Having in part 1 of Faith and Its Source showed that God is the first cause of faith, in this article, I will show the instrumental cause of faith, namely the Word of God. However, before I show you that the Word of God is used by God to produce faith in the unconverted and strengthen faith in the converted, I will define what I mean by “the Word of God.”
The Word of God Defined
In this context, I am using the term “the Word of God” to describe the proclamation of the truths taught in Scripture. Herman Bavinck is helpful here when he writes:
Since the Word contains both the law and the gospel, the covenant of works and the covenant of grace, it has a universal significance even beyond its public proclamation in church as a means of grace. For this reason, we must distinguish between the “word of God” and Scripture. The “word of God” does not come only in the form of Scripture and its public proclamation; it also comes to us indirectly, secondarily, having been absorbed from Scripture into the consciousness of the church or a society of people. Above all, it is not merely a sound but also a power and the accomplishment of God’s will (Isa. 55:11).1
Put differently, the preaching of the Word of God “is a delivery system God has instituted to bring grace to His people.” This grace includes spiritual power, spiritual change, spiritual help, spiritual fortitude, and spiritual blessings. It comes from our Father, through our union with Jesus, and by the Holy Spirit.2
Thus, the Word of God, as I am using it, means proclaiming both the law and gospel, as disclosed in the Holy Scriptures. God, as the primary cause, works through the secondary and instrumental cause of the Word wielded by His servants to produce faith in His elect.
The Word of God Applied
Consider again, what the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 states, particularly the words in bold:
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 baptism and the Lord’s supper, prayer, and other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened.3
God, as the primary cause, works through the secondary and instrumental cause of the Word, wielded by His servants, to produce faith in His elect. The confession says “ordinarily” because God is free to use other means but most often uses the ministry of the Word.
It is the preaching of the Word, primarily the gospel, that is the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16). Paul later says that everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved (Rom 10:13). He then precedes to ask a series of questions: “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching” (Rom 10:14)? His answer comes in verse 17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” It is the Scriptures, and the Law and Gospel contained within them that are able to make one wise unto salvation through faith in Christ (2 Tim 3:15). Indeed, the believer has been brought forth by the Word of truth” (James 1:18).
Now a qualification is in order. The Word of God doesn’t have the power within itself to magically convert the lost sinner. No, it is the Spirit who prepares the soil, causes the seed of the Word to take root, and makes it grow in the elect (Mark 4:1-20). James P. Boyce makes this point well:
The Spirit does not make truth effective by giving it additional force to that which it has naturally, but by so affecting the mind that the man is prepared to receive it with its own due force. Thus he changes the mind, illuminates the mind, helps it to appreciate and lay hold of truth. Only thus does he make truth effectual.4
In other words, the Spirit of God as the first cause goes before the Word, accompanies the Word, and follows the Word making it effective to produce the fruit faith.
To sum it all up, God the Holy Spirit is the first cause of saving faith in the elect, and He ordinarily works instrumentally through the Word of God proclaimed by His servants. In the next part of this series, we will explore the nature of saving faith.
Jimmy Johnson serves as the Senior Pastor at Vista Baptist Church of Osceola, Missouri. He is a husband and father, and a sinner saved by the awesome grace of God in Jesus Christ. He is the cohost of Covenant Podcast. He received his BA in Christian Ministry from Missouri Baptist University. He received His MDiv from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He subscribes to the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith as a faithful summary of biblical teaching. He can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
He co-founded this website to be dedicated to providing biblical, theological, confessional, and historical content that is accessible and beneficial to the Church of Jesus Christ. He contributes to the website to become more skilled as a writer, theologian, and pastor.
