94 intro to book 2, The Secret of Faith
how can i have a right relationship with God? this question has been asked by mankind down through the centuries. in John 6, the people asked Jesus this same question, using diferent words: 'what shall we do, that we may work the works of God? (v28)' Jesus' response was as follows: 'this is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent' (v29). Jesus answer gives us the secret to a right relationship with God. the secret is faith.
96 we must tell anyone who asks this question (see above, john 6.28) that faith is the first and fundamental duty. without faith, all virtue, all giving up of
97 sin, all acceptable obedience is impossible. unless we make this clear, we are misdirecting the person. we lead him to believe that it is possible to please God without faith and that it is possible to obtain grace by the works of the law.
there are only two kinds of works - works of law and works of faith. now, if a person does not have 'the faith that works by love' (galatians 5.6), we must not set him on a course of works to get it. this is directing him to get faith by works of law! whatever we say to him must clearly convey the truth that both justification and sanctification are by faith without works of law. anything we say to the contrary is the law; it is not the Gospel.
before an unbeliever has faith, he cannot possibly do anything but works of law. his first duty, therefore, is faith. every attempt to obtain faith by unbelieving works is an attempt to lay works at the foundation and make grace a result. it is the direct opposite of gospel truth.
facts that arise in everyday life show that what i have stated is the experience of almost everybody, both unbelievers and professing christians. whenever a sinner begins to earnestly debate the question, 'what should i do to be saved?' he resolves, as his first duty, to break away from his sins, but he does so in unbelief. of course his reformation is only outward. he determines to do better - to reform in this, that and the other thing - and thus prepare himself to be converted. he does not expect to be saved without grace and faith, but he attempts to get grace by works of law.
the same is true of multitudes of anxious christians who are asking what they should do to overcome the world, the flesh and the Devil. they overlook the fact that 'this is the victor that has overcome the world, even our faith' (I john 5.4, NIV), that it is with 'the shield of faith' (ephesians 6.16) that they are 'to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one (v.16).
anxious christians ask, why am i overcome by sin? why can i not get above its power? why am i the slave of my appetites and passions and the laughingstock of the Devil? they look around for the cause of all this spiritual wretchedness and death. at one time,
98 they think they have discovered it in the neglect of one duty and, at another time, in the neglect of another duty. sometimes they imagine they have found the cause in yielding to one sin and sometimes in yielding toanother. they put forth efforts in this direction and in that direction; they patch up thier righteousness on one side while they make a tear in the other. they spend years uunning around in circles and making dams of sand across the current of their own corruptions. instead of at onec 'purifying their hearts y faith' (acts 15.9), they are busy trying to stop their hearts' bitter waters from overflowing.
why do i sin? they ask. looking around for the cause, they come to the 'wise' conclusion, it is because i neglect such and such a duty -in other words, I sin because i do sin! they ask, but how can i get rid of sin? and they answer, by doing my duty. in other words, they are saying, i can get rid of sin by ceasing from sin!
now the real question is, why do they neglect their duty? why do they commit sin at all? where is the foundation of all this evil? perhaps you reply, the foundation of all this wickedness is in the corruption of our nature, in the wickedness of the heart, in the strength of our evil tendencies and habits but all this only brings us back to the real question again: how are these sinful habits and this corrupt nature to be overcome? i answer, by faith alone. no works of law have the least tendency to overcome our sins. rather, they strengthen the soul in self-righteousness and unbelief.
the great and fundamental sin, which is at the foundation of all other sin, is unbelief. the first thing is to give this up to believe the Word of God. there is no breaking away from one sin without this. 'whatever is not from faith is sin' (romans 14.23). 'without faith it is impossible to please Him'. hebrews 11.6
perhaps you have noticed that when the backslider and the convicted christian are agonizing to overcome sin, they will almost always go to works of law to obtain faith,they will fast, pray, read, struggle and outwardly reform and thus endeavor to obtain grace. all this is in vain and it is wrong.are you asking, shouldn't we fast, pray, read and struggle? should we sit down and do nothing? I answer, you must do all that God commands you to do, but begin
99where He tells you to begin. do it in the manner in which He commands you to do it, that is, by exercising 'the faith that works by love' (galatians 5.6). purify your heart by faith (acts 15.9). believe in the Son of God.
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