Do Calvinists Believe Faith is Meritorious?
Today I received the following question in my email box: question: In saying that individuals putting their faith in Christ are doing something meritorious, are not Calvinists saying faith is a work? But the Bible contrasts them. response: Hi and thanks for your email. The bible contrasts faith and works in the sense that faith always looks away from itself to Christ for salvation. It no longer has confidence in the flesh but can glory only in Christ Jesus. However, at the same time, the Bible also teaches that even the very humility to believe the gospel is a gift of grace. No one naturally submits to the humbling terms of the gospel. Jesus himself said that “no one can come to me unless God grants it.” (John 6:65). So apart from the grace of the Holy Spirit no one comes to Christ in his own native resources. By nature he is hostile to God (Rom 8:7), loves darkness, hates the light and will not come into the light (John 3:19, 20). The man who is still in the flesh (without the Holy Sp
