FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS (10):

Saving Faith

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   Hebrews 11:6a

 

But without faith it is impossible to please him…

 

1.    Faith is essential.

2.    Without faith, man cannot please God.

 

B.   Romans 5:1-2

 

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:  by whom also we access by faith into this grace wherein ye stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

 

1.    Faith is essential.

2.    Without it, man cannot be justified.

3.    Without it, man cannot have peace with God.

4.    Without it, man cannot have access to the grace of God.

5.    Without it, man cannot rejoice in hope.

 

C.   John 3:16

 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

1.    Faith is essential.

2.    Without it, man will perish.

3.    With it, man can have everlasting life.

 

D.   The title of our lesson this morning is:  “Foundational Truths:  Saving Faith.”

 

I.             THE DEFINITION OF FAITH

 

A.   Lexicons:  persuasion, credence, moral conviction (of a religious truth), reliance upon Christ for salvation

 

B.   Synonyms:  trust, belief, confidence, assurance, acceptance, reliance

 

C.   We see this trust and confidence and conviction, when men affirm that God “will” do certain things.

1.    Abraham to Isaac (Gen. 22:8)

 

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering…

 

2.    Joseph to his brethren (Gen. 50:24)

 

And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die:  and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

 

3.    David to Saul (1 Sam. 17:37)

David said moreover, the LORD that delivered me out of the paw of lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine…

 

D.   This firm confidence is not a leap in the dark.  It is not a faith that is built upon sand.  It has firm substance and solid evidence (Heb. 11:1).

 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

 

II.           THE FOUNTAIN OF FAITH

 

A.   The blessings of God flow forth from the fountain of faith.

 

B.   Three examples in Matthew gospel.

1.    Jesus heals a man sick of the palsy (Matt. 9:2).

 

And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed:  and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

 

2.    Jesus heals the woman with an issue of blood (Matt. 9:22).

 

But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.  And the woman was made whole from that hour.

 

3.    Jesus heals a woman’s daughter who was vexed with a demon (Matt. 15:28).

 

Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith:  be it unto thee even as thou wilt.  And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

 

C.   There are some blessings that God has bestowed upon man that require no faith at all. 

1.    Most of them involve God’s providential care of man.

2.    Example:  God sends the rain on the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45).

 

D.   God’s spiritual blessings, however, spring from a fountain of faith in the heart of the believer.

1.    Salvation (Ex., The Philippian jailor, Acts 16:30-31)

 

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.

 

2.    Prayer (Jam. 1:5-6)

 

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering:  for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven of the wind and tossed.

 

III.         THE ACTION OF FAITH

 

A.   Faith involves having confidence and trust in facts (John 8:24).

 

I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins:  for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

 

1.    A fact that all must believe in order to be saved is that Jesus is He.  “…for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

a.    We must believe that He is the Son of God.

b.    We must believe that He is God.

c.    We must believe that He the Messiah.

2.    NOTE:  Saving faith is not based upon confidence in facts alone (Ex., the devils believe, Jam. 2:19).

 

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well:  the devils also believe, and tremble.

 

a.    Ask any of Satan’s angels whether or not they believe there is a God.  They will answer in the affirmative.

b.    Ask any of Satan’s angels whether or not they believe Jesus is the Son of God.  Again, they will answer in the affirmative.

c.    Faith only is NOT the basis of saving faith (Jam. 2:24).

 

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

 

B.   God has always wanted man to manifest his faith in order for him to receive His blessings. 

1.    The way man presents his faith is through obedience to the commands of God.

2.    Hebrews 11 is a chapter in the Bible that proves this point.

a.    “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice…” (Heb. 11:4)

b.    “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, and prepared an ark to the saving of his house…” (Heb. 11:7).

c.    “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed…” (Heb. 11:8).

d.    “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac…” (Heb. 11:17).

e.    “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents…” (Heb. 11:23).

f.     By faith Moses:

1)    Refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter (Heb. 11:24)

2)    Choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God (Heb. 11:25).

3)    Forsook Egypt (Heb. 11:27).

4)    Kept the Passover (Heb. 11:28)

5)    Passed through the Red Sea as by dry land (Heb. 11:29)

g.    “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days” (Heb. 11:30).

h.    “Buy faith the harlot Rehab perished not…when she had received the spies” (be. 11:31).

3.    NOTE:  The requirement that faith is to be manifested does not nullify the grace of God.  (Ex., The city of Jericho was still God’s gift to Israel, even though they had to march around the city seven days, Josh. 6:2).

 

C.   Most in the religious world understand this principle until we apply it to God’s plan of salvation today.

1.    Faith only does not save.

2.    Faith must be manifested in obedience to God’s divine requirements.

3.    God asks man to do three things once he believes.

a.    Repent of sins (Luke 13:3).

b.    Confess the name of Jesus before men (Matt. 10:32).

c.    Be baptized in order to be save (Mark 16:16).

1)    This final step is rejected by many in the religious world.

2)    They claim that we are teaching works salvation.

3)    If Noah had to build an ark in order to be saved and this did not negate the grace of God (Gen. 6:8), then surely men can be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), and this will not make void the grace of God.

4)    NOTE:  Satan knows the plan of salvation God has revealed to man.  a)     He knows the plan must be obeyed in its entirety. 

b)    He can allow men to proclaim their faith as long as it is not manifested in obedience to God’s commands. 

c)    He knows that as long as men are in that condition, they are still lost. 

d)    He is clever isn’t he.  He allows many to manifest confidence in their salvation when they are not really saved. 

e)    This is the perfect ploy of the evil one.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   We have examined three points about faith.

1.    The definition of faith

2.    The fountain of faith

3.    The actions of faith

 

B.   My friend, you possess a confidence in God.

You believe that blessings await those who possess faith.

Have you proven your faith by obedience to the Word of God?

 

C.   Matthew 7:21

 

Not every one that saith unto me, LORD, LORD, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.