Theology: G - Salvation Applied Flashcards
What is saving faith? Defend your answer with Scripture proofs.
WSC 86 - “Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.”
John 1:12 - “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
Where does saving faith come from? Defend your answer with Scripture proofs.
Saving faith is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit and the word of God.
2 Thess. 2:13 - “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.”
What does saving faith believe? Defend your answer with Scripture proofs.
Believes the truth of whatever is taught in Scripture.
WCF 13.2 - “By this faith, a Christian believes to be true whatever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God himself speaking therein; and acts differently upon that which each particular passage thereof contains; yielding obedi-ence to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life, and that which is to come. But the principal acts of saving faith are accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.”
John 5:24 - “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
Is all faith alike? Defend your answer with Scripture proofs.
No, there are degrees of weak and strong; saving and non-saving.
WCF 13.3 - “This faith is different in degrees, weak or strong; may be often and many ways assailed, and weakened, but gets the victory: growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance, through Christ, who is both the author and finisher of our faith.”
Hebrews 5:13-14 - “for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
What are the degrees of faith?
Faith differs Heb 5 12-14 Rom 4
Faith may be weak Heb 12
The Christian may attain full assurance Heb 6:11
What are the results of faith?
Justification
Adoption
Sanctification
What is the nature of faith?
Belief - Mark 1:15
Intellectual Rom 10
Action
What are the means of faith?
Conversion - ROm 19:14
From growth in faith - Word, Sacraments, prayer
Define “repentance.” Defend your answer with Scripture proofs.
WSC 87 - “Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercies of God in Christ, does, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and en-deavor after, new obedience.”
Joel 2:13-14 - “and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?”
Acts 2:37-38 - “Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
In what sense is repentance “necessary”? Defend your answer with Scripture proofs.
Repentance is necessary in that no sinner may expect pardon without it.
WCF 15.3 - “Although repentance is not to be rested in, as any satisfaction for sin, or any cause of the pardon thereof, which is the act of God’s free grace in Christ; yet it is of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect pardon without it.”
Luke 13:3 - “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
How ought we to confess our sins? Defend your answer with Scripture proofs.
Specifically in private or public.
**WCF 15.5 - **“Men ought not content themselves with a general repentance, but it is every man’s duty to endeavor to repent of his particular sins, particularly”
1 John 1:9 - “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
What are good works? Defend your answer with Scripture proofs.
**WCF 16.1 - **Good works are only such as God has commanded n His Holy Word, and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon any pretense of good intention.
Micah 6:8 - “He has told you, O man, what is good; and f what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
What is the relation of good works to faith? Defend your answer with Scripture proofs.
Good works are the fruit of true faith.
James 2:18-22 - “But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;”
Are good works necessary for salvation? Defend your answer with Scripture proofs.
No, they are the fruit of salvation.
James 2:18-22 - “But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;”
Can our good works save us? Defend your answer with Scripture proofs.
No.
WCF 16.5 - “We cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great dispro-portion that is between them and the glory to come; and the infinite distance that is between us an God, whom, by them, we can neither profit, nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins, but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants: and because as they are good, they proceed from His Sprit; and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled, and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot en-dure the severity of God’s judgement.”
Romans 3:20 - “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
Eph. 2:8-9 - “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
