Grosey's Messages

2Timothy 1

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, 2To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

13What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

A man comes running to the doctor shouting and screaming in pain. "Please doctor you've got to help me. I've been stung by a bee."

"Don't worry;" says the doctor, "I'll put some cream on it.

"You will never find that bee. It must be miles away by now."

"No, you don't understand!" answers the doctor, "I'll put some cream on the place you were stung."

"Oh! It happened in the garden in back of my house."

"No, no, no!" says the doctor getting frustrated, "I mean on which part of your body did that bee sting you."

"On my finger!" screamed the man in pain. "The bee stung me on my finger and it really hurts."

"Which one?" the doctor.

"How am I supposed to know? All bees look the same to me!"

Faith has the same problem. Defining it is so difficult.

There is confusion about faith. Do I have enough faith to be saved? Am I really trusting in Jesus? What about my works? I heard someone say that salvation is using 2 oars, the oar of faith and the oar of works. With just one you go round and round in circles.  That brings in a heresy of salvation by works.

Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us that our salvation is not by any work at all but results in good works. "8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."

So what is faith? Is it just believing something?

― Lewis Carroll   Through the Looking Glass or down the rabbit hole? "Alice laughed. 'There's no use trying,' she said. 'One can't believe impossible things.'" "I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!"

2 Timothy 1:12

    That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

What is Saving Faith?

Faith of Assent. To Believe You Must Know

"because I know whom I have believed,"

Apostles Creed (around 120 AD)

What must I know and believe?

In essentials, unity; in the nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity," runs a maxim often attributed to Augustine of Hippo. What, then, are the essentials? What are those doctrinal issues surrounding the person and work of Jesus on which we must agree? Moreover, what is the source of these truths?

"What do the facts say?" And since our most reliable source of information about the person, nature, and work of Jesus is the Bible, the more precise question is, "What does the Bible say?"

 It is impossible to exhaust all of the information in the Bible about the person and work of Jesus. Therefore, we must find a manageable yet comprehensive body of information with which we may equip ourselves to present a concise, biblical, and comprehensive argument. Perhaps the most concise, yet comprehensive presentation of the person and work of Jesus is found in the New Testament preaching on salvation through Christ that is known as the kerygma (or "core content of the gospel").

What is Saving Faith?

Faith of Assent.

    9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

WHAT IS SAVING FAITH?

Faith of Assent

'What are your speculations?' they inquired of the great scientist Michael Faraday. 'Speculations?' he asked, in wondering surprise. 'Speculations! I have none! I am resting on certainties. I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day!' And, reveling like a little child in those cloudless simplicities, his great soul passed away.  Faraday was a perpetual mystery. He baffled all his colleagues and companions. Nobody could understand how the most learned man of his time could find in his faith those restful certainties on which he so calmly and securely reposed. They saw him pass from a meeting of the Royal Society to sit at the feet of a certain local preacher who was notorious for his illiteracy; and the spectacle filled them with bewilderment and wonder. Some suggested that he was, in an intellectual sense, living a double life. Tyndall said that, when Faraday opened the door of his oratory, he shut that of his laboratory. He did nothing of the kind. He never closed his eyes to any fragment of truth; he never divided his mind into watertight compartments; he never shrank from the approach of a doubt. He saw life whole. His biography has been written a dozen times; and each writer views it from a new angle. But in one respect they all agree. They agree that Michael Faraday was the most transparently honest soul that the realm of science has ever known. He moved for fifty years amidst the speculations of science whilst, in his soul, the certainties that cannot be shaken were his rock.

No Speculations just convictions!

Persuaded of the truth:

because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced (persuaded)that he is able to guard

How does faith know?

By Scripture (its Prophecies, Power and Practicality)

By the Spirit of God (Applying Promises Personally)

Persuaded of God's Faithfulness and Willingness to keep me.

