In his sermon on 'Of Saving Faith - The 1689 SLBC 14:1-3', Mike Davenport explores the theological concept of saving faith within the framework of the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession. Davenport positions saving faith as a pivotal response in the believer's journey after effectual calling, justification, adoption, and sanctification. Emphasizing that faith is a grace supplied by Christ and not merited by human effort, he explains that it is the work of the Spirit in the believer's heart. This faith, which is different from a counterfeit faith that even demons possess, leads to the salvation of the soul. The sermon elaborates on how faith is ordinarily nurtured through the ministry of the Word, baptism, the Lord's Supper, and prayer, but acknowledges God's sovereignty in working outside of these means. Davenport describes saving faith as not only a belief but also an action that encompasses obedience to God's commands, trembling at His warnings, and embracing His promises. He underscores that the principal acts of saving faith are centered on Christ, resting on Him alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life. The sermon concludes by assuring believers that although faith can vary in strength, it ultimately gains victory through Christ, who is both the author and finisher of faith.

Well, we come tonight in our confession to the chapter of saving faith. Now, why is this chapter of saving faith placed here in our confession? In our confession. Note the last several chapters, effectual calling, then justification, adoption, and sanctification. On the surface it would seem that this chapter is a bit out of order, but I believe the writers had a purpose in mind.

Having addressed the current condition of the will of man, the writers turned to the mighty acts of God in salvation. This is what God does. He factually calls and woos the sinner. Then he declares the sinner righteous because of the sacrifice of Christ. Then he takes the sinner into the family of God and makes that sinner a son or a daughter of his.

And then he purifies that sinner in order that the family resemblance might be seen in him. So that's what God does. This is all the work of the triune God. But what God does elicits a response in the sinner. The next few chapters, I believe, will focus on what goes on in the heart and life of the elect sinner when he hears the voice of his shepherd.

So this chapter focuses on saving faith. Then we will spend about four weeks on repentance before moving on to good works, perseverance, and assurance. So having stepped back and seen what God does, now we see what's happening in the life of this sinner. Saving faith, repentance, good works, perseverance, and assurance. So paragraph 1 of Saving Faith.

The grace of faith whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls This grace of faith is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word by which also that is by which ministry of this Word and by the administration of baptism and the Lord's Supper, prayer, and other means appointed of God, This faith is increased and strengthened. So the first thing that we note here is that faith is a grace. Faith is a grace. And I was moved just thinking a few minutes ago during that song, oh to grace how great a debtor. Our faith is a grace and oh what debtors we are if we have that faith.

It's the grace of God. See, grace always comes from the outside. It's outside of ourselves. Grace is by its nature one directional. It is not earned.

It's not deserved. And so faith is supplied by Christ. It is not something we muster up, it's not something that we generate. To further drive that point home, the writers of the Constitution go on to say that it is only through this grace of faith that men are enabled to believe. It is only by this grace that they are enabled to believe.

Without faith they cannot believe, and without the grace of God, they are destitute of faith. Now, this enabling faith grants the sinner ability as well as the desire to believe. And this belief, which is a byproduct of this faith always brings about the saving of the soul. That is why they have entitled this chapter Saving Faith. Now there is a counterfeit faith.

There is a believing that does not lead the soul to salvation. James tells us of this type of belief that even the very demons of hell believe in many things concerning God. They have right doctrine about God. But what differentiates this faith, this believing from counterfeit faith and belief? Well they go on to tell us, It is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts.

That's what differentiates it. Saving faith is the work of the Spirit of Christ in the heart. Christ told Nicodemus that one who would exercise true faith must be born of the Spirit. He must be. Please note this and it will be even more evident when we get to the next phrase, but note this, if a sinner has been enabled to truly Believe to the saving of their soul.

It will always always Always have been by the working of the Spirit never apart from the working of the Spirit It is the work of the Spirit, Christ told his disciples, to convict and convince of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. If one is truly born again, that one was born of the Spirit. Now, I said that this fact that it's always by the Spirit will be even more evident by the next phrase. That is because the next phrase introduces a very interesting word, ordinarily. This grace of faith is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word.

