There seems to be an emphasis in some "higher calvinistic" circles on seeing faith more as a gift to be passively received than a responsibility or command. They would deny duty faith theologically. See for example the following statement:
Only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ saves from death. That faith is not something that a person gets by himself by reading the Bible, going to church, and living as a serious Christian. It is an undeserved gift from God to guilty people. We must constantly ask God for that faith.
I have some problems with this wording. They say that faith is not something that a person gets by reading the Bible/going to church. Yet we know that faith does come by hearing the Word of God. Faith comes to a person, for the first time, or repeatedly, by sitting under the ministry of the Gospel where the Holy Spirit works.
Sure, in Ephesians 2, faith/grace is referred to as a gift from God. There are those who "obtain precious faith". And Jesus said that no-one can come to him unless it is granted them of the Father.
But it seems to me that there are far more references in Scripture to faith being a human responsibility, a human action (though not meritorious of salvation). This is the commandment we have from the Father that we believe. God commands all men everywhere to repent. If you can believe, all things are possible.
To get back to my original point, the emphasis that is given here seems to me to run the danger of passivity - I must pray and ask God to give me faith. Rather than it being my responsibility to exercise faith myself in response to the preaching of the Gospel. And then God can be given the blame for not giving it to me.
Is it not rather the duty of the minister to preach the promises of the gospel and then exhort the hearers to lay hold upon them in faith?
The way I understand it, regeneration precedes faith. For how can a spiritually dead person seek after God without the regeneration of the Spirit? That work of the Spirit makes alive, draws to Christ, reshapes the will, and causes an enemy of God to seek after God. In that sense, faith when it comes, is indeed a gift - the whole process is a gift of God. Regeneration, faith, grace, salvation, Christ, and all that follows.
But for the person sitting in the pew, who hears the Word, longs to be saved, longs to be a partaker of Christ - and yet is told that it's impossible to believe, they must only pray that it be given to them - surely in such a person the work of regeneration has possibly already happened? For there is none that seeketh after God of themselves. Shouldn't they be told in no vague uncertain terms, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved?
The church I'm speaking about confesses the Three Forms of Unity, and yet to my reading, Dordt is very clear on the general call of the gospel and the command to repent and believe.
Only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ saves from death. That faith is not something that a person gets by himself by reading the Bible, going to church, and living as a serious Christian. It is an undeserved gift from God to guilty people. We must constantly ask God for that faith.
I have some problems with this wording. They say that faith is not something that a person gets by reading the Bible/going to church. Yet we know that faith does come by hearing the Word of God. Faith comes to a person, for the first time, or repeatedly, by sitting under the ministry of the Gospel where the Holy Spirit works.
Sure, in Ephesians 2, faith/grace is referred to as a gift from God. There are those who "obtain precious faith". And Jesus said that no-one can come to him unless it is granted them of the Father.
But it seems to me that there are far more references in Scripture to faith being a human responsibility, a human action (though not meritorious of salvation). This is the commandment we have from the Father that we believe. God commands all men everywhere to repent. If you can believe, all things are possible.
To get back to my original point, the emphasis that is given here seems to me to run the danger of passivity - I must pray and ask God to give me faith. Rather than it being my responsibility to exercise faith myself in response to the preaching of the Gospel. And then God can be given the blame for not giving it to me.
Is it not rather the duty of the minister to preach the promises of the gospel and then exhort the hearers to lay hold upon them in faith?
The way I understand it, regeneration precedes faith. For how can a spiritually dead person seek after God without the regeneration of the Spirit? That work of the Spirit makes alive, draws to Christ, reshapes the will, and causes an enemy of God to seek after God. In that sense, faith when it comes, is indeed a gift - the whole process is a gift of God. Regeneration, faith, grace, salvation, Christ, and all that follows.
But for the person sitting in the pew, who hears the Word, longs to be saved, longs to be a partaker of Christ - and yet is told that it's impossible to believe, they must only pray that it be given to them - surely in such a person the work of regeneration has possibly already happened? For there is none that seeketh after God of themselves. Shouldn't they be told in no vague uncertain terms, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved?
The church I'm speaking about confesses the Three Forms of Unity, and yet to my reading, Dordt is very clear on the general call of the gospel and the command to repent and believe.