The Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q86. What is Faith in Jesus Christ?

A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace,[1] whereby we receive and
rest upon Him alone for salvation, as He is offered to us in the Gospel.[2]

Proofs

[1] Hebrews 10:39;  [2] John 1:12; Isaiah 26:3–4; Philippians 3:9; Galatians 2:16.

Comments

Those who teach baptismal regeneration, when charged with teaching salvation by works, will often respond by arguing that their requiring baptism for salvation is no different from our requiring faith. “Both believing and submitting oneself to be baptised,” they say, “are faith-works. They must not be categorised as work in the definition of the Scriptures.” This response is, however, based on an erroneous under-standing of faith, which is promoted largely by Arminians and some Dispensationalists. The false view suggests that it is by our act of believing that we are born-again, and therefore faith precedes regeneration. If this is the case, then it is indeed true that faith is as much work as submitting oneself for baptism. But the Apostle Paul is very clear that it is not our faith that saves us. He says: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that [faith is] not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8).

Faith is an instrument of our salvation, which is God’s gift to us when we are regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit; it is not an exercise of our own free-will, whether assisted by grace or otherwise. Faith, we may say, follows (logically) our regeneration. This is why our catechism calls it a “saving grace,” it is a gift of God by His grace on the basis of what Christ has done for His elect (cf. 1 Cor 1:4; Eph 2:7; 4:7; 1 Tim 1:14; 2 Tim 1:9).

Faith is a gift of God through the renovation of our hearts by the Holy Spirit. It is given in our effectual call (WSC 31), and may be said to include not only spiritual eyes and ears, but spiritual hands to embrace and trust Jesus Christ and His perfect righteousness for our salvation.

We may think of saving faith as having three elements involving the mind, heart and will: (1) Notitia: An intellectual element or knowledge (Eph 1:7; etc.); (2) Assensus: An emotional element or believing (Jn 1:12; etc.); and (3) Fiducia: A volitional element or trusting and resting (Isa 26:3–4; etc.). Faith, in other words, comprises knowledge, belief and trust, by which we apply Christ and His benefits to ourselves. All three elements must be present. There can be no faith without knowledge, and belief without volitional-faith is dead (2 Pet 1:3; Jas 2:18–19).

Ordinarily, God works this grace of faith in the souls of His elect (Tit 1:1; Acts 13:48) as they hear the preaching of the Gospel, for the Apostle Paul tells us: “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17; cf. 1 Cor 15:11). Note that since all men are dead in sin, none who hear the external call of the Gospel, can exercise saving faith except that the Spirit first changes the heart (Jn 3:3). When the heart is changed, then does the hearer realises his own insufficiency and wickedness, and the sufficiency, righteousness and loveliness of Christ. Where once he found sin irresistible, now he finds Christ irresistible, and so receives Him as Lord and rests on Him as his Saviour (Jn 3:18; Rom 1:17), and so he is made a partaker of the promises purchased by Christ in the Covenant of Grace (Gal 3:22).