Faith is a gift from God, and it is the only way to receive salvation. Saving faith is faith in the person and work of Christ, and it is distinct from other types of faith. It is not enough to simply know about Jesus and the Christian gospel; one must also believe that the content of the gospel is true and place trust in God. This is a gift from God, and it is not something that can be earned or worked towards.
However, genuine saving faith will always produce works. A faith that is perpetually without works is no faith at all and cannot save anyone. While good works are not the cause of salvation, they are the carrying out and manifestation of justice, and they are necessary for final salvation.
What You'll Learn
God gives faith as a gift, not a reward
Faith is a gift from God, given to us because of His grace and mercy, and His love for us. It is not a reward, as it is not given in return for good deeds or kind words. The Bible emphasises that faith is a gift because God deserves all the glory for our salvation. If faith could be earned, then humans could boast about their salvation. But, as the Bible states, "all such boasting is excluded" (Romans 3:27).
The Protestant Reformers identified three aspects of saving faith: Noticias, Assensus, and Fiducia. The first, Noticias, refers to the intellectual content of what we believe. Saving faith is faith in the person and work of Christ, so we must know something about Jesus and what He has done. The second, Assensus, is the belief that the content of the Christian gospel is true. This is distinct from knowledge, as it is possible to know something without believing it to be true. Finally, Fiducia is placing trust in the One revealed in the content that is believed to be true.
Faith is the instrument God uses to bring salvation to His people. Faith comes from hearing the message of Christ, and it is God's Word that produces faith. It is good to ask for faith, and God gives what is good to all who ask. However, it is our responsibility to exercise the gift of faith and not become complacent, lazy, or apathetic.
Genuine saving faith will always produce works. A faith that is perpetually without works is no faith at all and saves no one. However, we are saved by faith alone, not by works. Our works should display the reality of our salvation, but they do not save us.
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Faith comes from hearing the message of Christ
Faith is the instrument God uses to bring salvation to His people. God gives faith because of His grace and mercy, and because He loves us. Faith is a gift from God, and it is not something that can be earned. The Bible emphasizes that faith is a gift because God deserves all the glory for our salvation. If we could earn faith, we would be able to save ourselves, and this contradicts Scripture and our need for a saviour.
The Bible states in Romans 10:17 that "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ". In other words, in order to have faith, we must first be aware of Christ's existence. The good news of the Gospel and redemption in Jesus allows people to have faith in Christ and accept His eternal salvation. When people hear the Word of God, they can know and trust in the Godly order of life and why we should accept Jesus' atonement with faith in Him.
The process of faith is produced in the heart. In order to call on the name of the Lord, one must first believe. In order to believe, one must hear the report. In order to hear the report, another must give it. This is the meaning of "faith comes by hearing".
The content of the message must be about Christ. The message is "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve" (NASB). Faith that leads to eternal salvation comes after "hearing", that is, after receiving this message concerning Christ.
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Faith without works is no faith at all
Faith is the instrument God uses to bring salvation to His people. God gives faith because of His grace and mercy, and because He loves us. Faith is a gift from God, and it is not earned by good deeds or kind words. The Bible emphasizes that faith is a gift because God deserves all the glory for our salvation. If faith could be earned, then the receiver of faith would have the right to boast. But all such boasting is excluded.
God gives us faith through the message about Jesus. When we hear the gospel of Jesus, there is potential for faith. This is why it is important for believers to tell people about Christ and what He has done for humanity.
While faith comes from God, we must also place our trust in Christ personally for our salvation. We must believe that Jesus came to save us personally, and we must place our lives in His hands.
The Bible tells us that faith without works is dead. This means that a faith that is perpetually without works is no faith at all and saves no one. True saving faith will result in a transformed life, and faith is demonstrated by the works we do. How we live reveals what we believe and whether our faith is real.
Our works are not the cause of our salvation, but they are the evidence of it. Faith in Christ will always result in good works. If someone claims to be a Christian but lives in willful disobedience to Christ, then they have a false or dead faith and are not saved.
Jesus said:
> "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'" (Matthew 7:21–23)
Jesus makes it clear that simply saying we believe in Him is not enough to save us. Our lives must be characterized by obedience to God and ongoing good works.
James uses the examples of Abraham and Rahab to illustrate the obedience that accompanies salvation. Abraham was justified by his works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar (James 2:21). Rahab the harlot was also justified by her works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way (James 2:25).
In conclusion, while faith is a gift from God, it is not enough to simply have faith. Our faith must be demonstrated by our works and our obedience to God. A faith that does not result in good works is dead and cannot save us.
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Faith is given through the message about Jesus
Faith is a gift from God, given to us because of His grace and mercy, and His love for us (Ephesians 4–5). It is not something that can be earned or deserved, nor is it given in exchange for something else. It is a gift in the true sense of the word, and the Bible emphasises this to ensure that no one can boast about their salvation. Instead, God is given all the glory for our salvation.
The Bible specifies that faith comes from hearing the message about Jesus: "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word about Christ" (Romans 10:17). It is the Word of God that produces faith. Faith can be received in many ways, such as hearing a sermon, reading the Bible, or even simply asking God for it. God freely gives faith to those who ask (Luke 11:9–12).
The Protestant Reformers identified three aspects that are essential for true faith. The first is Noticias, the intellectual content of what we believe. Saving faith is faith in the person and work of Christ, so we must know something about Jesus and what He has done. The second component is assensus, or believing that the content of the Christian gospel is true. This is distinct from simply knowing about it, as many people know about other religions without believing they are true. Finally, saving faith includes fiducia, which is placing trust in Jesus personally to save us. We must give our lives to Him, pledging to follow Him no matter the cost.
The apostle Paul emphasised the humility that believers should have when contemplating their faith. He himself was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man, yet he was shown mercy and given faith because of God's grace.
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Faith is only saving faith if it is in God
Faith is a gift from God, and it is only saving faith if it is in God. God gives us faith because of His grace and mercy, and because He loves us. Faith is the avenue or instrument God uses to bring salvation to His people.
The Bible emphasises that faith is a gift because God deserves all the glory for our salvation. If we could do anything to deserve or earn faith, we would have the right to boast. But all such boasting is excluded. God wants Christians to understand that they have done nothing to earn faith—it is only because of what Christ did on the cross that God gives anyone faith.
The Protestant Reformers identified three aspects that are essential for true faith. The first is Noticias, the intellectual content of what we believe. Saving faith is faith in the person and work of Christ, so we must know something about Jesus and what He has done. The second component is assensus, or belief that the content of the Christian gospel is true. The third is fiducia, which is placing trust in the One revealed in the content that is believed to be true.
Genuine saving faith will always produce works; a faith that is perpetually without works is no faith at all and saves no one. However, we are saved by grace through faith, not by our works. Our works should display the reality of our salvation.
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Frequently asked questions
Saving faith is faith in the person and work of Christ. It is rooted in God's grace, rests on God's promise, revels in God's glory, and relies on God's power.
Yes, God gives us saving faith because of His grace and mercy, and because He loves us. Faith comes from God in the form of a gift.
The Bible encourages us to examine ourselves to see if we are truly "in the faith" (2 Corinthians 13:5). There is a series of tests in 1 John that we can use to examine ourselves and our faith. Some of the questions to ask yourself include: Do you enjoy having fellowship with Christ and His redeemed people? Would people say you walk in the light, or walk in the darkness? Do you admit and confess your sin? Are you obedient to God’s Word? Does your life indicate you love God rather than the world?