1. Faith is a belief of a testimony (2 Thess. 1:10). “When he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.” It is an assent to truth as appears by the 11th of Hebrews. And it is saving faith that is there spoken of, as appears by the last verses of the foregoing chapter: “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they, without us, should not be made perfect.” “Saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: Repent ye and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that, believing, we might have life through his name” (John 21:31). “But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth” (2 Thess. 2:13).
11. It is something more than merely the assent of the understanding, because it is called an obeying the gospel. For Esaias saith, “Lord, who has believed our report?” “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1 Pet. 4:17).
It is obeying the doctrine from the heart. “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin; but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” etc. (Rom. 6:17, 18).
12. This expression of obeying the gospel, seems to denote the heart’s yielding to the gospel in what it proposes to us in its calls: it is something more than merely what may be called a believing the truth of the gospel. “Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also, many believed on him; but, because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue”(John 12:42). And Philip asked the eunuch, whether he believed with all his heart? It is a fully believing, or a being fully persuaded: this passage evidences that it is so much at least.
13. There are different sorts of faith that are not true and saving, as is evident by what the apostle James says, “Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works:” where it is supposed that there may be a faith without works, which is not the right faith. When he says, “I will show thee my faith by my works,” nothing else can be meant, than that I will show thee that my faith is right.
14. It is a trusting in Christ. “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little: blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (Psa. 2:12). “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ: in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:12, 13). “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Tim. 1:12).
Many places in the Old Testament speak of trusting in God as the condition of his favor and salvation; especially Psalm 75:21, 22: “Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel: because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation.” It implies submission. “And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse; and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles trust” (Rom. 15:12). “For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe” (1 Tim. 4:10). “For which cause I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom 1 have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Tim. 1:12). “Why are ye fearful. 0 ye of little faith?” (Mat. 5:26). “Which Jesus, when he perceived, he said unto them. 0 ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?”(Matt 16:8). “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life; and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us” (I John 5:13,14). Believing in Christ in one verse is called confidence, in the text.
15. It is a committing ourselves to Christ; “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Tim. 1:12). This is a scripture sense of the word believe, as is evident by “Jesus did not commit himself to them” (John 2:24).
16. It is a gladly receiving the gospel. “Then they that gladly received his word, were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). It is approving the gospel. “But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. But wisdom is justified of all her children” (Luke 7:30, 35). It is obeying the doctrine. “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin; but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you” (Rom. 6:17). It is what may be well understood by those expressions of coming to Christ, of looking to him, of opening the door to let him in. This is very evident by Scripture. It is a coming and taking the waters of life, eating and drinking Christ’s flesh and blood, hearing Christ’s voice and following him. “But ye believe not: because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me’” (John 10:26, 27). “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that followeth me, shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:22).
17. Faith consists in two things, viz. in being persuaded of, and in embracing, the promises: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb. 11:13). “Charity believeth all things, hopeth all things” (1 Cor. 13:7). If that faith, hope, and charity, spoken of in this verse, be the same with those that are compared together in the last verse, then faith arises from a charitable disposition of heart, or from a principle of divine love. “But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you,” with the context (John 5:42). “Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord you God proveth you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul” (Lev. 13:3). “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him” (1 John 5:1).
23. It is submitting to the righteousness of God. “For they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Rom. 10:3). It is what may be well represented by flying far refuge, by the type of flying to the city of refuge. “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope set before us” (Heb. 6:18). It is a sense of the sufficiency and the reality of Christ’s righteousness, and of his power and grace to save. “He shall convince the world of sin of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). It is a receiving the truth with a love to it. It is receiving the love of the truth. “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. That they all might he damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2Thess. 2:10,12). The heart must close with the new covenant by dependence upon it and by love and desire. “Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure. This is all my salvation and all my desire, although he make it not grow” (2 Sam. 23:5).
24. Upon the whole, the best, and clearest, and most perfect definition of justifying faith, and most according to the Scripture, that I can think of is this, faith is the soul’s entirely embracing the revelation of Jesus Christ as our Savior. The word “embrace” is a metaphorical expression: but I think it much clearer than any proper expression whatsoever. It is called believing, because believing is the first act of the soul in embracing a narration or revelation: and embracing, when conversant about a revelation or thing declared, is more properly called believing, than loving or choosing. If it were conversant about a person only, it would be more properly called loving. If it were only conversant about a gift, an inheritance, or reward, it would more properly be called receiving or accepting, etc.
The definition might have been expressed in these words: faith is the soul’s entirely adhering and acquiescing in the revelation of Jesus Christ as our Savior-or thus: faith is the soul’s embracing that truth of God, that reveals Jesus Christ as our Savior-or thus: faith is the soul’s entirely acquiescing in, and depending upon, the truth of God, revealing Christ as our Savior.
It is the whole soul according and assenting to the truth, and embracing of it. There is an entire yielding of the mind and heart to the revelation, and a closing with it, and adhering to it, with the belief, and with the inclination and affection. It is admitting and receiving it with entire credit and respect. The soul receives it as true, as worthy, and excellent. It may be more perfectly described than defined by a short definition, by reason of the penury of words; a great many words express it better than one or two. I here use the same metaphorical expressions; but it is because they are much clearer than any proper expressions that I know of.
It is the soul’s entirely acquiescing in this revelation from a sense of the sufficiency, dignity, glory, and excellency of the author of the revelation.
Faith is the whole soul’s active agreeing, according and symphonizing with this truth; all opposition in judgment and inclination so far as he believes being taken away. It is called believing because fully believing this revelation, is the first and principal exercise and manifestation of this accordance and agreement of soul.
25. The adhering to the truth, and acquiescing in it with judgment is a sense of the glory of the revealer, and the sufficiency and excellency of the performer of the facts. The adhering to it and acquiescing in it with the inclination and affection, is from the goodness and excellency of the thing revealed, and of the performer. If a person be pursued by an enemy and commit himself to a king or a captain, to defend him, it implied his quitting other endeavors, and applying to him for defense and putting himself under him, and hoping that he will defend him.
If we consider it as a mere act of the mind, a transaction between spiritual beings, considered as abstracted from any external action, then it is the mind’s quitting all other endeavors and seeking and applying itself to the Savior for salvation, fully choosing salvation by him, and delivering itself to him, or a being willing to be his with a hope that he will save him. Therefore, for a person to commit himself to Christ as a Savior, is quitting all other endeavors and hopes and heartily applying himself to Christ for salvation, fully choosing salvation by him, and acquiescing in his way of salvation, and a hearty consent of the soul to be his entirely, hoping in his sufficiency and willingness to save.
Excerpted and edited from The Works of Jonathan Edwards. This volume contains many more thoughts by Edwards on the nature of saving faith than those we have listed here.
Copyright Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission.