Eph 2:8- 10. Article 14. Saving faith.” The real thing”
• Have you got faith?
The answer is yes all of us demonstrate a measure of faith everyday from switching on our central heating system to locking your front door at night, to driving a car. You are exercising a measure of faith in all of these things...
We trust the central heating system to function correctly to keep us warm, that the doors we lock will be sufficient to keep the intruders out. That the car we are driving will get us safely from a to b.
Religious faith? We live in a multi faith society there are myriads of people of all faiths. These people exercise faith on a daily basis towards their particular deity or deities. They are called men and women of faith. Some exercise this faith by obeying laws - following ordinances – by living a righteous life and helping their fellow human beings others exercise faith by killing others who do not submit to their interpretation of their religion. For all these individuals following their god or gods they are exercising faith.
I believe this type of faith is built into our human DNA (we are pre- programmed to demonstrate faith – we are spiritual beings) whether were religious or not……….. But whether everyday faith or religious faith this type of faith is poles apart from genuine saving faith found in the word of God and experienced in the Christian life.
• Read article 14. Saving faith. Baptist confession of faith 1689
Questions to ask and answer? 1. Where does faith come from? 2. How do we receive and exercise faith? 3. How do we know we have the real thing? Let’s dig a bit deeper into the Word of God and find out.
1. Saving faith is set apart because it’s a gift from God.
So where does faith come from? How do we receive it? The Bible is clear - Eph 2:8 for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Saving faith is the instrument by which we partake in the gift of salvation. Faith is distinct from the basis of our salvation which is grace and from the outworking of our salvation which is good works. It is through faith Paul declares we are saved and not from ourselves. Paul states our faith is a gift from God. So saving faith is from God and that is the exact opposite to the worlds faith and even to religious faith you see in the world today - both of which come from within....
We must neither consider saving faith in God as a theological transaction where God saves us by grace, as we muster up faith to believe in him no! Both grace and faith have their origins with God and are bestowed upon us as a gift from God. (acts. 18.27. Phi1.29.)
Biblical example :Turn with me to the book of Acts. 16:11-15. Paul is on his 2nd mission journey with Silas and Timothy they’ve received the Macedonian call and after some time arrived in Philippi whilst there on the Sabbath they went outside the city gates by a river expecting to find a group of god fearers in prayer. Here they meet a group of women and began to share the gospel about Jesus. One of the women called lydia was a worshipper of God (proselyte Judaism) a dealer in purple so she was also very affluent also v 14.
1. We see in this case that Lydia is deeply religious she came to the riverside for prayer, she was devout individual had a belief in God (Jehovah) and yet she never possessed saving faith. Why?
Because we read as Paul shared the gospel......v15 the lord opened her heart to respond to the gospel.
• “Saving faith is when the soul of a human being comes into contact with the divine living god and receives the gift of faith to believe and walk in his ways.
Personal application
Is there anybody today in this chapel man /women boy/girl who believes in god and is a worshipper of god - who comes on a regular basis to worship him , but you don’t really know him, you have faith you believe in God, but the faith your exercising is a religious faith coming from within and not from above! Like Lydia, the faith is mustered up from within your salvation is governed by ( laws, traditions, moral activity , outward appearance before others or even just simply a loving God who simply blesses everyone – the God you have created ). And you come on a regular basis to this small chapel to worship God – but as yet you don’t know him?
You see from this biblical example you can be religious and exercise a measure of faith but its not saving faith. Saving faith comes from God (God opened her heart to respond v14) to the gospel. So where does saving faith come from? Well its certainly not mustered up within, but from god as a gift enabling you to receive salvation.
2. Saving faith is set apart because it comes through a message. Rom 10:14 -17 .
How is saving faith received and exercised? Some people might say that faith is received by.........
a) Through a process of devout activity in a religious life?
b) Through living out a life of tolerance and peace with ones fellow human being.
c) Is it received by mere chance like going out one day and being struck by lightning?
d) Is it received by studying this book the bible and the historical records about Jesus and looking at all the evidence and coming to a reasoned decision.
As good and bad as some of these things might be it not the means by which an individual will come to a full saving faith in Christ it might lead them to it, but ultimately the person will have to hear a message at some point..... Because saving (ROM 10:17 ) faith comes through hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of Christ. So it through hearing the gospel the good news that saving faith is received and exercised.
