Required reading
Systematic Theology by Charles Hodge (Vol 3) (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Chapter 16.
My summary
Today we finish Hodge's thoughts on faith by looking at the effects of faith.
The effects of faith include:
(i) union with Christ;
(ii) justification;
(iii) participation in Christ's life;
(iv) peace;
(v) sanctification;
(vi) certainty of salvation.
What grabbed me
I liked Hodge's comments about assurance:
'To make assurance of personal salvation essential to faith, is contrary to Scripture and to the experience of God's people. The Bible speaks of a weak faith. It abounds with consolations intended for the doubting and the desponding. God accepts those who can only say, " Lord, I believe ; help thou mine unbelief." Those who make assurance the essence of faith, generally reduce faith to a mere intellectual assent. They are often censorious, refusing to recognize as brethren those who do not agree with them ; and sometimes they are antinomian.
At the same time, Scripture and experience teach that assurance is not only attainable, but a privilege and a duty. There may indeed be assurance, where there is no true faith at all ; but where there is true faith, the want of assurance is to be referred either to the weakness of faith, or to erroneous views of the plan of salvation. Many sincere believers are too introspective. They look too exclusively within, so that their hope is graduated by the degree of evidence of regeneration which they find in their own experience. This, except in rare cases, can never lead to the assurance of hope. We may examine our hearts with all the microscopic care prescribed by President Edwards in his work on " The Religious Affections," and never be satisfied that we have eliminated every ground of misgiving and doubt. The grounds of assurance are not so much within, as without us.'
Yes, we can be Christians and not have assurance. But we should struggle to get it.
Next week's reading
Commence Chapter 17 by reading up to the heading '3. Works not the ground of justification'.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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