Now this word ordinarily was not used in the previous phase. The writers didn't say saving faith is ordinarily a work of the Spirit. No, it's always the work of the Spirit that ordinarily is wrought in the heart through the ministry of the Word of God. Now, Why did they put that here? Why use this word ordinarily?

What significance does it have? Well if you recall what the writers told us and declared regarding our God And specifically about his providential dealings, if you'll remember in that chapter of divine providence, paragraph 3 set down the following for us. God, in His ordinary providence, maketh use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them at His pleasure." So here's this word again. We've seen this word before, ordinarily. Well, ordinarily, God saves sinners through the ministry of the Word, but God ordinarily brings about his providence through means.

Thus it is in our paragraph here that the writers tell us that God makes use of the special means of the preaching of the Word for the saving of sinners. That's what God ordinarily does. In Romans 10 makes this abundantly clear. To be saved, One must hear the Word of God. To hear the Word of God, one must have it preached to them.

To have it preached to them, a preacher must be sent. And so this ministry of the Word is the ordinary means God has established for this grace of faith to be administered and it is the only means that he is made known to us. Okay, it's it's the only means we have. Yet God who has established this means because he is God is not bound by the means that he is created. He is free to work without these means, above these means, and even against these ordinary means if he so pleases.

We cannot place God in a box. Don't allow any lack of clarity or understanding on our part to rob God of his very essence. How can God save a sinner apart from these ordinary means? I don't know, and you don't know. But can he do it?

Yes, he can. He is God. Now they close this paragraph by stating that the God who supplies the sinner with faith Also provides means for the increasing and strengthening of that very faith How does this increase and strengthening occur? By the Spirit of Christ through the means ordained. And they list specifically this ministry of the Word, the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper, prayer, as well as others that are appointed by God as declared in the Scriptures.

He who began a good work in you will see it through to completion. He will not let it weaken or die out. So can you testify, Can you tonight testify to the increase and strengthening of your faith? If not, then you are most likely not using the means of grace that God has supplied or are using the means as an end to themselves and not as a means of grace of Christ supplied through them. So God, through His Spirit, because of Christ, brings saving faith, and His purpose is to increase and strengthen that faith.

Paragraph two. And for means of fitting it on the slide, we've divided it in half. And very purposeful in how we've divided it here. You'll see it as we go through it. By this faith, a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word for the authority of God Himself, and also apprehendeth an excellency therein above all other writings and all things in the world, as it bears forth the glory of God in His attributes, the excellency of Christ and His nature and offices, and the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit in His workings and operations.

And so, because of this believing and this apprehending of all of this excellence in the Word, and so because of this is enabled to cast his soul upon the truth thus believed." And I'll read on, we'll come back. And also acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth yielding obedience to the commands trembling at the threatenings and Embracing the promises of God for this life and that which is to come. But the principal acts of saving faith have immediate relation to Christ, accepting, receiving, and resting upon him alone for justification sanctification and eternal life by virtue of the Covenant of grace So here in this paragraph we have the nature of this saving faith, what it believes, what it looks like, and what it does. First, faith changes this new Christian's view of the Word of God. He receives it as truth, the very breathed out, living words of God Almighty.

But it goes beyond a mere accepting and believing the truth. By this very same faith, secondly, the Christian is able to apprehend, that is to seize with the understanding the excellence of this Word, that it is not just another book. It did not originate with man, that it is otherworldly. Faith allows the Christian to see the excellence of the glory of God manifested in his various attributes. Faith allows this Christian to seize with their understanding the excellencies of Jesus Christ and who he is as prophet, as priest, and king.

But this faith also allows the Christian to seize with the understanding the reality of the power and fullness of the Spirit who brought this faith to this one by all of his workings and all of his operations. In other words, faith reveals the Trinity. It reveals the triune God, what God is all about. And faith allows that one to see in the pages of Scripture what God has done and is doing and he loves this word. He loves this word.

