A podcast listener named Kobe, who also keeps current on our blog at desiringgod.org it seems, writes in to ask this, "At the 715 mark in your sneak peek video in the Look at the Book series, you connected the sacred writings in scripture, then made the jump to say that these inspired writings produce or yield faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.

But it seems that scripture here makes one wise for salvation through faith. So faith is the means by which scripture produces salvation, not scripture producing faith. So my question is, how do you take 'through' to mean 'produces' or 'yields'? How do you arrive at the conclusion that scripture produces faith from this text?" That's a complicated question.

I'm sure the listeners are kind of, "What? What did he say?" So let me try to answer it in a way that clarifies the question, and I don't think it takes long. I really look forward to doing this more often, that if people see the Look at the Book, they have another question, they call you, or they write to you, and we kind of tie together Look at the Book and APJ this way.

So let me give the verse. Here's 2 Timothy 3:15, which he's asking about. "From childhood, Timothy, you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise unto or for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." Now Coby says, "I think, the very words, it seems that scripture makes one wise for salvation through faith, so that faith is the means by which scripture produces salvation, not scripture producing faith." Now Coby sees these as alternatives.

Either scripture produces or yields salvation, or scripture produces faith. But I don't see them as alternatives. Both are true, and both are essential. The scripture makes us wise for salvation through faith. Yes, faith is the means by which scripture leads to salvation. That's right. And scripture does this by awakening and producing or yielding, that's the language I used in the LAB, faith.

In other words, if faith is essential to salvation, which it is, then if scriptures are going to lead to salvation, scriptures must do it by awakening or producing or yielding faith. So Coby's asking, "How do you arrive at the conclusion that scripture produces faith from this text?" And my answer is, it seems to me to be demanded by the wording.

Here's the wording again. The sacred writings are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. If the sacred writings lead us to salvation through faith in Jesus, then they must be the means used by God to awaken our faith. That is, they produce faith. And then I find that confirmed in Romans 10.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. So let me just close with one application beyond what Coby asked, because I think it's relevant here. The sacred writings that Paul's talking about here that lead us to salvation and produce faith that brings us to salvation are the Old Testament scriptures.

These made Timothy wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. That's amazing. The Old Testament scriptures are designed by God to lead us to faith in Jesus Christ. They're not an end in themselves. Romans 10, 4, the goal of the law, and I think it means the instruction of God in the Old Testament, the goal of the law is Christ for righteousness to all who believe.

This is how the scriptures make us wise unto salvation. They prepare our minds and our worldview and our hearts so that when Jesus the Christ is proclaimed, we're ready, we are wise, and we believe and are saved. Yes. Thank you, Pastor John. And that video can be found at DesiringGod.org embedded in a blog post we titled, "A First Glimpse at 'Look at the Book.'" So what is "Look at the Book," this series of videos we're calling "A New Chapter in John Piper's Legacy?" We can find out more in episode number 354 of this podcast series.

I'm your host, Tony Reinke. Have a wonderful weekend. 1. John Piper's Legacy 2. John Piper's Legacy 3. John Piper's Legacy 4. John Piper's Legacy 5. John Piper's Legacy 6. John Piper's Legacy 7. John Piper's Legacy 8. John Piper's Legacy 9.