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We shall find by turning to Heb. 9: 14 that the Apostle, who told them to leave
"repentance from dead works", has a very satisfactory reason, and one which glorified
the Lord Jesus Christ. "How much more shall the blood of Christ . . . . . purge your
conscience from dead works"! Reader, which is better, the oft-repeated repentance, or
the once completed purgation? Let Heb. 10: 1-14 answer the question. This is in
harmony with Col. 2: 13, "Having forgiven you all trespasses". The Apostle's standard
is an infallible test for doctrine so far as we are concerned, and "He shall glorify Me" is
surely heard here.
Faith Towards God
If it seemed strange to speak of leaving the doctrine of repentance, it must sound
doubly strange to speak of not laying again the foundation of "faith toward God". We
may be perfectly sure that the one who so emphasized justification by faith is not
advocating its abandonment here. Let us again apply the touchstone. How does the
apostle Paul speak of faith in the epistles?
"The faith of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 2: 16).
"The faith of the Son of God" (Gal. 2: 20).
"By faith of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 3: 22).
"By faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3: 26).
"Your faith in the Lord Jesus" (Eph. 1: 15).
"Through the faith of Christ" (Phil. 3: 9).
"Your faith in Christ" (Col. 2: 5).
"The faith which is in Christ Jesus" (I Tim. 3: 13).
"Through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (II Tim. 3: 15).
By reading the contexts of the above passages it will be seen that all the blessings of
the gospel are not only vitally connected with "faith", but faith which rests in Christ!
Justification, resurrection, life, the sonship and salvation, are all spoken of as resulting
from faith which has Christ for its object.
By birth, by nationality, by their very law, customs, and distinctions, the Jews were
continually reminded that Jehovah was the God of the Jews. Every Jew prided himself
upon that fact, so much so that Paul had to write, "Is He not also (the God) of the
Gentiles?" (Rom. 3: 29). But this national faith toward God, though it ministered to
their pride, could not save them. In the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican we have
a vivid example of this. The Pharisee had "faith toward God", otherwise he would never
have troubled to go to the Temple and say what he did. The Publican, however, realized
that this vague, general recognition of God, was not sufficient for his need. Notice the
words of his prayer. "God be propitious (merciful upon the ground of sacrifice) to me, the
sinner". Here was faith not only in God, but in the divine provision for sin. The fact that
from earliest childhood these Hebrews had heard of God and read His law, was in some
measure a stumbling-block to them. They did not realize that they needed a Saviour as
much as the Gentiles. The Gentile, on the other hand, had no national faith to rest upon;
he cast himself upon the unconditional mercy of God in Christ.