Biblical example.: turn with me back again back to Philippi once more with Lydia at the riverside. Acts 16.13 -14 notice exactly what Paul is doing or rather saying at the riverside.......... V14 Pauls message. He was speaking......... What was he sharing? (weather -politics - religion ) what was Pauls message?
a) Message content: all about Christ
Move on with me into Acts 16:17. Where a girl possessed by a spirit shares with the crowds something of its content...... “These men are servants of the high God and they are telling you the way to be saved! A saving message as we have seen with Lydia and we will see again. .
Also v30 – 31 then later Paul and Silas find themselves in prison due to this message but whilst in jail an earthquake shakes the foundations of the prison and their chains fall off and are about to walk free when a repentant jailer asks the question, “ what must i do to be saved ?” “Believe on the lord Jesus and you will be saved” is the message that rings back a saving message received when one believes on the lord Jesus Christ! V34 as a result he and his whole household are saved through hearing a message.
The gospel message speaks of “who he is?” Rom 1:9 . God who I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son. “What he did?” 1 cor 15:1-3 I want to remind you of the gospel I preach to you , which you received and on which you have taken your stand, by this gospel you are saved if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you otherwise you have believed in vain. Christ died for our sins was buried and on the third day was raised from the dead according to the scriptures . What he can do? Rom 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation to everyone who believes. What he brings? Rom 3:22 a righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
This is how we receive it through the gospel message as we receive and exercise saving faith when we believe on the lord Jesus as Saviour and lord.
Personal application:
• Fourteen years ago I knew a man with no real purpose and no hope , a wasted life , without the love of a father, unable to hold down lasting relationships, abused his own body with drink and drugs for many years , his life had been a wreckage, if truth be known. But he kept trying to sort out his life, by himself. Until one day he heard about Christ crucified......God the father so loved him that he sent his one and only son into the world that if he believed in him he would not perish and could receive eternal life, starting today.
• What happened to that young man? God opened up his heart he received and exercised saving faith as he believed in the lord Jesus Christ. And now he has a changed life instead of trying to improve his own life, he is solely and wholly trusting in God and his promises and his life has never been the same since.
• How do I know? Because I am that young man. And what he has done for me and others in this chapel – he can do for you! No matter how old or young you are. If you exercise saving faith by believing on the lord Jesus Christ as saviour and lord you too will be saved today!
What are the ingredients of saving faith? It involves a personal attachment and a dependence (trust) upon Christ. Saving faith is not just knowledge or just a belief in God although both are necessary, its putting that knowledge and belief into action and trusting that Jesus who can forgive your sins and give me eternal life.
Saving faith is knowing, believing and personally trusting
• Imagine a ship crossing the atlantic filled with people and in the middle of the ocean there is an explosion. Many people die, but a number are still alive.
• They begin to run to the lifeboats. The 1st man though doesn’t know about the lifeboats so he doesn’t get aboard. He doesn’t have knowledge, so he is not saved.
• The 2nd man he knows about the life boat and believes it will save his life, but he is so grief stricken over seeing his wife killed, he chooses not to go aboard and dies with his wife. He has knowledge and belief, but is not saved. Others on board have the knowledge about the lifeboat, and believe the lifeboat will save them and they get into the boat and are saved, through faith.
• However it is not their faith that saves them it is the boat.
This means we have to come to him and exercise faith by trusting in Christ to be saved. Jhn.6.37. All who come to me I will not cast out. Jhn7.37.if anyone thirsts let him come to me. Matt11.28-30. Come to me all who heavy laden and burdened and I will give you rest. It simply involves receiving him. Jhn1;12, to all those who receive him he gives them the right to become children of god.
And trust him in all our ways... Prv 3:5 trust in the lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.
3. Saving faith is set apart because its sure and certain . Heb 11: 1 12:1-12.
What faith is not…. The world sees faith as an irrational commitment to something in spite of strong evidence to the contrary. An irrational decision to believe in something, which we are quite sure, is not true. A huge leap of faith into the dark............. The world thinks it revolves around facts and that faith futile.
We often hear the word faith banded around in the most perplexing of circumstances you might hear people say just keep the faith , to encourage them to go on despite it all.
• Like the football supporters at Ipswich town at this moment in time who are saying keep the faith in their manager Roy keane despite them continually drawing and losing football games…….
Then there is religious faith where devotees are called men and women of faith - their faith is in their particular belief systems for instance Muhammad ali is a man of Islamic faith.
We must not confuse saving faith with this type of religious faith either. The world just puts us all together (multi faith) but were not, there is a clear distinction. Although there are people within Christianity with a mere religious faith.