Knowledge alone is not enough. Personal saving faith involves more than mere knowledge. It is necessary that we have some knowledge of who Christ is and what he has done, for "how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?" (Rom. 10:14). But knowledge about the facts of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection for us is not enough, for people can know facts but rebel against them or dislike them. For example, Paul tells us that many people know God's laws but dislike them: "Though they know God's decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them but approve those who practice them" (Rom. 1:32). Even the demons know who God is and know the facts about Jesus' life and saving works, for James says, "You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder" (James 2:19). But that knowledge certainly does not mean that the demons are saved. People can have true knowledge about God, be persuaded of the truthfulness of the gospel, and yet not be saved. Some are hard rejecters of the gospel. Others are those who think they are saved bit have not yet truly had a saving faith in Christ.

WHAT IS SAVING FAITH?

Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Faith is something factual.

Faith is something personal.

WHAT IS SAVING FAITH?

The Faith of Assent

The Faith of Consent

because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

what I have committed to Him until that Day.

Packer writes of Faith as response to the Spirit of God's enlightening.

Faith cannot be defined in subjective terms, as a confident and optimistic mind-set, or in passive terms, as acquiescent orthodoxy or confidence in God without commitment to God. Faith is an object-oriented response, shaped by that which is trusted, namely God himself, God's promises, and Jesus Christ, all as set forth in the Scriptures. And faith is a whole-souled response, involving mind, heart, will, and affections. Older Reformed theology analyzed faith as notitia ("knowledge," i.e., acquaintance with the content of the gospel), plus assensus ( "agreement," i.e., recognition that the gospel is true), plus fiducia ( "trust and reliance," i.e., personal dependence on the grace of Father, Son, and Spirit for salvation, with thankful cessation of all attempts to save oneself by establishing one's own righteousness: Rom. 4:5; 10:3). Without fiducia there is no faith, but without notitia and assensus there can be no fiducia (Rom. 10:14). God's gift of faith is a fruit of applicatory illumination by the Holy Spirit, and it ordinarily has in it some measure of conscious assurance through the witnessing of the Spirit (Rom. 8:15- 17). John Owen says: "For there is a faith whereby we are justified, which he who has shall be assuredly saved; which purifies the heart and works by love. And there is a faith or believing, which does nothing of all this; which who has, and has no more, is not justified, nor can be saved…. Thus it is said of Simon the magician, that he "believed," Acts viii.13, when he was in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity."

Owen views the conviction of sin as a necessary prerequisite to the exercise of saving faith. That conviction consists in the "opening of the eyes of the sinner, to see the filth and guilt of sin in the sentence and curse of the law applied unto his conscience, Rom vii. 9, 10." This results in the sinner being "sensible of his guilt before God," which is a condition that comes about by the act of sovereign grace. This sense of guilt does not merely consist in the assent (assensus) of the mind because believing is an "act of the heart." If it is "assentia alone," then Owen rejects such a faith. Assenting faith must be coupled with a "fiducial trust in the grace of God by Christ declared in the promises."  While many Reformed theologians spoke of justifying faith involving three elements—knowledge (notitia), assent (assensus), and trust (fiducia)—Owen seems to have placed knowledge and assent together in this context. The reason for that is that in this context he particularly focuses on the saving nature of assent since he is combating the Roman Catholic idea that faith is bare assent.

So there are three aspects to saving faith: there must be knowledge.  There must be assent of the mind. There must be the consent of the heart. Faith not only is the knowledge and assent of the mind that 65% of Australians have towards the Lord Jesus Christ.  It also includes the consent of the heart!! 

Look at how scripture describes that consent:

Knowledge and approval are not enough. Merely knowing the facts and approving of them or agreeing that they are true is not enough. Nicodemus knew that Jesus had come from God, for he said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him" (John 3:2). Nicodemus had evaluated the facts of the situation, including Jesus' teaching and his remarkable miracles, and had drawn a correct conclusion from those facts: Jesus was a teacher come from God. But this alone did not mean that Nicodemus had saving faith, for he still had to put his trust in Christ for salvation; he still had to "believe in him." King Agrippa provides another example of knowledge and approval without saving faith. Paul realized that King Agrippa knew and apparently viewed with approval the Jewish Scriptures (what we now call the Old Testament). When Paul was on trial before Agrippa, he said, "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe" (Acts 26:27). Yet Agrippa did not have saving faith, for he said to Paul, "In a short time you think to make me a Christian!" (Acts 26:28).

