What is meant by the Author of our faith? The word "our" is added. "Our" faith does begin only when God gives it and it is sustained and grown by his power and grace working in us. Believers would not have faith if it were not for Christ who gave us faith and put us in this race (Eph 2: 8, 9.) But take out the word "our" out and we get the full meaning--Looking unto Jesus the Author...of faith.

The meaning is that Christ Jesus our Lord has the preeminence in being the first to run this race of faith. As preeminently as Christ is the Beginning (arkay) or before all things in creation, so he is preeminently the Author (arkaygos), or Pioneer of faith (Col 1: 18.) If we would look to a Man to behold the only one who ran this race in perfection then look to the GodMan only.

Never was another so completely yielded to God's will, he said, "I live by the Father" (John 6:57.)Among his first recorded words were, "I must be about My Father's business" (Luke 2:49) In the midst of indescribable agony of soul he said faithfully, "The cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it" (John 18:11) In every thought, word and deed he said, "I have set the Lord always before Me" (Psalm 16:8) In times of joy and times when he was touched with the feeling of our infirmities his confidence was, "He that sent Me is with Me" (John 8:29) Those that mocked him, and treated him with the venom of depravity, ignorantly and unknowingly, bore testimony to his faith in the Lord, when they said, "He trusted in the Lord that He would deliver Him, let Him deliver Him, seeing He delighted in Him" (Psalm 22:8). Even after bearing the despised shame of the cross--despising that shameful method of death on the cursed tree, despising the shame he bore at the hands of men, despising the shame of being made sin that the elect might be the made righteousness of God in him--even after he bore the just wrath of God in place of his people, at last his last words were, "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit" (Luke 23: 46.) God trusted him to faithfully run the race set before him, that he might be a just God and a Savior. Jesus looked to God, trusting him alone as he ran this race set before him. Thus he is the Author and the Finisher, or Perfector of faith.

God looks to his perfect, faithful, servant, the Faithful One. Likewise, through the faith God gives the believer looks to the Faithful One. We are not commanded to look to our faith, to the race set before us, or even to the witnesses who have gone before us, but as we run this race set before us, we are commanded to look to Jesus the Preeminent Man of faith and the Perfection of faith.

SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH Of Princeton, New Jersey

LOCATION & TELEPHONE
Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd floor
150 Washington Street, Rocky Hill, NJ, 08553
Pastor's Telephone: 615-513-4464

SCHEDULE OF SERVICES
Sunday 10 AM Bible Class
11 AM Morning Worship
Thursday 7:00 PM Mid-week Service
(The first Sunday of each month, morning worship begins at 10am followed by observing the Lord's Table. Afterwards we have lunch together.)