W S Plumer
Plumer (1802-1880) was an American Southern Presbyterian minister who spent the last 13 years of his life teaching in a theological seminary. He is best known today for his massive, but popular, volume on the Psalms (published by the Banner of Truth Trust). Here is a chapter from another of Plumer’s many volumes, The Grace of Christ, recently republished by Odom Publications. This excellent volume, which has as its subtitle Sinners Saved by Unmerited Kindness is available from the Free Presbyterian Bookroom at £9.50. Some quotations have been omitted.
THE Scriptures abound with assertions that our justification is by faith. Thus Habakkuk says: “The just shall live by faith” (2:4). Some would read the passage thus, “The just by faith shall live”. There is no solid ground of objection to this rendering, for it really asserts but the same thing now taught by it. We are at no loss for the sense of this passage; for we have an inspired interpretation of it given by Paul. Indeed it seems to have been a very favourite text with him. He quotes it in Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11, Heb 10:38. But we may go further back than the days of Habakkuk, even to the time of Abraham. Of him we read: “And he believed in the Lord and He counted it to him for righteousness” (Gen 15:6). This passage is no less celebrated than that already quoted. It is also divinely interpreted by the inspiration of God in Rom 4:1-6, Gal 3:6-14. Indeed the Scriptures are very explicit on this point: “A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ” (Gal 2:16). “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Gal 3:24). “Thou standest by faith” (Rom 11:20). “God shall justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith” (Rom 3:30). Many other texts are no less clear.
But what is the meaning of the expression we are justified by faith? How are we justified by faith? Why are we never said to be justified by other Christian graces? Humility is an excellent grace, much commended in Scripture, and putting us where we ought to be, in the dust. Meekness bears with pity and forgiveness outrageous wrong heaped upon us, and so makes us like Christ, who was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. Hope is an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast, and being lively, animates the soul in all times of trial. Charity with her broad mantle covers the faults of others, fills the world with the fame of her deeds, and never faileth. Penitence sits at the feet of Jesus and bathes them with its tears. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death.
Excellent as all these graces are, yet it is nowhere said in Scripture that a man is justified by fear, by charity, by penitence, by hope, by meekness, or by humility. But he is often said to be justified by faith. God does not put this honour upon faith because it is greater than other graces, for it is not (1 Cor 13:13). Love is greater. So are all graces which shall flourish for ever. But the reason why faith justifies is because it receives Christ. In the language of the Bible, to receive Christ is to believe on him. “To as many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to as many as believed on His name” (John 1:12). The hand of the beggar receives the loaf, which charity offers him, and so he is fed by his hand and not by another member of his body. To believe in Christ is in Scripture said to be looking to Him (Is 45:22, Heb 12:2). Now although he, who looks, may have all his other senses, and in other respects they may be of eminent use to him, yet he sees only with his eyes.
Faith is the vision of the new-born soul. It looks back thousands of years. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were made” (Heb 11:3). It looks forward also thousands of years. “Abraham rejoiced to see My day; and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56). And as the dying Israelite looked to the brazen serpent and was healed, so do perishing sinners look by faith to Jesus and are saved. They look and live.
Faith is a reliance upon testimony, and saving faith has special regard to the testimony of God concerning His Son. Even to men we extend our belief of their word in certain circumstances. But “if we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God, which He hath testified of His Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself; he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life; and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:9-12). So that he, who believes he has need of a Saviour and credits this testimony of God, does rest the whole weight of his salvation here and not elsewhere. He takes Christ as his sole, sufficient Redeemer. Faith justifies us only as it receives Jesus Christ as “the Lord our Righteousness”. It takes the robe He has wrought and puts it on, and so hides the nakedness of the soul.
The Larger Catechism says: “Justifying faith is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner, by the Spirit and word of God; whereby he, being convinced of his sin and misery, and of the disability of himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition, not only assenteth to the truth of the promise of the gospel, but receiveth and resteth upon
Christ and His righteousness, therein held forth, for pardon of sin, and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for salvation”.
Bishop Hall says: “The spiritual hand whereby we receive the sweet offer of our Saviour is faith; which in short is no other than an alliance in the Mediator. Receive peace, and be happy; believe, and thou hast received.”
