True Saving Faith: What It Is And What It Does

Saving faith is a matter of life and death. It is the conviction, brought about by the Holy Spirit, of the truth of the gospel and trust in the promises of God in Christ. Saving faith includes knowing something about Jesus and what He has done, believing that the content of the Christian gospel is true, and placing trust in Him. It is not enough to simply know and believe in God, as even demons know and believe in God, but are not saved. Saving faith is a gift from God, and it is up to us to accept it.

Saving faith is a conviction, brought about by the Holy Spirit

Saving faith is faith in the person and work of Christ, so we must know something about Jesus and what He has done if we are to have actual faith in Him. This is evident from the very existence of the Christian gospel—we tell people about Jesus, giving them biblically-based content for them to believe. Saving faith is when we fully rest in the knowledge that Jesus died for our sins and keep our trust in His promises to us.

Saving faith is not a general belief in the existence of God or in the divine law of God. It is personal trust, or cordial confidence, in the wonderful message of the Gospel that God, for Christ's sake, is gracious to all who believe in the atoning blood of His Son, shed on Calvary for the sins of the world. Hence, saving faith is found only in the heart that says, "I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death."

Saving faith includes fiducia, which is placing trust in the One revealed in the content that is believed to be true. Knowing what God has revealed and believing it to be true is a good thing, but it is not enough. Even demons know and assent to the truth of God's revelation, so merely knowing and believing necessary truths for salvation such as the oneness of God are insufficient for redemption. We also need to place our trust in Christ personally to save us. We must believe that Jesus came to save us personally. We must place our lives in His hands, pledging ourselves to follow Him no matter the cost.

Saving faith is faith in the person and work of Christ

Saving faith is a matter of life and death—eternal life and death. Saving faith is faith in the person and work of Christ. It is not enough to simply believe that God exists, or even that Jesus is Lord. Saving faith is actively trusting God for salvation. It is a conviction, brought about by the Holy Spirit, of the truth of the gospel and trust in the promises of God in Christ.

Saving faith includes three elements: the mind, the emotions, and the will. Firstly, we must know something about Jesus and what He has done. This is the 'notitia' of faith, or the 'notes'. We must know the basic facts of the gospel, that God is holy and righteous, and that we are sinners in need of a saviour. Secondly, we must deeply believe that these facts are true. This is the 'assensus' of faith, or belief that the content of the Christian gospel is true. Finally, saving faith includes 'fiducia', which is placing trust in the One revealed in the content that is believed to be true. We must believe that Jesus came to save us personally and place our lives in His hands, pledging ourselves to follow Him no matter the cost.

Saving faith is not just knowing the truth, but surrendering to it and being changed by it. It is not a mere intellectual exercise, but a personal trust and surrender to Christ as both Saviour and Lord. It is a gift from God, and we must accept it and allow it to work in us and through us.

Signs of genuine saving faith include enjoying fellowship with Christ and His people, walking in the light, admitting and confessing sin, obeying God's Word, loving God rather than the world, and doing what is right.

Saving faith is actively trusting God for salvation

Saving faith is a matter of eternal life and death. It is not enough to have a general knowledge of God or even to acknowledge His existence. Even demons believe in God (James 2:19), but their belief does not save them from hell. Saving faith goes beyond intellectual assent to include a deep conviction of the truth of the gospel and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Protestant Reformers identified three essential aspects of saving faith: notitia, assensus, and fiducia. Notitia refers to the intellectual content of what we believe. We must know about Jesus and what He has done in order to have actual faith in Him. Assensus is the belief that the content of the Christian gospel is true. This involves a deep conviction and affirmation of the truth of the gospel, recognising that Jesus came to earth, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again on the third day. Finally, fiducia is placing our trust in Jesus Christ personally for our salvation. We must surrender our lives to Him, pledging to follow Him no matter the cost.

Saving faith is a gift from God, and it is only through His grace that we can be saved. It is not something that we can earn or achieve through our own efforts. We must place our trust in Christ alone, knowing that He is our supreme and inexhaustible pleasure, and allowing Him to work in us and through us.

Saving faith is a gift

Saving faith is faith in the person and work of Christ. It requires us to know something about Jesus and what He has done. This is evident from the very existence of the Christian gospel—we tell people about Jesus, giving them biblical content for them to believe. Saving faith includes belief that the content of the Christian gospel is true. This is more than just intellectual knowledge; it is a deep conviction and affirmation of the truth of the gospel.

Saving faith also includes placing trust in the One revealed in the content that is believed to be true. We must believe that Jesus came to save us personally and place our lives in His hands, pledging ourselves to follow Him no matter the cost. This is a personal trust and surrender to Christ as both Savior and Lord. It is a faith that surrenders to Christ's authority and obeys His commands.

Saving faith is a matter of eternal life and death. It is the difference between believing that a chair exists and actually sitting in the chair. It is actively trusting God for salvation, resting fully in Jesus' promises and His leading. Saving faith tells us that no matter what we're experiencing, we are His, bought with a price. This faith allows us to rest in His promises to uphold us and keep us and that when this life is over, we will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

Saving faith is a matter of life and death

Saving faith is faith in the person and work of Christ. It involves knowing about Jesus and what He has done, believing that the content of the Christian gospel is true, and placing our trust in Him. This faith is brought about by the Holy Spirit and involves our entire being—our mind, emotions, and will. It is not enough to simply know about God or believe in His existence; we must also have a strong conviction of the truth of the gospel and trust in His promises.

The Bible encourages us to examine ourselves and our faith to ensure we are truly "in the faith" (2 Corinthians 13:5). We can do this through a series of tests outlined in 1 John, such as examining if we enjoy fellowship with Christ and His people, if we walk in the light, if we admit and confess our sins, and if we are obedient to God's Word.

By placing our faith in Jesus Christ and surrendering our lives to Him, we can be assured of our salvation and eternal life with God. This saving faith is a matter of life and death, and it is the most important decision we will ever make.

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