- Eternal Life and Faith

3. Eternal Life Bestowed to Enable the Exercise of Faith

The Scripture declares that eternal life is bestowed before the exercise of faith. The Confession summarizes this Scriptural order in the application of salvation: 10.1: “Those whom God hath predestinated unto life, He is pleased, in His appointed and accepted time, effectually to call out of that state of sin and death which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ…” 11.1: “Those whom God effectually calleth He also freely justifieth…” 12.1: “All those that are justified, God vouchsafeth [guarantees]… to make partakers of the grace of adoption, by which they are taken into the number, and enjoy the liberties and privilege of the children of God…”

All those whom God has predestinated to eternal life, He freely justifies in time, removing the just condemnation of death, and imputing freely the title to eternal life. These He also made partakers of the grace of adoption… i.e., regenerated by His Spirit and adopted as His children.

1689.13.1: “They who are effectually called and regenerated… are further sanctified really and personally…” The words “are further sanctified,” remind us that they were already sanctified (simple past tense) in a specific sense, i.e., separated from the state of sin and death to grace and salvation at effectual calling. To be ‘further sanctified’ is ONLY possible after an elect is already definitively sanctified when effectually called and regenerated with eternal life. And this process of ‘further sanctified’ is stated in the next chapter.

1689.14.1: “The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word; by which also, and by the administration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, prayer, and other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened.” (2Co 4:13; Eph 2:8; Ro 10:14,17; Lk 17:5; 1Pe 2:2; Ac 20:32.)

“The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls…” is the beginning of the process when such elect are further sanctified really and personally. This process of being further sanctified is initiated by the preaching of the gospel and maintained by the ministry of the word. ‘Faith comes by hearing.’ Apostle Paul described the ministry of the word as ‘from faith to faith’ – the righteousness of God, in the gospel preaching, is declared or revealed from the preacher with faith in the righteousness provided by God to one with faith (one with the gift of faith to believe the good news of righteousness provided by God). Only one with faith can know and therefore “preach” the gospel, and only one with the gift of faith bestowed at regeneration can “hear” the truth when it is preached to him, Rom 1:17.

Faith in Jesus Christ is only possible after regeneration, i.e., after the bestowal of eternal life. I have heard of folks who are very convinced that regeneration does precede faith but they believe in a form of regeneration that does not give life. Instead of believing that spiritual and eternal life is birthed, they insist that some sort of ability is birthed in the person. And this ability enables the so-called ‘born again’ person to believe in the gospel. And in believing, he receives eternal life. I am not sure whether this is standard reformed position. The idea of some spiritual ability in a spiritually dead person does sound bizarre and irrational to my simple mind. [I have no desire to misrepresent whatsoever.]

Therefore I believe that repentance and faith are outward fruits of the eternal life already possessed, bestowed by free grace at the effectual call, justification and regeneration. For me to believe otherwise would be inconsistent with and contradictory to the plain testimony of Scriptures.