Ussher says: “Justifying faith consists in these two things, in having a mind to know Christ, and a will to rest upon Him. Whosoever sees so much excellency in Christ, that thereby he is drawn to embrace Him as the only Rock of salvation, that man truly believes to justification.”
Others very well represent the office of faith when they say that by means of it a union is formed between Christ and believers. Thus Luther says: “Faith unites the soul with Christ as a spouse with her husband. Everything which Christ has becomes the property of the believing soul; everything which the soul has becomes the property of Christ. Christ possesses all blessings and eternal life — they are thenceforth the property of the soul. The soul has all its iniquities and sins: they become thenceforward the property of Christ. It is then that a blessed change commences: Christ, who is both God and man, Christ who has never sinned, and whose holiness is perfect, Christ the Almighty and Eternal, taking to Himself, by His nuptial ring of faith, all the sins of the believer, those sins are lost and abolished in Him; for no sins dwell before His infinite righteousness. Thus, by faith, the believer’s soul is delivered from sins, and clothed with the eternal righteousness of her bridegroom, Christ. O happy union! The rich, the noble, the holy Bridegroom takes in marriage His poor, guilty and despised spouse, delivers her from every evil, and enriches her with the most precious blessings. Christ, a King and a Priest, shares this honour and glory with all Christians. The Christian is a king, and consequently possesses all things; he is a priest, and consequently possesses God, and it is faith, not works, which brings him all this honour. A Christian is free from all things, above all things, faith giving him richly all things.”
Should any be startled at such expressions as he possesses God, let them consider the import of these words: “Thou art my portion, O Lord” (Ps 119:57), “God is our refuge and strength” (Ps 46:1), “I am the Lord thy God”, and many such expressions of Scripture. On the other hand how many scores of times does God call the saints, “My people”, “the lot of Mine inheritance”, “My redeemed”, “My love”, etc. “All grace flows from Christ united to the soul, as all life flows from the soul united to the body.” This union between Christ and believers shall never be broken. It is in perpetuity as to all its blessed consequences.
From all that has been said, it is very evident that there is no merit in our believing, though by believing we become interested in the merits of Christ. If faith itself, the act of believing, were the ground of our acceptance, it would certainly be works, even the work of faith. And as no man’s faith is absolutely perfect, we should then have justification by a work full of imperfection. Faith is indeed the instrument, but not the ground; the means, but not the cause of our justification.
If faith itself were the ground of our acceptance, it would be our saviour, and it would be entitled to all the glory of our salvation. And as faith is an act of the soul, each man would then be entitled to the full honour of his own salvation; and instead of boasting being excluded, as Paul says (Rom 3:27), all heaven would be filled with it, and each man would have a right to say that he came thither by his own act, merit and virtue. And where then would be the glory of Christ? His reward would consist in nothing. Those who should be saved would owe him nothing. They would have saved themselves. To be justified by faith itself as the ground of acceptance would surely be to be “justified by works of righteousness, which we have done,” and Paul says this is impossible.
The faith by which a soul is united to Christ is itself the gift of God, and a gift which never could have been bestowed but for the finished work of Christ. That it is a gift from God is declared in Matt 16:16,17, in John 1:13, in Rom 12:3, in Eph 2:8, in Phil. 1:29, and in many other places. The Saviour is expressly called “the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb 12:1). Again it is expressly ascribed to God’s Spirit: “The fruit of the Spirit is . . . faith” (Gal 5:22). How then could itself be any just ground of acquitting the guilty, and of taking the undeserving into the favour of God? Faith makes no satisfaction for sin. Faith even when genuine is not in any case perfect and blameless. Should we have no better righteousness than this in which to appear before God, His holy eye would behold rents in every part of it. So that the Scriptures ascribe even our believing to the amazing kindness of God. In Acts 18:27 men are in so many words said to have “believed through grace”.
How clear and harmonious is God’s way of saving sinners! And how safe is it to follow Him in all things! Holiness no less than bliss follows a true faith. “Reliance is the essence of faith. Christ is the object, the Word is the food, and obedience the proof; so that true faith is a depending upon Christ for salvation in the way of obedience, as He is offered in the Word.” Well may all give thanks for such a gift. It is the earnest of salvation.
“Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”