Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 14)

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith

Chapter 14

Of Saving Faith

(Part  1)

This section of the Confession covers the matter of salvation, from the effectual call of God through the matter of our initial and life-long sanctification. This particular chapter deals with something that has been assumed up to this point and that is saving faith.

Thus far, no definition has been given for saving faith, although these chapters, of course, presuppose the operation of saving faith. In this chapter, the writers explain the origin of the faith that the Christian exercises in Christ unto salvation; they also explain the nature of that faith by identifying that to which it has reference.

I. The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word, by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened.

In keeping with the theme of the chapters dealing with salvation, the writers immediately state that saving faith is a work of the Spirit of Christ in the heart of the sinner. At no point in this section of the Confession is the question of who is responsible for our salvation left unanswered so that the sinner might come away with the impression that he is somehow at least partly responsible for his conversion.

The one element of our salvation that comes from our side, so to speak, is the faith that we exercise in the gospel. However, the writers remind us that that faith which leads to the salvation of our souls is not prompted by our desires or powers. The faith that the sinner expresses is created in him by the Holy Spirit.

The Divines also draw a connection between the origination of saving faith and the Word of God. Ordinarily, they say, the Holy Spirit uses the Scriptures to produce faith in the sinner. They are describing what usually takes place when a sinner hears the Word of God and responds to the Word’s teaching.

The effectual hearing is due to the Holy Spirit regenerating the soul of the sinner. Following the birth of faith in the soul, it is nurtured by the Word of God, the sacraments and prayer. This is describing the growth process that every believer experiences personally and that can be observed in every believer. The knowledge and behavior of believers matures over time. The initial faith or belief that we express in what we hear from God’s Word grows stronger and comes to be more dominant in our lives over time.

(To be continued)