(_e_) That faith, as characteristically the inward act of reception, is not to be confounded with love or obedience, its fruit.
Faith is, in the Scriptures, called a work, only in the sense that man's active powers are engaged in it. It is a work which God requires, yet which God enables man to perform (John 6:29--{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON WITH PSILI AND OXIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER GAMMA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~} { ~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON WITH PERISPOMENI~} { ~GREEK CAPITAL LETTER THETA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON WITH PERISPOMENI~}. _Cf._ Rom. 1:17--{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER DELTA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER SIGMA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON WITH OXIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA~} { ~GREEK CAPITAL LETTER THETA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON WITH PERISPOMENI~}). As the gift of God and as the mere taking of undeserved mercy, it is expressly excluded from the category of works upon the basis of which man may claim salvation (Rom. 3:28; 4:4, 5, 16). It is not the act of the full soul bestowing, but the act of an empty soul receiving. Although this reception is prompted by a drawing of heart toward God inwrought by the Holy Spirit, this drawing of heart is not yet a conscious and developed love: such love is the result of faith (Gal. 5:6). What precedes faith is an unconscious and undeveloped tendency or disposition toward God. Conscious and developed affection toward God, or love proper, must always follow faith and be the product of faith. So, too, obedience can be rendered only after faith has laid hold of Christ, and with him has obtained the spirit of obedience (Rom. 1:5--{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON WITH DASIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER PI~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA WITH VARIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~} { ~GREEK SMALL LETTER PI~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA WITH OXIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER SIGMA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMEGA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER FINAL SIGMA~} = "obedience resulting from faith"). Hence faith is not the procuring cause of salvation, but is only the instrumental cause. The procuring cause is the Christ, whom faith embraces.