FAITH VIEWED AS A PASSIVE ACT OR INSTRUMENT

By Gary Ray Branscome

The words, “You are saved by grace through faith… Not of works, lest any man should boast,” tell us that our faith is not a work, or something we do to please God (Ephesians 2:8-9). And, the words, “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand,” tell us that faith simply receives, or gives us access into, the grace Christ won for us by His death on the cross (Romans 5:1-2). That is why we view faith as a passive act or instrument. If God’s grace was not already there for us, our faith would have nothing to receive.

Not only is faith not something we do, or something we deserve credit for, it is only by the power of the Holy Ghost that we are able to believe. The words, “May the God of this hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you abound in this hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost,” tell us that it is the power of God that enables us to trust [have faith] in the gospel (Romans 15:13). The words, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God to salvation to every one who believes;” tell us that the power of God that enables us to believe comes to us through the gospel (Romans 1:16). The words, “So will the word that goes out of my mouth be: it will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I want, and it will achieve what I sent it to do,” also speak of God accomplishing His will [including bringing us to faith] through His Word (Isaiah 55:11). The words, “My message and my preaching were not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, that your faith should not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God,” tell us that Paul’s preaching was effective because of the power of God (1Corinthians 2:4). The words, “Our gospel did not come to you only in word, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and with much assurance,” tell us that the power to produce faith came through the gospel (1Thessalonians 1:5). And, the words, “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation which is waiting to be revealed at the end of time,” tell us that we are not only brought to faith by the power of God, but are also kept in faith by that power (1Peter 1:5).

In other words, we are not only saved by what Christ accomplished for us on the cross, the very faith by which we have access to that salvation is a gift of God. As it is written, “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). In conversion we do not do anything to save ourselves. On the contrary, it is God who is at work bringing us to faith. The words, “What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power,” plainly tell us that we are brought to faith by God (Ephesians 1:19). And, because our faith is like a hand that passively receives God’s gift, the Bible sometimes speaks of faith as “receiving” Christ, or God’s grace. The words, “To as many as received Him,” and “By whom we have now received the atonement,” are two examples (John 1:12, Romans 5:11). However, the passages quoted in this section make it clear that receiving Christ is not a work that we perform, or our part in salvation. Receiving God’s gift of salvation is no more a work than receiving a Christmas present. We simply receive what Christ purchased for us by His blood. Therefore, saying that we receive it is a just another way of describing faith’s passive reception of God’s free gift.