Saving faith does not come from our natural powers, the power of man’s freewill. “No man can come to Me,” says Christ “except the Father which hath sent Me, draw him” (John 6:44).
Saving faith is not a flower of nature’s garden. If it was, a man could make himself to differ from others. It is a special gift of God. Hence the Apostle says to the Philippians: “Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ . . . to believe on Him” (Phil 1:29). It is wrought in the heart by His divine power, “through the faith of the operation of God” (Col 2:12).2 No power can
1This extract is taken from a sermon on John 1:12: “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name”, in The Works of Thomas Boston, vol 2. “It is, writes Rev Roderick Macleod, “a brief but fundamentally important head on page 401, which I have edited for my own use”. Mr Macleod has added the final paragraph.
2The whole verse reads: “Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen [this is a passive verb] with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead”.
produce it but the exceeding greatness of His power toward us (Eph 1:19).
It is ascribed, as to the working of it:
To the Father. “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him” (John 6:44).
To the Son. The bride says to Him: “Draw me” (Song 1:4).
To the Spirit in a special manner, “The fruit of the Spirit is . . . faith” (Gal 5:22). Therefore, He is called the “Spirit of faith” (2 Cor 4:13).
The outward means, which the Lord usually makes use of to beget faith in one’s heart is the Word, the word of the gospel, preached, heard, or read: “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom 10:17). This is the incorruptible seed which the new creature is framed of, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Pet 1:23). It is the vehicle of saving influences, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” (Gal 3:2).
If therefore we have a care for our souls, wounded with a mortal blow, doomed to die the second death, we have to be much about the Word of God, asking that we may receive this saving faith. This is the way (except in extraordinary cases) in which God bestows the gift of saving faith. “He sends His Word, them heals, and them from their destruction frees” (Ps 107:20 (metrical)).