in faith...

"I trust I have now sufficiently shown how man's only resource for escaping from the curse of the law, and recovering salvation, lies in faith; and also what the nature of faith is, what the benefits which it confers, and the fruits which it produces. "
~John Calvin - Of Justification By Faith (Book 3:11, The Institutes of The Christian Religion, Beveridge edition, 1863)

"The gospel demands not works to make us holy and to redeem us. Indeed, it condemns such works, and demands only faith in Christ, because He has overcome sin, death and hell for us."
Martin Luther ~ Father of the Reformation 1483-1546 (Preface to the New Testament)

[1] Let us plead for faith alone, faith which by our works is shown; God it is who justifies, only faith the grace applies. [2] Active faith that lives within, conquers hell and death and sin, hallows whom it first made whole, forms the Savior in the soul. [3] Let us for this faith contend, sure salvation is the end; heaven already is begun, everlasting life is won. [4] Only let us persevere till we see our Lord appear, never from the Rock remove, saved by faith which works by love.

Charles Wesley ~ English evangelist, co-founder of Methodism with brother John, prolific hymn-writer  Listen

Forsaking
All
 I
Trust
Him

16. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17. "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18. "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

36. "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."    
                                                                          John 3:16-18,36
 
 

Beliefs from the EPC

The Westminster Confession of Faith

   CHAPTER 14  -- Of Saving Faith

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 the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened.

14.2 By this faith, a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God himself speaking therein; and acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth; yielding obedience 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.

14.3 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.

 

The Westminster Shorter Catechism
(two of several questions)

Q. 33. What is justification?
A. Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.

Q. 86. What is faith in Jesus Christ?
A. 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.
 

ESSENTIALS OF OUR  FAITH
from the EPC

The true Church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit are united together in the body of Christ. The Church finds her visible, yet imperfect, expression in local congregations where the Word of God is preached in its purity and the sacraments are administered in their integrity; where scriptural discipline is practiced, and where loving fellowship is maintained. For her perfecting, she awaits the return of her Lord. Essentials of our faith:

QUOTES
what other (like-minded) Christians have said...
 

Dwight L Moody ~ American evangelist
 "A little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul."

Corrie Ten Boom -- Beloved spiritual pioneer of forgiveness
 "Faith is like radar that sees through the fog."

Adrian Rogers ~ Presbyterian preacher
"A faith that hasn't been tested can't be trusted."
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ~ Minister, Civil Rights Leader
"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."
 

Romans 12:3 ~ Measure of Faith (Parallel Verses)

For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think as to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith. (ASV)

But I say to every one of you, through the grace given to me, not to have an over-high opinion of himself, but to have wise thoughts, as God has given to every one a measure of faith. (BBE)

For I say, through the grace which has been given to me, to every one that is among you, not to have high thoughts above what he should think; but to think so as to be wise, as God has dealt to each a measure of faith. (DBY)

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (KJV)

For through the grace given to me, I say, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (WBS)

For through the authority graciously given to me I warn every individual among you not to value himself unduly, but to cultivate sobriety of judgement in accordance with the amount of faith which God has allotted to each one. (WEY)

For I say, through the grace that was given to me, to every one who is among you, not to think above what it behoveth to think; but to think so as to think wisely, as to each God did deal a measure of faith, (YLT)
 

Of Faith in Christ ~ The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
(St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, N.D.)  [Adopted 1932]

Since God has reconciled the whole world unto Himself through the vicarious life and death of His Son and has commanded that the reconciliation effected by Christ be proclaimed to men in the Gospel, to the end that they may believe it, 2 Cor. 5:18, 19; Rom. 1:5, therefore faith in Christ is the only way for men to obtain personal reconciliation with God, that is, forgiveness of sins, as both the Old and the New Testament Scriptures testify, Acts 10:43; John 3:16-18, 36. By this faith in Christ, through which men obtain the forgiveness of sins, is not meant any human effort to fulfill the Law of God after the example of Christ, but faith in the Gospel, that is, in the forgiveness of sins, or justification, which was fully earned for us by Christ and is offered by the Gospel. This faith justifies, not inasmuch as it is a work of man, but inasmuch as it lays hold of the grace offered, the forgiveness of sins, Rom. 4:16.
 

Sola Fide!

The doctrine of Sola Fide or Faith Alone asserts that it is on the basis of God's grace through the believer's faith alone that believers are forgiven their transgressions of the Law of God, rather than on the basis of any good works.

 

 
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