Since repetition is the price of learning, let’s say it again, we are saved by faith alone, but faith is not our Saviour. Christ alone fills that slot. Faith sees and grasps this. However, this is not the only truth that faith comprehends. For example, faith sees that Christ, in His perfect righteousness, lived as our substitute. Faith sees him unswervingly obeying His Father in our place. We could not keep God’s requirements, but faith sees that Christ kept them perfectly. As gospel driven believers, we know that we have never flawlessly obeyed God. In fact, when we see the intense purity of God’s will and the extent of our matching impurity, faith sees that Christ’s perfect obedience, in His doing and dying, is our only hope. In short, faith sees that what Jesus did, He did as if He were us-—- He that believeth on him is not condemned (John 3:18).
As gospel purposed believers, we must keep hammering home, to ourselves, the truth that, for salvation, we are not called to have faith about anything that is in us, even that worked into us by the Holy Spirit. But, why not? It’s simple! The faith that takes a hold of salvation looks outside of us to the risen, exalted Christ. Faith sees that He has taken our curse (Galatians 3:13). Faith also sees Him as the man who took our sorrows and was acquainted with our grief (Isaiah 53:3). Faith sees Him nailed to the cross, pouring out His blood for us. Faith agrees that by one offering, at the cross, Jesus perfected us forever (Hebrews 10:14)! Faith grasps that the Father will never find any blemish in Christ’s perfect righteousness. Faith sees Christ now raised from the dead, ascended to heaven, and interceding for us. This is what it is to believe!
Since Christ was both condemned and separated in our stead, faith sees that, in Christ, there is neither condemnation nor separation from the Father (Romans 8:1, Romans 8:38-39). Faith further sees that the absence of condemnation and separation does not depend on our walk before God. Faith sees that it all depends on Christ’s performance, in His doing , dying and rising again. Under the law, we were both condemned and separated but now, in Christ, both condemnation and separation from the Father have been done away.
At the cross, Christ was both condemned by and separated from the Father in our place. Faith sees this and enables us to now live our lives, not running away from God, but, rather, running towards Him and embracing His embrace.
At a religious gathering some time ago, a woman stood and testified about her supposed salvation saying, "I thank God I'm saved; yes indeed, I'm saved up to the present date!" Neither faith, nor the Word, caused her to conclude such nonsense. What a lamentable way to live one’s life! The poor soul had, evidently, no clue about the gospel. Would, for her sake, she had been taught by a gospel preacher like Spurgeon who said, concerning the impossibility of a justified person ever being condemned,
“Oh, for an overpowering faith that shall get the victory over doubts and fears, and make us enjoy the liberty with which Christ makes men free! You that believe in Christ, go to your beds this night and say, "If I die in my bed, I cannot be condemned!" Should you wake the next morning, go into the world and say, "I am not condemned!" When the devil howls at you, tell him, "You may accuse, but I am not condemned!" And if sometimes your sins rise, say, "I know you, but you are all gone forever. I am not condemned! "
And that’s the Gospel Truth!