It means something different than it used to be. It was just another book but no longer. Now this, this is, it's all supernatural. Mm-hmm. That's right.

It's supernatural. And don't be ashamed of that reality Embrace it relish it praise God for the glorious operations of this saving faith But as we see as we move on to the second part of this paragraph, faith is more than just believing. We see here in this paragraph that faith not only believeth but it acteth. We can go to the second paragraph here. It acteth.

It active it believes and it acts Now this acting is Multifaceted it's multifaceted it can be seen in many different ways just as we see from all the saints listed in Hebrews 11. What happens when you read Hebrews 11? By Faith Abel offered. By faith Enoch pleased God. By faith Noah prepared an ark.

By faith Abraham obeyed. By faith he went out. By faith he dwelt in the promised land. By faith he offered up his only son and on and on and on Hebrews 11 says by faith they did something Now what are these various ways? Well the writers tell us by obeying by trembling and by embracing And all of that comes in relation to what the Christian finds in the Word of God.

What does he find? He finds commands, threatenings, and promises. So what does faith do? Faith causes us to obey the commands. Faith causes us to tremble at the threatenings and faith causes us to embrace the promises of God.

I remember when I was around 13 years old, we were in Sunday school class, had two teachers, one was teaching and the other was actually sitting beside me in class. The teacher asked a question to the class, what is faith? I think we may have even been studying Hebrews 11. What is faith? So I thought for a second I raised my hand and in in the simplicity of a 13 year old I said faith is is living a belief It's living a belief The teacher next to me is like, wow, and he wrote it down in this inside cover of his Bible and I'm thinking it's pretty simple.

It's just living a belief because as we see here it's not just believing it's acting it's acting that belief turns into an action so all you children here in the room what is this What is this? I don't hear anybody. A chair. A chair. Now what if I told you, you know, here's this chair here, right?

And I said I'm looking at it this happens to be a pretty new chair if you go to somebody's house who has some antiques it might you know look a little unsafe and and if you ask me Mike Do you believe that chair will hold you up? Yes, I believe it'll hold me up. Yeah, I believe that. Is that faith? What would faith do?

Faith does this, yeah. This chair will hold me up. It'll hold me up. That's what faith does. It doesn't just believe yeah, I think that chair will hold me up it acts Faith acts upon that belief Have you ever seen a young child?

Children are different, right? If I placed a two-year-old standing up here on this podium and dad got out there about three or four feet and said jump son jump some kids will be like no no some kids they just I mean before the dad's even ready to catch them. They're jumping, right? What is that jumping? That's faith.

That's resting. Resting. The good. It's believing, but it's acting upon that belief. My dad is going to catch me.

That chair will hold me up and it's acting upon it. That's what faith does. But I love how this particular, how the writer's in this paragraph, and it's by focusing back on the principle or primary acts of faith. Yes, Faith does obey the commands of God. Faith trembles at the threatenings and it embraces the promises.

But the principle, the principle, the primary acts of faith have to do with Jesus Christ. It all focuses on Christ. My faith has found a resting place, not in device, not in creed. I trust the ever-living one his wounds for me shall plead." You see this faith accepts it receives and rests upon Christ alone. That's the primary act of saving faith.

Faith does all those other things, it does, but the primary thing is it rests on Jesus Christ. Dear brothers and sisters, is that not a phrase worth meditating upon every day of our lives? Accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification and eternal life by virtue of the covenant of grace. And I believe that's another reason why saving faith is found here in the confession. Having dealt with justification, sanctification, these great doctrines, saving faith says, I rest in Christ for my justification It's not up to me I Can't do it.

