George Whitefield on the nature of saving faith
Essentially trust that grasps Christ
Did you ever close with Christ by a lively faith, so as to feel Christ in your hearts, so as to hear him speaking peace to your souls?
THE POSITION
Faith is closing with Christ, not believing that the Bible exists: "We mistake a historical faith for a true faith, wrought in the heart by the Spirit of God." The test he puts to hearers is whether they ever received Christ themselves. What he adds to bare trust is felt peace — faith that hears Christ "speaking peace" to the soul — which is why the sermon is aimed at people who have peace without that.
12 OTHERS HOLD THIS
ABOUT THIS FIGURE
Anglican priest and field preacher of the Evangelical Revival and the First Great Awakening, who crossed the Atlantic seven times and died on his last American tour. Wesley's Oxford companion and, from his 1740 letter answering Free Grace, his public opponent on election — the Calvinist half of the Methodist split, set here beside Wesley and Edwards. This entry rests on that letter and eleven of the sermons printed in the standard selected editions.
Cite this page
"George Whitefield on the nature of saving faith", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/whitefield/saving-faith (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/whitefield/saving-faith).