What a mystery is this! How utterly
incomprehensible! By Charles Simeon It is true
that we must be saved, by grace alone, through faith alone, in
Christ alone. It is equally true that faith
does not save us, because it produces good works. Jesus has,
by his substitutionary and sin-atoning death, brought in an everlasting
righteousness for his people. Hear the blessed tidings brought
to us by the prophet Isaiah. He was wounded for our transgressions
and bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. – Isaiah 53.5 stupendous thought. We are healed
by his stripes. We are healed by stripes inflicted
by Jehovah on his beloved Son. What a mystery is this! How utterly
incomprehensible! Well does the apostle say, how
unsearchable are God's judgments and his ways past finding out.
Romans chapter 11 verse 33. Faith saves us simply as apprehending
Christ in and through whom we are reconciled to God. but the
faith which apprehends Christ aright will always work by love,
Galatians 5,6, and purify the heart, Acts 15,9, and overcome
the world, 1 John 5,4-5. If the faith which we possess
does not operate in this way, it is a mere dead faith, and
can no more save us than the faith of devils, yet many rest
their hope for salvation in a mere notional faith that is unproductive
of good works. God-given saving faith always
unites us unto Christ as branches to the vine and enables us, by
virtue derived from Him, to bring forth fruit to His glory.