What is faith in Jesus Christ?

Reading the stimulating books of Rev. Prin. Donald Macleod of Edinburgh is always a delight.  His knowledge of theology is unsurpassed, and his ability to put it across simply is admirable.  That means, of course, that we are able to detect when he might be in error, or at least, engaging in internal theological contradictions, and one such case is when he says on one page in his otherwise excellent book, A Faith to Live By, that faith in Jesus Christ involves two things - belief, or assent; and trust (pp.140, 141). Then on p.143, he declares, more accurately, I believe, that "faith responds differently to each of the three mediatorial offices of Christ as Prophet, Priest and King."

If this is so, and I believe it is, how can there be only two aspects to faith, when faith in Jesus Christ involves the whole person - Prophet, Priest and King?  Surely if our faith is in a whole Christ, then we must believe in Him as Prophet, trust Him as Priest, and submit to His authority as King.  We cannot have faith in two parts of Christ, and ignore the third!

Macleod corrects his thinking on this, and this is to be welcomed. In so doing, he is following Calvin and his great Amyraldian followers (Moise Amyraut, theological professor at the Huguenot Academy at Saumur, France), and departing from the theology of Westminster.  But this is not the only lace where the great Scottish theologian does this.  His Amyraldianism shines through in the following statements:

"There is a love on God's part for the whole of mankind.  God loves all men.  But there is also a love that is special, which secures for the elect not simply the blessings of common grace but something more. ... This really is the basic idea of election, that beyond the general love of God for mankind there is a special love of God for the those who are His own choice people.  ... God's general love for the human race confers upon mankind a vast array of special blessings."  (45).

"No human imagination was really able to grasp what it was going to mean to be the Sin of the world in the presence of God."  (130).

"...He experienced the agony of being forsaken by God His Father and becoming, as the Bearer of the world's sin, the Great Outsider."  (130).

"He [God] did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all (Romans 8:32)."  (132).

"But when God saved the world, the process did not stop at Bethlehem, or at Gethsemane."  (134).

"The glory of it is , it wasn't His sin.  It was our sin.  He bore the sin of the world (john 1:29)."  (135).


"The gospel invitation is to all men, but the assurance of salvation is only for those who are in Christ."  (139).

"The requirement God imposes on all of these is the same: 'Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ!'  Paul and Silas knew nothing of the jailor's past, nor of his inward condition.  They didn't know whether he was convicted of sin, whether he was a seeker, whether he was born again or whether he was elect.  Yet they confronted him at once with the imperative, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ!'  (Acts 16:31)"  (140).


"We have heard that God is, that God became incarnate in Christ, that Christ is able to save us, that Christ offers to save us, that Christ pleads with us to come to Him for salvation, that He died for our sins, that He rose again and that we are justified by faith in His name and in His sacrifice."  (141).

"We have thought of it [the priestly activity of Christ] only in terms of forgiveness and justification."  (144).

"Who has the right to come to Christ?  That question has been discussed very thoroughly in reformed theology and the answer has been unambiguous: every human being, without exception whatsoever, is entitled to come to Christ and to take Him as his own Saviour.  Every man as a man, every sinner as a sinner, the foulest, the vilest, the most vicious - it was put in the strongest possible terms - had the right to come." (145).

"The offer [to come to Christ} was absolutely universal. ...if we believe, we shall be saved.  That is God's promise.  Now it is a conditional promise.  the reward is conditional upon our believing.  But God's promise is made categorically: if we turn to God in Christ, we shall be saved."  (146).

"The Bible and reformed faith have taught us to come - just as we are."  (146).

"God ... doesn't want anyone to perish.  He wants all men to be saved."  (283).

"But surely the most important fact about hell is that none of us need ever experience it.  All the persons of the Trinity are seeking your salvation.  

Let me make it as personal as I can.  They are seeking your salvation.  God the Father gave His own Son.  God the Son laid down His life.  God the Holy Spirit loves us.  How then can we go to hell?  Not when there is such love in God!  Not when there is such salvation in Christ!  Not when all the persons of the Trinity are seeking your salvation!  That will be the most terrible thing of all: the moment when God calmly asks, 'Did you hear of my love?  Did anyone ever tell you that I sought your salvation?  Did anyone ever tell you that My Son and My Spirit also sought your salvation?  Did anyone ever tell you how I gave My Son to be your Saviour?  Did anyone ever tell you how it would pain and grieve Me to condemn you?  Did no one warn you not to put Me to that grief and poain?'
What will your answer be?"  (287).  

"Never forget ... that Christians are first and foremost bearers of good news.  They are evangelists.  'Go,' said Jesus, 'preach the gospel to every creature' (Mk16:15).  Tell every man, 'I have good news for you.'"  (288).

What an evangelical delight it is to read these heart-warming words from such a distinguished theologian.  However strongly he may object to being labelled an Amyraldian, Macleod is entitled to this appellation.  This is to be linked so closely to the teaching of John Calvin (1509-1564) as to be indistinguishable from it, a linkage that Macleod would be proud to own!.