process in which God works and we work as well? Is that compatible with being justified by faith? It is. First, faith is the appropriating organ. God working in us is appropriated by faith. Second God working in us involves our working too. We are not passive, inanimate, droids waiting to be automated by God. And, yes our working out our salvation in fear and trembling, even as God is at work in us (enabling us to will and work for his good pleasure), is a response to God’s grace (especially in justifying and saving us). But, being saved by faith in the Gospel is more than just the emotional element of faith or motivation derived from having knowledge of the object of our saving faith. It is not just some religious phenomena explained by the psychology of religion. By faith, we appropriate God’s work in us – the Holy Spirit’s application of our salvation in renewing the image of God in us. Berkhof is also quick to point out that saving faith is first of all a semen fidei or seed of faith implanted in the heart of the sinner such that he can exercise faith. Doesn’t that clear up the term a little?
So, how would I answer if there is anything we can do? Perhaps we can take a cue from the man who brought his son with an unclean spirit to Jesus in Mark 9. We need to ask for help with our unbelief. May the Lord give us faith!