WHAT IS SAVING FAITH?

The Faith of Assent

The Faith of Consent

The Faith of COMMITTING

what I have committed to Him until that Day.

What Is Saving Faith

Packer "faith is a whole-souled response, involving mind, heart, will, and affections."

faith as notitia ("knowledge,")   +

plus assensus ( "agreement,")   +

plus fiducia ( "personal trust and reliance," )

What Is Saving Faith

It is Coming to Jesus.

           Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Matt 11:28

           He who comes to Me I will not cast out. John 6:37

It is Looking to Jesus

           And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. John 3:14–15 14 

Barnes Notes "Thus the direction to look to God for salvation implies a deep conviction of helplessness and of sin; and a deep conviction that he only can save. At the same time it shows the ease of salvation. What is more easy than to look to one for help? What more easy than to cast the eyes toward God the Saviour? What more reasonable than that he should require us to do it? And what more just than that God, if people will not look to him in order that they may be saved, should cast them off forever? Assuredly, if a dying, ruined, and helpless sinner will not do so simple a thing as to look to God for salvation, he ought to be excluded from heaven, and the universe will acquiesce in the decision which consigns him to despair."

Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to thy cross I cling, Naked come to thee for dress Helpless look to Thee for grace, Foul I to the fountain fly, Wash me Saviour or I die."

True Saving Faith Includes Knowledge, Approval, and Personal Trust

It is Receiving Jesus

     To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God" John 1:12.

I must Commit to depend on Jesus to save me personally. In addition to knowledge of the facts of the gospel and approval of those facts, in order to be saved, I must decide to depend on Jesus to save me. Saving faith is trust in Jesus Christ as a living person for forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God. The unbeliever comes to Christ seeking to have sin and guilt removed and to enter into a genuine relationship with God that will last forever. Saving faith in Scripture involves this personal trust, trust is often a better word to use in contemporary culture than the word faith or belief. The reason is that we can "believe" something to be true with no personal commitment or dependence involved in it. I can believe that Canberra is the capital of Australia or that 7 times 6 is 42 but have no personal commitment or dependence on anyone when I simply believe those facts. The word faith on the other hand, is sometimes used today to refer to an almost irrational commitment to something in spite of strong evidence to the contrary, a sort of irrational decision to believe something that we are quite sure is not true! (If your favorite football team continues to lose games, someone might encourage you to "have faith" even though all the facts point the opposite direction.) In these two popular senses, belief and faith have a meaning contrary to the biblical sense.

The word trust is closer to the biblical idea, since we are familiar with trusting persons in everyday life. The more we come to know a person, and the more we see in that person a pattern of life that warrants trust, the more we find ourselves able to place trust in him to do what he promises, or to act in ways on which we can rely. This fuller sense of personal trust is indicated in several passages of Scripture in which initial saving faith is spoken of in very personal terms, often using analogies drawn from personal relationships. John says, "To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God" (John 1:12). Much as we would receive a guest into our homes, John speaks of receiving Christ.

John 3:16 tells us that "whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Here John uses a surprising phrase when he does not simply say, "whoever believes him" (that is, believes that what he says is true and able to be trusted), but rather, "whoever believes in him."

Jesus speaks of "coming to him" in several places. He says, "All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out" (John 6:37). He also says, "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink" (John 7:37). In a similar way, he says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28–30). In these passages we have the idea of coming to Christ and asking for acceptance, for living water to drink, and for rest and instruction. All of these give an intensely personal picture of what is involved in saving faith.

