Therefore faith is also rewarded by God, and unbelief punished. 'He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned' (Mark xvi. 16).
4. Why must we believe all that God has revealed?'
Because God is the eternal and infallible truth.
5. Is faith necessary to salvation?
Faith is absolutely necessary to salvation; for 'without faith it is impossible to please God' (Hebr. xi. 6).
'He that doth not believe is already judged' (John iii. 18).
'He that believeth not shall be condemned' (Mark xvi. 16).
6. Will any faith save us?
No; only the true faith, which Christ our Lord has taught, will save us.
'He that believeth in the Son hath life everlasting: but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him' (John iii. 36).
7. Why will that faith only which Christ has taught save us?
Because by this faith alone, and by no other, we are made partakers of Christ, and without Christ there is no salvation.
'For there is no other name under Heaven given to men whereby we must be saved' (Acts iv. 12).
8. Is it, then, a sin to say that it does not matter what faith we profess?
Yes, it is a grievous sin to say so, or even only to think so; for we despise God by it, who has given us the one true faith, and, therefore, has sent his Only Begotten Son into the world (Short Hist, of Revealed Religion, Concl. Rem. 1).
If it did not matter what we believe, it would not have been necessary for God to reveal a religion, and our ancestors might all have remained heathens or Jews. But 'this is the judgment,'says Jesus Christ: 'because the light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than the light' (John iii. 19); i.e., because many were obstinate in their unbelief, although they saw the truth, or could have seen it, provided they had been sincere.
