THE NATURE OF SAVING FAITH

 

By Gary Ray Branscome

 

          Saving faith, the faith described in the words, “Whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” is not a matter of just believing something in general, but a matter of relying on someone, namely Christ (John 3:16). Those who trust in Christ are relying on what He did on the cross, His triumph over sin and death, to get them into heaven.

          Because our faith in Christ involves believing that He, “died for our sins,” it is impossible for us to have faith in Him if we do not believe that we are sinners (1Corinthians 15:3-4). In other words: How can we believe that He died for our sins, if we do not believe that we have any sins? For that reason, true repentance, a humble willingness on our part to admit our sin and need of forgiveness, must precede faith. As it is written, “Repent, and believe the gospel,” // “God will not despise a heart that is humbled and sorry for sin” (Mark 1:15, Psalm 51:17).

 

          Although Christ is the object of our faith, without the Bible we would not even know that He lived, and we certainly would not know that His death atoned for our sins. Moreover, our faith is not just in the knowledge of His death, but in God’s promise of forgiveness to all who trust in Him. As it is written, “If the inheritance comes by the law, it is not given by promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise” (Galatians 3:18). And, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, receiving the curse in our stead… that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:13-14).

          The words of John 3;16, “Whoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting lifeare God’s promise to all who trust in Christ. And, our faith is in that promise. The same can be said for the words, “I am the door: if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved,” // “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us,” // “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” // “Being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him,” // “Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord will be saved,” and “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us of all sin” (John 10:9, Romans 5:9, Romans 8:1&18, Romans 10:13, 1John 1:7).

 

          While faith in Christ consists of knowledge, assent and trust, the inner confusion and struggles of life tend to blur those distinctions in the minds of many. However, let it be said that true faith in Christ involves knowing and believing that He died for your sins, coupled with the inner assurance that because of what He did you will “not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). That being said, I want to make it clear that someone does not need to understand the way of salvation to be saved. The essential thing is that they trust in Christ. I am not saying that understanding the way of salvation is not important, but it is possible for someone to come to faith before they realize that faith saves them. Take for example John the Baptist. The words of his mother Elisabeth, “Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy,” tell us that “the babe” [John] had a rudimentary faith while yet in the womb (Luke 1:43-44). The words, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me,” tell us that the Jews who followed Christ were His sheep, even though many of them did not yet understand that He would die for their sins (John 10:27). In a similar vein, many Christians who do not understand the way of salvation endure persecution by Moslems, and they endure the persecution, because they believe Christ’s promise, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he who believes in me will yet live, even though he is dead. And whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25-26).

          In saying this, I by no means want to downplay the importance of understanding the way of salvation. Many who came to faith before understanding the way of salvation have testified to the joy and the assurance of salvation that they experienced when they finally did understand it.

 

          Satan’s attack on the gospel is two pronged. On one hand he tries to convince people that faith in Christ is not enough. Paul’s words, “Christ is of no benefit to those of you who seek righteousness by the law” is directed at that attack (Galatians 5:4). On the other hand, Satan leads people to twist the gospel into an excuse to sin. The book of Hebrews describes that error as, trampling “the Son of God under foot,” and treating “the blood of the covenant, by which he was sanctified, as an unholy thing” (Hebrews 10:29). 

          The words, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one who believes… For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation,” tell us that the forgiveness that is ours through faith in Christ “cleanses us of all sin” making us righteous in the sight of God (Romans 10:4,10, see 1John 1:7). And, if it makes us righteous it also makes us holy and obedient. As it is written, “By one offering He has perfected for ever those who are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). At the same time, because repentance and faith go hand in hand, a heart that is truly repentant, “A heart that is humbled and sorry for sin,” will never twist the gospel into an excuse to sin (Psalm 51:17).