Step 1 - Saving Faith
Being “saved by grace through faith” is
definitely taught in the Bible
(Eph. 2:8). However, it is a passage that has been distorted through
false teaching for many years. Many religious organizations teach that
all one must do to gain salvation is simply believe in God, or His Son
Jesus Christ, and with such mental ascent, you are saved. They believe
and teach such because of this verse. However, this is not taught
in the Scripture, especially at this verse. We are not
diminishing the importance of faith in one's conversion to Christ. Still,
we must initially know that more is involved in being saved than just
simply believing.
God has always wanted man to have faith in Him, faith enough to do
whatever He commands. In the Old Testament, we read of many instances
where man had to comply with certain instructions from God in order to
gain His favor. Consider these examples:
Num. 21:4-9
Israel,
guilty of impatience during her wanderings, was being punished by God with
fiery serpents that would bite and kill them. Any Israelite who was
bitten had to look upon a brass serpent Moses had fashioned and set upon a
pole. When looking upon that serpent, the bitten Israelite would live and
not die.
Josh. 6:1-21
Israel
attempts to conquer Canaan. This passage details for us how they took the
city of Jericho which was extremely fortified and well-defended. Israel
had to march around the city a total of 13 times in 7 days, blow rams'
horns, and shout. Doing so would make the walls fall down flat, and they
could take the city.
Now ask yourself...do these instructions make logical
sense? Does looking upon a brass serpent cure one of deadly snake bites? What doctor would prescribe such? Does marching, blowing, and shouting
really bring down walls in military combat? What general would make this
his strategy? These instructions make sense only because that is what God
said to do!! In both cases, Israel had to have enough faith in what God
said to do what He said. Israel received the blessing of God on each
occasion only after obeying what God said.
Does this mean, then, that salvation is by works? Those who advocate the
“faith only” doctrine are always quick to state, “You cannot merit your
salvation. Salvation is not by works!” We agree; no one can earn
what God calls a gift (Eph. 2:8-9). However, a look
at other New Testament passages will teach us that salvation by faith has
always required works.
Romans 4
Paul
discusses the one who would be justified by his own works, boasting about
it (v. 2). If he truly gained salvation by his own deeds, he could look God squarely
in the eye and demand heaven because God would owe it to him (v. 5). This idea of salvation is all works, no faith.
James 2 James
asks the question, “What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has
faith, but has no works? Can that faith save him?”
(v. 14). Reading through v. 26, we see the need for works, for “faith
without works is dead.” This idea of salvation is all faith, no works.
Which one is correct? Individually, both are inadequate. Faith and works
together produce saving faith. The Scripture plainly teaches that
THE FAITH THAT SAVES IS THE FAITH THAT
OBEYS. We must have both faith and
works. It is interesting that Abraham is mentioned as being justified
(pronounced free of sin’s guilt) by his faith (Rom. 4:3) and also
by his works (Jas. 2:21)? Which way is it? Obviously, both are
required. Likewise, we are saved by faith when we obey by doing whatever God has told us to do. We cannot substitute our own ideas for
obedience. We must submit to His will, complying with His commands.
Man needs to have this saving faith. Man needs to believe enough that he
is willing to do whatever God has commanded and revealed in the pages of
the New Testament, even if he doesn’t see the logical reason for doing
so. If he has not done this, then he doesn’t have saving faith and
despite what you or I may think or feel about it, he is not saved.
- Jeff Smith
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