85-Disputations on the Plain Scriptural Testimony of Real Faith in the Real History of Old Testament Times

MA Petillo, D.Th.

My faith looks up to thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour Divine;
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day
Be wholly thine.
May thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire;
As thou hast died for me,
O may my love to thee
Pure, warm and changeless be,
A living fire.
While life's dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow's tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From thee aside.
When ends life's transient dream,
When death's cold, sullen stream
Shall o'er me roll,
Blest Saviour, then, in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul.  (TH, 454).

1.  Faith is real confidence in the real Christ.

2.  Faith is the evidence of God's Spirit and Word.

3.  Faith is the supernatural work of God alone.

4.  Faith is a gift of God not a work of man in anyway.

5.  Faith comes from the heart of a born again sinner.

6.  Faith is the substance of unseen things.

7.  The result of the infallible Scriptures is faith.

8.  The result of preaching the Word is faith.

9.  The result of the gospel is faith.

10.  The object of faith is the Triune God alone.

11.  The object of faith is the self-existent Christ.

12.  The object of faith is the writings of Moses.

13.  The object of faith is the writings of the prophets.

14.  The object of faith is the gospel.

15.  The object of faith is God's promises.

16.  The kind of faith true Christians have is saving faith.

17.  There is a "civil faith" that does not save.

18.  There is an rational faith in God's revealed written Word.

19.  There is a dead faith because it is not of God's Spirit.

20.  Real faith is boundless because God has no limitations except the sinfulness of sin revealed in His written Word.

21.  There is a real faith among true Christians that overcome the world, because of the Spirit of God in the power of Christ.

22.   Real faith is always a faith that overcomes the world.

23.   The faith of God's people in Christ is a holy faith.

24.  Real faith is something God's people possess, because of God's Spirit in the pursuit of Christian humility.

25.  Real faith can be either great or little faith.

26.  Christians may struggle with apprehending Christ in faith, but the inspired Word says that if we a faithless He remains faithful.

27.  There is a common denominator among Christians: namely, true Christians have faith from the same source: the Blessed Trinity alone in God's revealed written Word.

28.  The soul of God's people remain sinless, but the body sins.  

29.  The faith of God's people is a real faith.

30.  False faith is not rooted in Christ but in man-centeredness.

31.  True faith is united in Christ for the Father's glory.

32.  True faith is not vain but false faith is vain.

33.  The difference between true faith and false faith is the object the sinner is trusting in: namely, is your faith in Christ and His Cross, or is it in something added unto Christ and His Cross?

34.  The fruits of salvation for the Christian is remission of sin.

35.  The fruits of salvation for justification is being right with God.

36.  The fruits of salvation is freedom from condemnation.

37.  There is true faith in positional and progressive sanctification.

38.  True faith is spiritual life in Christ alone.

39.  True faith grows through edification.

40.  Adoption includes those who have been born again, because God gives them a real faith that overcomes this fallen world.

41.  True faith is evident in God's children because of God's approbation of preservation.

42.  True faith is evidence of a heavenly inheritence.

43.  The fruit of true faith is peace and rest.

44.  The Christian is to live by a true faith.

45.  No true Christian can maintain true faith by self-effort.

46.   It does not mean we should not push ourselves in godly affairs, but that in the final analysis a godly and holy growth in real faith is a holy God at work in His people alone.

47.  True faith is what we ought to walk in!

48.  We ought to pray by faith and trusting in His sovereign purpose, because He holds all things in His hand.

49.  True faith is able to resist evil but if someone stumbles he renews his contrite repentance before God and calls upon the trustworthy people of God to pray fort them.

50.  Real faith overcomes the world, because it is of heaven.

51.   Christians should stand in real and true faith.

52.  Christians should continue in the faith of the Bible.

53.  Christians should be strong in the faith in Jesus Christ.

54.  It is better to abound in faith than grow in sin.

55.  Faith is grounded in the person and work of Christ.

56.  Christians ought to hold fast to a God-appointed faith.

57.  Faith is increased through the pray of God's people in the local church, because God uses them as instruments.    It is possible for God to work above second causes if He chooses according to His good pleasure.

58.  True faith is assurance by God's Spirit.

59.  An example of true faith is Adel, because he offered an acceptable offering to a holy God.  How?  God alone makes men to differ, because He holds all the wills of men in His hand.

60.  And example of true faith is Enoch, because he walked with a holy God.  How?  God enabled him to walk before Him, because God in His freedom saves and manifests His graciousness to His people alone in Christ alone.

61.  And example of true faith is Noah, because he found favor with a holy God.  How?  God alone granted him divine grace!

62.  An example of true faith is Abraham, because he is a man brought out of a pagan civilization.  Fallen sinners say "if you are born with this belief, you must die with this belief."  Not so with Abraham!  God alone intervenes in Abraham's case, because He desires to fit Him with robes of righteousness imputed to him by a heaven-born faith in Jesus Christ alone.

63.   An example of true faith is Sarah, because she gave birth at an old age.  Do you presuppose that a holy God cannot act even in old age?  You ought to still follow Christ in old age, even though it may make you laugh.

64.  An example of true faith is Jacob, because he sought the blessing of God and accepted his name change by God.  Do you wrestle with God in prayer like Jacob?  

65.   An example of true faith is Joseph, because ancient history eventually reveals that Joseph dwelt kindly with his offending family.  Joseph was a type of Jesus Christ, because his own betrayed him.   Has someone betrayed you?  Do not hesitate: forgive them as Jesus Christ as forgiven you.  Why?  Seek the honor of Christ above anything else even if it gets you into serious trouble.

66.  An example of true faith is Moses, because Moses left the worldly treasures of Egypt but embraced the godly treasures of God in storing them in heaven where no one can break in and steal.  The leadership of Rome could learn a thing or two about Moses!  How?  They should abandon the high titles of papal leadership, but embrace the humility of Christian living and church government.  That is, Moses did not become Pharaoh.  Rather he was a instrument and slave of God.  

67.  An example of true faith is Caleb, because Caleb was chosen by God to enter the promise land.  It is somewhat unknown among the world, but known among the people of God.  Will you be another Caleb and enter the heavenly city?

68.  An example of true faith is Rahab, because Rahab aided the people of God in ancient Israel and also led the enemies the wrong way.  There is a place to protect the people of God and led the enemy the wrong way, because the truth they want would be used for evil.  Suppose you hear the confession of one of your dear friends in Christ.  That is, suppose its very bad sin.  Then you have the wicked come and say "Tell us everything!"  You must never allow them to use good for evil.  Is this the same as Jehovah's Witnesses lying in court?  No, but be like Rahab who turned it on its head!  She gave them false information to protect the spies and led them a different way.  She used evil for good.  Her whole family was spared and she was the line that gave birth to Jesus Christ.  Imagine a Nazi coming to your door.  He says, "Where are they?"  Should you use good for evil?  That is, should you comply and turn in your friends?  Or should you use evil for good?  That is, lie to them and say "They went that way!" and point in the other direction to misled them.  But is this the same thing as "doing evil that good may come?" like Balaam?  It is different in regards to the level and direct "grey area."  How?  Is it the same thing as willing fornicate to advance like Revelation chapter 18 warns against?  No, no!  It is a different sort of "sin area" than a violation of Romans chapter 3 though by outward appearance it seems like the same thing.  The difference is the seeking of the honor of goodness, but the other the honor of advancement through wrongdoing.  Yes, its all wrongdoing but there is a different kind of wrongdoing.  It is what we would call a "grey area."  It is a "lesser of two evils" but is it still sin?  Yes, it is dear sinner!  It is better to misled the enemy when they use good for evil, but it is always sin when it is sin.  All of it still requires repentance!  Do not miss that dear Christian.  She used sin for good, but it is not the same as an appearance of goodness.  An appearance of goodness is something Satan is good at.  What if they said do this "evil" to take this "good" but Satan is behind it?  It would appear good but it is actually evil.  In Rahab's case, she used evil for good.  If the enemy uses good for evil, the best way to refute them is always good for good.  It means use the straight talk of Jesus, but remember there is also a time for silence.  Jesus used silence to judge the enemy.  It takes wisdom in discernment.

69.  An example of true faith is Jonathan and David, because they stood against the madness of king Saul.  Are you the apple of God's eye and His very heart?  Dear Christian, do not suppose that king David is the only one who is the apple of God's eye!  It is an example for us to teach us about God's love for His dear Christian people in Christ.

70.  An example of true faith is Job, because he suffered and suffered, but He was restored by God at the end.  In some sense this is the story of every true Christian.  How?  Whatever we may go through at the end we will have the real pleasures and treasures of heaven because of God's real choice for us according to His good pleasure.

71.  True faith in the Old Testament was given the exact same way as true faith is given in the New Testament: namely, by the gift of God's real Spirit accompanying His written and infallible Word.

72.  How were the OT saints given faith?  Simply by the Spirit and the Word like the NT saints.

73.  How were the OT saints given righteousness?  Simply through the spiritual application of the Spirit and the Word in effectual calling in applying the gift of the divine unified imputed righteousness of Christ alone in how someone is right with a holy God through rolling away the heart of stone and bestowing the heaven-born gift of faith in Jesus' blood and righteousness.

74.  What hope did the OT saints have?  Simply they looked forward toward the REAL coming of Jesus Christ.

75.  Those of OT saints that sought to be right with a holy God by keeping the law of Moses were not true saints, because Jesus divinely refuted the Jewish leadership in that none of them kept the law but they sought to be justified by law.

76.  God does not foresee true and real faith in history and chose us on that basis.  Rather God grants faith by His Spirit and Word and He sovereignly chooses us at His appointed time.

77.  True faith is not something that comes from fallen man in anyway, but it is from the work of God alone.

78.  Hypnosis cannot bring about true faith, but a subjective faith.

79.  Esau never had true faith, because he was spiritually dead.

80.   Salvationally awakened elect sinners have true faith.

81.  Everyone in heaven has their faith realized, because the greatest prize is a holy God alone.

82.  No one can boast in the God and Bible-centered gospel.

83.  Any boasting of faith from ourselves is cosmic villiany.

84.  God's spin move in Spiritual Basketball against Satan is unstoppable in bestowing real faith, because no one can tell the motion of the awesome Spirit of God in how He works salvation: namely, it is possible to see the outworking of the Spirit in granting spiritual salvation (i.e,. a true Christian is someone who seeks after a holy God).  John Calvin wrote, "It is entirely by the intervention of Christ’s righteousness that we obtain justification before God. This is equivalent to saying that man is not just in himself, but that the righteousness of Christ is communicated to him by imputation, while he is strictly deserving of punishment."

85.  There is a civil seeking after a holy God, but this is not a true seeking like a true Christian.  The rich man in hell had a civil seeking in civil evangelism, but the way to tell a true seeking after the things of a holy God is the mind of Christ.

Faith of our fathers! living still
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword;
O how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene'er we hear God's glorious Word:
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.
Our fathers, chained in prisons dark,
Were still in heart and conscience free;
And blest would be their children's fate
If they, like them, should die for thee:
Faith of our fathers! God's great pow'r
Shall draw all nations unto thee;
And through the truth that comes from God
His people shall indeed be free:
Faith of our fathers! we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife,
And preach thee, too, as love knows how
By witness true and virtuous life:  (TH, 487).