Introduction 

Up to this point, the articles on faith have looked at what faith is without really giving a solid definition. Our working definition for these articles is: Faith is the rational, confident trust in the revealed character and words of the all-knowing, perfect and good God which always results in joyful submissive obedience to the commands of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That is a rather long definition which we will continue to explore and unpack over the next several articles. 

The last article looked at the rational nature of this trust in God since fallible man can neither be the source nor object of such a necessary faith. We also looked at the foundational nature and total dependability of this faith. In this article, we will examine how someone acquires this supremely important faith.

Source of Faith

The book of Romans is a wonderful exposition on the nature of the gospel and the righteousness of God both in His judgment and His forgiveness. Paul spends much of his time pointing out how everyone is guilty of sin. Jew and Gentile, religious and pagan, those with and those without the Word of God, all mankind is equally guilty of breaking God’s law. This is evident by the fact that we all receive the same judgment: death. 

Romans 3:19-20 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Since our best works are bloody rags of disgusting filth (Isaiah 64:6) and result in death (Romans 6:23), then there is no hope of salvation in our own words, deeds, or thoughts. We all stand guilty before the great Judge of the Universe. Just as we are all guilty for the same reason (sin) and face the same judgment (death), there is the same hope of forgiveness for all of us. “There is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:12-13). 

Paul then asks a series of questions. How can people ask for forgiveness from a God they don’t believe? How can they believe on a God they don’t know? How can they know about God unless someone tells them? Paul gives his most wonderful answer in Romans 10:17: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Faith then is not something we work up in ourselves. It is not the strength of our feelings. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God. Faith is believing what God has said about Himself and about us.

Object of Faith

Faith clearly comes from God which again is shown in Paul’s book to the Ephesians. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Salvation from our sins and God’s judgement comes by grace through faith. It is the actions of Jesus Christ that appease the wrath of God on our behalf (1 John 2:2). Christ paid the judgement that we deserved by becoming a sacrifice for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). So what exactly do we need to believe that Jesus Christ did for us in order to receive this gift of salvation?

In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul summarizes the gospel, the good news of what Jesus Christ did on our behalf. “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” Jesus Christ, God in the flesh (John 1:14), lived a perfect life. In John 8:29b, Jesus said: “He [God the Father] has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” Twice during Christ’s life on earth, the Father spoke from heaven declaring that He was “well pleased” with Christ (at the baptism in Matthew 3:17 and at the transfiguration in Matthew 17:5). Since death is the judgment on sin and Jesus Christ never sinned, then why did Jesus Christ have to die?

Peter helps us understand this important truth. In 1 Peter 2:22, Peter reminds us that “He [Jesus Christ] committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” Just 2 verses later, he tells us plainly that “He himself [Jesus Christ] bore our sins in his body on the tree [the cross], that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). In the last gospel written, John tells us his reason for his book: “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). However, as Paul explained back in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, our faith is not in only the life and death of Jesus Christ but also in His resurrection.

In Romans 1:4, Paul makes it clear that the resurrection of Jesus Christ proves that He is indeed the Son of God, that He is God. The resurrection of Jesus Christ also proves His power to save from sin. 1 Corinthians 15:17 says, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”

Proof of Faith

Since there are different types of faith, how does someone know if he or she has the right type of faith? This is one of the most important questions in the history of the world. Biblical faith goes far beyond just mental assent to the information of the gospel. It is more than just acknowledging truth as though entrance to God’s forgiveness is by getting a good grade on a Bible Quiz as opposed to being by grace through faith. James is rather blunt when he makes this clear. James 2:19 says, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe–and shudder!” So, demons, who are clearly not saved nor ever will be, know who God is. They have correct facts about Him and about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They even have a correct emotional response to the Lord Jesus Christ.. They “believe and tremble” as the KJV puts it. So then what is the difference?

In James 2:17, he tells us, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Many people struggle with the book of James and specifically the second chapter. We have already seen from Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are not saved by works but by faith alone. So then why does James tell us “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24)? Many people envision a battle between Paul’s teaching of salvation by faith alone and James’ teaching of salvation by faith plus works. However, because of inspiration, we know that both men were writing not of their own will but by the will and direction of the Holy Spirit. “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).  So how can these seemingly contradictory statements both be true?

James gives a clue in chapter 2 verse 14: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” Notice James’ question. “Can that faith save him?” Can that type of faith save? James understands what the previous article on faith showed: there are more than one type of faith, but only one type of faith saves. James is asking which type of faith is the correct type? Which is the saving type of Biblical faith? The demons clearly don’t have it. But do you?

What is the evidence of the correct type of faith? James hammers the answer home in four verses. “Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?” (James 2:20). “You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works” (James 2:22). “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24). “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26). The evidence of true, Biblical saving faith is that true faith always results in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are saved by grace through faith alone and not by works, but true faith never stays alone for it always produces works. Faith which never produces obedience never produced salvation. 

Paul understood and taught this same truth. Over and over in Romans 6, Paul teaches us that our union into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ results in our freedom from sin. In verse 2, he asks “How can we who died to sin still live in it?” In verse 7, he says, “For one who has died has been set free from sin.” Earlier in this article, we looked at Ephesians 2:8-9 which tells us that salvation is by grace through faith and not from works. In the next verse, Paul then teaches the same thing that James did, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). 

Conclusion

This is not saying that every believer will always be obedient. However, there should be, must be a progressive growth in obedience as we are conformed into the very image of our Savior (Romans 8:29, Romans 12:1-2). Remember, that in the parable of the sower, it was not those with roots, stems or leaves that proved to be true believers, but only those plants which grew fruit, which produced the same substance as the seed. The seed is the Word of God, and true Biblical faith will produce in us a life which demonstrates obedience to that same Word.

Faith is the rational, confident trust in the revealed character and words of the all-knowing, perfect and good God which always results in joyful submissive obedience to the commands of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

However, we should not think that once a person is saved by grace through faith that his or her need for faith is over. Instead, their life of faith is just beginning. So, how does a believer continue in faith, grow in faith? We will examine those questions in the next article on faith.