FAITH OF COMMITTING TO JESUS

Dr. Alexander, of Princeton was dying; a friend endeavored to fortify his faith by reciting some of the most familiar passages and promises. Presently he ventured upon the words:

'I know in whom I have believed, and----' But the sick man raised his hand. 'No, no,' exclaimed the dying Principal, 'it is not "I know in whom" but "I know whom"; I cannot have even the little word "in" between me and Christ. I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day!'

John Oxenham has expressed the same thought with an accent and emphasis well worthy of the theme: Not what, but whom, I do believe That in my darkest hour of need
Hath comforts that no mortal creed To mortal man may give. Not what but whom, For Christ is more than all the creeds And his full life of gentle deeds Shall all the creeds outlive. Not what I do believe but whom, Who walks beside me in the gloom
Who shares the burden wearisome; Who all the dim way doth illume And bids me look beyond the tomb The larger life to live. Not what I do believe but whom.       John Oxenham

Have you committed to Jesus?

I cast my whole weight on Him. Have You Called To Jesus? (39)

It is demonstrated by the blind man in Luke 18 crying out "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 39 But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

The committing of the heart is described as calling on the Lord Jesus. 

Romans 10:13 for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

It is pictured by Peter as he sinks in the sea and calls to the Lord Jesus walking upon the sea "Lord save me!"

It wasn't the loudness of his cry that saved him, but the direction of his prayer saved him; it was directed to the only One who can save: The Lord Jesus Christ.  Don't direct your prayer to Mary or anyone else! Direct it to the Saviour!

 The consent and committing of the heart, justifying faith, is expressed as "receiving." To as many as received Him to them that believe on His name, He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).The consent of the heart faith is expressed by "fleeing for refuge" (Heb. 6:18):

It is Calling on the Lord Jesus to Save You

⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.¹¹ For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.¹³ For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." Romans 9-13

Will you trust the Lord Jesus to save you?

Throw your whole weight upon Him to save you.

From his early boyhood, John Paton wanted to be a missionary. Before studying theology and medicine, Paton served for ten years as a Glasgow City Missionary. After graduation, he was ordained and set sail for the New Hebrides as a Presbyterian missionary. Three months after arriving on the island of Tanna, Paton's young wife died, followed by their five-week-old son. For three more years, Paton labored alone among the hostile islanders, ignoring their threats, seeking to make Christ known to them, before escaping with his life. Later, he returned and spent fifteen years on another island.

Paton was working one day in his home on the translation of John's Gospel—puzzling over John's favorite expression pisteuo eis, to "believe in" or to "trust in" Jesus Christ, a phrase which occurs first in John 1:12. "How can I translate it?" Paton wondered. The islanders were cannibals; nobody trusted anybody else. There was no word for "trust" in their language. His native servant came in. "What am I doing?" Paton asked him. "Sitting at your desk," the man replied. Paton then raised both feet off the floor and sat back on his chair. "What am I doing now?" In reply, Paton's servant used a verb which means "to lean your whole weight upon." That's the phrase Paton used throughout John's Gospel to translate to "believe in."

The greatest 19th-century tightrope walker, Jean Francois Gravelet – alias Charles Blondin – (1824–1897) of France, made the earliest crossing of the Niagara Falls on a 76 mm (3 in) hemp rope 335 m (1,100 ft) long and 47.75 m (160 ft) above the Falls on June 30, 1859.
On his crossing, which he achieved using a long balancing pole, Blondin executed a daring backwards somersault. Thereafter, the French daredevil made each crossing of the Falls in a different manner. He crossed blindfolded; trundling a wheelbarrow; on stilts; in the dark with Roman candles flaring from his pole tips; and sitting down halfway to make an omelet! On Sept 15, 1860, he even made a crossing carrying his manager, Harry Colcord, by pick-a-back. 

He offered to carry someone in a wheel barrow. The crowd said "Yes" but no one came forward to take him and try.

The Lord Jesus says come to me. Will you come to Him today?