thirsting soul.

True saving faith is not simply a matter of believing bare truth. Even wicked men, and the demons themselves, can do that. In their case, they wish the gospel were not true! True saving faith is also not simply a matter of believing in Christ because you are afraid of going to hell: faith is is not simply a matter of avoiding punishment, where you do not have any desire to love and enjoy Christ. Rather, true saving faith means that you come to a deep, heartfelt conviction of how precious Christ is, and ‘account all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus out Lord, and count them but rubbish, that you may gain Christ and be found in him’ (Phil. 3:8-9, II Thess. 2:10). You come to see Christ as all your salvation and happiness (Col. 3:1), ‘in whom all fullness lives” (Col. 1:19)

True salvation also means that you love every part of Christ’s salvation- holiness as well as the forgiveness of sins. It means that you earnestly desire God to ‘create in you a clean heart and right spirit’ as well as ‘hide his face from your sins’ (Ps. 51:9-10). Do not be like those who care nothing about Christ at all, except to be delivered from hell. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6)  Walter Marshall, The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification