'These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the

Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name'

A.  I notice in this last reference a distinction which in some measure

clears up the difficulty I have expressed with regard to the connection

between 'historic faith' and 'saving faith'.  First, 'these things' which

were written are nothing less than signs which Jesus did 'in the presence of

His disciples' (John 20:30), and were to lead to believing certain facts

about the Person of Christ, namely, that 'Jesus', the man, was 'the Messiah',

and moreover 'the Son of God'.  So far this is mere historic fact, but it is

impossible to believe that the man Jesus was God's Anointed and God's Son

without also believing all that these names connote.  Consequently 'life

through His Name' is the sequel, and historic faith in an event or a person

that can mean nothing if they do not mean salvation, must also of necessity

be saving faith too.

B.  That is a well -learned lesson, and you have made it your own.  There is

one other phase given in John's Gospel that we must not pass by.  In John

5:39 we read, 'Search the Scriptures', a command that not one of us can

neglect with impunity.  Nevertheless, we believe the Lord did not intend a

command here, but made a statement:

'Ye search the Scriptures; for in Them ye think ye have aionion life:

and they are they which testify Of Me.  And ye will not come to Me,

that ye might have life' (John 5:39,40).

'There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.  For had

ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me: for he wrote of Me' (John

Faith in the Scriptures can only bring salvation because of the fact

that its testimony is concerning Christ.  2 Timothy 3:15 does not say that

the Scriptures save, but that they are able to make wise unto salvation

through faith that is in Christ Jesus.  So that believing the Word, like

believing the signs, leads to believing the Saviour and receiving His

Can you think of any words that are used as parallels or synonyms of

A.  We have already referred to John 1:12, there we read 'as many as received

Him' placed over against them that believe on His name', so receiving is a

synonym for believing.

B.  This synonym is found again in John 3:11, 'ye receive not our witness'.

So also 3:32,33.  You must seek for others yourself.  Looking now at the

antonyms or opposites to faith, we notice that Hebrews 10:39 places 'drawing

back' in opposition to 'believing'.  John 12:47,48 places 'believing' and

'rejecting' in opposition.  A vast field lies before us in the epistles of

Paul, which we can only mention but not investigate here.  It will not be

difficult to reconcile believing with receiving, or to see that its opposite

is drawing back and rejecting, for the faith that accepts the testimony

concerning the Saviour must necessarily accept the way of salvation.

A.  I see clearly that Scripture does not raise the question as to what faith

is, so much as Who is the object of faith.  I know I have believed, and I

know Whom I have believed, and there I gratefully rest, praying now for grace