I can't make myself right with God trusting on Christ alone And so saving faith places us there, that we rest on Christ. So we must ask ourselves, are we resting on Christ? And this again is the primary act of faith. No matter what else we are doing, no matter how well or not we are obeying the commands, no matter how well or not we are trembling at the threatenings, No matter how well or not we are obeying the commands, no matter how well or not we are trembling at the threatenings, no matter how well or not we are embracing the promises of God. Are we doing this?

Are we resting on Jesus Christ? Paragraph 3. This faith, although it be different in degrees and may be weak or strong, yet it is in the least degree of it different in the kind or nature of it as is all other saving grace from the faith and common grace of temporary believers and therefore though it may be many times assailed and weakened yet it gets the victory growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ who is both the author and finisher of our faith. This last paragraph provides much comfort to souls who have a greater sensitivity to their own personal sins and failures. The main emphasis is upon the nature of saving faith in the very least degree of it.

In the very least degree of it. It is in kind and nature so very different than the faith and common grace of those whom the writers call temporary believers. You see, there can be some in the church who are temporary believers. There is a measure of response to the Word of God as we see in the parable of the sower. Right?

There was only one ground who brought forth fruit in abundance, 30, 60, 100 fold, one ground. So there may be growth, there may be a sprouting up, There may be signs of life and seeming fruit, but then trouble comes. The cares of the world, persecution, and the faith fades and the common grace grows distant. Yet saving faith because it is the work of the Spirit of God is altogether a different thing. Saving faith knows nothing of the word temporary.

Now we see here that the state of faith varies in its degrees and can be rightly considered weak or strong. And this is the case if you were able to take a slice through our congregation right here and now tonight. You'd find this. You would find differences in the degrees of faith, a variation between faith that is faltering and faith that is robust. But it's also the case if you were to consider specific days and times in your very individual life, there are days when that faith seems strong, and there are days when that faith seems weak.

Have we not all felt the reality of that song as we've sung it, that song we've come to love so much? When I fear my faith will fail, He will hold me Fast, that's what saving faith does. Are not our hearts often crying out like that poor man who had that child that was demon possessed, Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. Well the Word of God gives us this promise, Isaiah 42-3, A bruised reed he will not break, and smoking flax he will not quench.

Is that not a comfort to your soul? Oh, the precious promise that we can move mountains with faith the size of a grain of mustard seed what are the smallest of all seeds and yet Christ says just faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains how is that possible because it's of the work and operation of the Holy Spirit I want to share with you again a marvelous illustration given by D.A. Carson. And it's so fitting in light of the things we have covered tonight. This is what D.A.

Carson preached at a conference. Picture two Jews by the name of Smith and Brown, remarkably Jewish names. The day before the first Passover, they're having a little discussion in the land of Goshen. And Smith says to Brown, Boy, are you a little nervous about what's going to happen tonight? Brown says, well, God told us what to do through his servant Moses.

You don't have to be nervous. Haven't you slaughtered the lamb and dobb the two doorposts with blood and put blood on the lentil? Haven't you done that? You're all ready and packed to go? You're going to eat your whole Passover meal with your family?

Of course, of course I've done that. I'm not stupid, but it's still pretty scary when you think of all the things that have happened around here recently. You know, flies and river turning to blood. It's pretty awful. And now here's a threat to the firstborn being killed you know it's alright for you you've got three sons that I've only got one and I love my Charlie And the angel of death is passing through tonight.

I know what God says. I put the blood there. But it's pretty scary. I'll be glad when this night is over. The other one responds, bring it on, bring it on.

I trust the promises of God. Well, that night, the angel of death swept through the land. Which one lost his son? Which one lost his son? And the answer, of course, is neither.

Neither. Because death doesn't pass over them on the ground of the intensity or the clarity of the faith exercised, but on the ground of the blood of the Lamb. That's what silences the accuser. The blood silences the accuser of the brothers as he accuses us before God. He silences our consciences when he accuses us directly.

How many times do we writhe in agony, asking if God can ever love us enough, if God can ever care for us enough, after we have done such stupid, sinful, rebellious things, after being Christians for 40 years What are you going to say oh God I I try it hard, you know, I did my best it it was a bad moment No, no No, I have no other argument. I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died and that he died for me. We overcome him by the blood of the Lamb. There is the ground of all human assurance before God.

