Fruit Bearing?

In a recent interview, on Theology Gals, Coleen Sharp and I had the privilege of interviewing Dr. John Fonville to discuss Lordship Salvation and the Reformed  view of Justification and Sanctification. During the interview, he offered some helpful insight with regard to Sanctification and the fruit of the Christian life. He said that if we only look at our fruit to determine the veracity of our salvation we can use this syllogism:

Believers bear fruit.

I bear fruit.
Therefore, I am a Believer.
or
Believers bear fruit
I am not bearing fruit.
Therefore, I am not a believer.

This faulty reasoning is the fruit of what is at the core of Lordship salvation.

Fruit bearing is what is known as the reflex act of faith. But this is not all or foremost what the Christian need observe for assurance of faith. We must first and foremost look at the direct act of faith: trusting by grace alone, though, faith alone, in Christ alone.

 In an article on John's church website, he helps us with this concept. He says, 

"Assurance lies in the very direct act of faith as one is presented with Christ, the object of faith, to whom the writer of Hebrews exhorts his hearers to draw near (Hebrews 10:22). Such focus and assurance is in opposition to one’s own reflections on the work of the Holy Spirit within (the reflex act of faith). Michael Horton notes that inward-looking piety has more in common with modern Evangelicalism than it does with Reformation piety (Highly recommended reading: Christ the Lord: The Reformation and Lordship Salvation).

The reflex act of faith can support the believer's profession but it cannot become the ground of the believer's assurance. John Calvin rightly states that our acts of obedience are of value only when taken a posteriori (Institutes, 3.14.19). Assurance must be found in the direct act of faith. John Calvin states, “If they [believers] begin to judge their salvation by good works, nothing will be more uncertain or more feeble; for indeed, if works be judged of themselves, by their imperfection they will no less declare God’s wrath than by their incomplete purity they testify to his benevolence,” (Ibid)."

Full article: http://www.paramountchurch.com/blog/post/how-do-i-know-im-a-christian

So, on our good days and on our worst, we have this assurance. Our fruit is a necessary product of our faith and consequence of our salvation, but it is not the instrument of our salvation. Our salvation is in Christ alone.

John Fonville comforts us with these words from 1 John: My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous One. Christians do not have a license to sin, but when we fail, when our fruit appears to be wanting, we have an Advocate Who ever lives to make intercession for us.

Theology Gals Episode on Lordship Salvation with John Fonville:  http://theologygals.com/2017/10/lordship-salvation-with-pastor-john-fonville-theology-gals-episode-35/