Religious faith will always lack assurance and testimony of God’s grace in their lives it will be unsure and uncertain and so will continuing to be striving to earn Gods approval.
Muhammad Ali was once asked what his faith meant to him. Ali replied: "[it] means [a] ticket to heaven. One day we’re all going to die, and god is going to judge us, [our] good and bad deeds. [if the] bad outweighs the good, you go to hell; if the good outweighs the bad, you go to heaven. [im] thinking about the judgment day and how you treat people wherever you go. Help somebody through charity, because when you do, its been recorded. Reader digest 2001.
Here is religious faith full of works orientated salvation unsure and uncertain, have they ever done enough and on the Day of Judgment religious faith will be exposed.
Matt 7:21- 23. Jesus talks about exposing the religious that have no relationship with Him on that day (day of judgment) only our acceptance of him and our obedience to him will matter . Many men and women of faith think that if they are good and be and do religious things they will be rewarded with eternal life – they are sadly deceived.
Saving faith has much assurrance in contrast ………. Michael Faraday, the great scientist, was taken ill. And it became evident his sickness that had come upon him would soon result in his death, a group of fellow scientists came to see him--not so much to talk about science as to talk about death. One of them said to him: "Mr. Faraday, what are your speculations about your future?" with evident surprise to them he replied: "speculations! I have none. I am resting on certainties." then he quoted 2 tim. 1:12: "for I know whom i have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."
How do you see your faith? ......., is it irrational, a leap in the dark ? Is it a religious faith always strivings to be made right by your self righteous acts? Or is it as described here (Heb. 11:1). Sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.....
To me these verses really flesh out a week after the resurrection. That moment when the resurrected lord Jesus meet Thomas jhn 20 - 24 – 29 Jesus said to him, “have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those have not seen and yet believed.”
This is saving faith, sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. These people who believe are exercising saving faith - they have the knowledge and believe in Jesus as savior and resurrected lord, although they have not seen him, unlike Thomas (doubts) who needs more evidence.
A few years ago, the police in phoenix, Arizona, found a three-year-old lad walking down the street. They figured he was big enough to at least partially identify himself. The desk sergeant kindly asked, “what is your name, sonny?” “Baloney!” Declared the youngster. “Please,” the sergeant pleaded, “tell me your real name.” “Baloney” was the reply. They tried bribes, but nothing worked. The mystery lad ate a candy bar and refused to change his story.
In the process of time, a lady called, voice quivering and filled with anxiety; to ask the police to help her find her lost son. Assuring her that he had already been found, the inquisitive officer asked, “What is his name, madam?” “Baloney,” replied the woman. The police had knowledge, but they did not believe it, they did not accept the knowledge they had as true until they were confronted with the truth.
Thomas had the knowledge and he didn’t believe it until he meet the risen lord yet others have the knowledge and believe it and trust in Christ. They have a saving faith the same saving faith as Thomas comes to receive. (jhn20:28). “My Lord and my God!”
To posses a faith which is sure and certain... Means we need to have a beginning point and an ending point to our faith.
• Like partakers in a marathon - we know it’s got a beginning point (the start) and that where we start from but as yet they cannot see the finishing line but we know one exists..... And we will reach the (the finishing line) if we keep running the race and not drop out and give up!
Our starting point is found in God our saviour and Lord Jesus Christ...... Heb 12:1- 2let us fix our eyes upon Jesus the author and perfector of our faith.......
In his character - that he is who he says he is and has done what he said he would do.....
In his promises - that he will do what he promises to do.
Although as yet we have not fully entered into all those promises we are certain of what we do not see. One day all those promises will come to fruition and we will be completed and perfected in christ.
In the meantime he has not left us alone, but has given us his word and abiding Spirit in our lives.
This is saving faith, set apart from the worlds faith and religious faith because its sure and certain, it perseveres, it finishes the race, .because Jesus Christ is the author and perfector of our faith.
To recap:
Saving faith is set apart because faith is a divine gift of god. (eph2:8) God opens up our hearts (acts 16:15) to receive the message and believe. Faith comes through hearing a message (the gospel) Christ crucified (rom 10:17) in this message there is power (rom 1:16) people respond by faith. This comes through believing the content of the message, believing in Christ as saviour and lord. Here saving faith is differentiated from religious faith which is simply religious activity, “humanity trying to get to God, rather than god coming to humanity in the person and work of Christ.”Finally saving faith will be characterised by a sure and certain hope (heb 11:1) that we are his and that one day soon we will be perfected in Christ forever., the author and perfector of our faith (heb12:2).
Amen