There is the ground of our faith. Not guaranteeing intensity of faith, so fickle are we. It's not the intensity of our faith, but the object of our faith that saves. They overcome him on the ground of the blood of the Lamb. And so this is how the writers then conclude this wonderful chapter on saving faith.

Therefore, though it be many times assailed and weakened, yet it gets the victory growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ who is both the author and finisher of our faith. The reality is that our faith is assailed and weakened many, many, many times. Yet, Yet, because it is the work of the Spirit, it always gets the victory. Always. It may not seem like victory, okay?

What kind of victory would we want? We'd want one of those David Goliath kind of victories, right? Standing over the giant, the head in hand, holding it up for all to see. That's the kind of victory we want, right? I mean it's decisive.

But oftentimes our victory may be more akin to what Peter said when Jesus turned to his disciples and the people all turning away. And Jesus said, will you also turn away? And Peter said simply, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And listen, also we have come to believe and know that you are the Christ the Son of the Living God.

His faith had found a resting place. This was victory. It didn't look like victory. It was more or less, where else can we go? Where else can we go?

You have the words of life. That's faith resting in Jesus Christ alone. That's victory. That's victory. Now the victory of Peter's faith was short-lived.

He would know the assault and the weakening of that faith, denying Christ three times before his crucifixion, cowering before his servant girl. Fiction cowering before servant girl and Then on top of that After Christ had been buried He even had appeared to them Peter looked at the others and said, guys, I'm going fishing. And they went with him. And what happened? Christ pursued him.

Christ pursued him. The next thing you know, as they are out trying to fish Not catching a thing who's on the shore Jesus Christ And Christ had prayed for Peter's faith and what does Christ do? He challenges him three times. Peter denied him three times. Christ asked him three times, do you love me?

And he said, feed my sheep. Feed my lambs. Peter's faith gained the victory. This is what Peter wrote to the readers of his first epistle, chapter 1, verses 3 through 5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away reserved in heaven for you, " do you remember the rest?

"...who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. This was a man who denied Jesus Christ, And he's writing, I am kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, which is ready to be revealed in the last time. Faith gets the victory. It's always victorious. Do you feel weak?

Do you feel that your faith will lose its hold of Christ? That faith will have the victory. Through these victories, faith sometimes grows up to a full assurance through Christ. How can such assurance be obtained? How?

It says many, not all. There are many who grow up by this faith to full attainment, an attainment of a full assurance. But how? Well it's not by focusing on the believing in the acting that we heard about in the previous paragraph. It's not by focusing on, I've got to believe more.

I've got to act better. That's not what's going to bring the full assurance. It's by focusing on Jesus Christ. That's the primary acts of faith, resting on Christ alone for our justification, our sanctification in eternal life to the extent that we Accept receive and rest in his finished work to that extent We will know the fullness of assurance Which he purchased for his people Dear ones the the passage that Scott read to us before we started tonight from Hebrews 12, because Jesus is the author of your faith, he will be the finisher of it. As sure as he started it, He will bring it to completion.

And I love the way that Paul writes that to the Philippians. He who has begun a good work will complete it until. I always thought that was the strangest word complete it until We never say that right We never say that to you kids ever say, you know mom says, okay. I want you to load the dishwasher Okay, Mom, I'll complete it until dinner's ready. You'll complete it until...

Why is it until? It's because the work of the Spirit is to increase and strengthen this faith. It will be weakened at times. It will be assailed many times. But the Spirit by the means of grace will increase and strengthen that faith so that we will attain to eternal salvation in Jesus Christ.

But more about that assurance in future chapters in our confession. Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, give us grace to rest upon Jesus Christ. Oh, may this grace of faith be given to all who are here tonight, that they may know and love and rest upon Christ. In His great name we pray, Amen.