The Arminian notion that faith is a product of man’s free will and our contribution to the work of salvation implies that faith is a work, and that we are saved because of faith—language that the Scriptures never use—rather than by or through faith. This is simply a subtle form of Semi-Pelagianism, which teaches that men are spiritually sick and need the help of grace, but are able to make a contribution to their salvation from sin. It talks about salvation by faith alone, but really means salvation by the work of faith. It makes faith a substitute for doing good.
But we are dead in trespasses and sins, the carnal mind is enmity against God, and in our flesh dwells no good thing. Therefore, faith is and must be a gift of God, as we saw in another article a couple of weeks ago. However, there is another point that must be made here, and that is that faith is not a work, but stands apart from works and is not only the means of justification but also the instrument of our sanctification and good works.
When I say that faith is not a work, I do NOT mean that it is not an activity of the human soul, or that it is or can be simply a passive connection with Christ. Faith believes and trusts. Faith seizes on the promises of God, seeks salvation and trusts in Christ. It is strenuous activity, diligent and vigilant exertion. It is work, but not work in the sense of salvation by works, or in the sense that we are saved because of it.
Why is faith not a work? Fundamentally because it is directed not toward self (I can do this), but toward God in Christ (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me). This is simply another way of saying, “I can’t do this by myself. I have no resources in myself which would enable me to do any good or even to believe. I must seek the grace of God both to believe and to produce the fruits of faith.”
Faith is, therefore, a rejection of works. It always says, “I can’t, but Christ can. I will seek Christ. He will give me the grace to do the good works I want to do. He has given me the desire to do them; he will also fulfill that desire when I seek him. He will strengthen me so that I can run and not be weary, walk and not faint.”
This is not to say, of course, that unbelieving men cannot, in a sense, conquer sin. The drunk can overcome his drunkenness by the exertion of his own will. The young man who made a mess of his life can straighten it out. The problem is that he does not truly begin to do good. He only replaces one idol with another and becomes two-fold more a child of hell. Good works are those which arise from faith (Rom, 14:23), conform to God’s law, and are done to his glory. Everything else is sin.
And there is the key to understanding faith and good works. No man can do good works apart from faith, and no one has faith except those to whom the Lord gives it. And when he gives it, he gives it so that we may seek him for all our salvation, even our good works. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil 2:12–13).