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The Need To Believe In Jesus
John R. Gentry
That faith is necessary to our salvation is rarely debated in the so-called "Christian" religious world today. Even the Presbyterians teach that it is necessary, but that God zaps us with it. Unfortunately, however, much of the "Christian" religious world does not understand everything the New Testament says about saving faith.
What is faith? "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb. 11.1). Thus faith can be clearly defined in the following ways. With reference to things unseen, faith is being completely convinced that they exist and are real! (Note: sometimes the things we hope for are things unseen, e.g., heaven.) In reference to things hoped for, faith is the complete confidence that our hopes will be realized! Saving faith is conviction regarding the unseen being of Christ, the wondrous sacrifice he made for us and the fact that he is ruling at the right hand of God as Head and Savior of the Church: all unseen! At the same time, on him rests all our hopes, for only in him are all spiritual blessings found (Matt. 16.16; Eph. 1.3).
Consider what the following passages teach concerning our need to believe in Jesus Christ: Mark 16.16 – our salvation depends on believing in Christ; John 3.16 – eternal life in heaven depends on whether or not we believe; John 8.24 – without believing in him, we will die in our sins; John 20.30-31 – faith brings life in Jesus; Acts 10.43 – remission of sins comes as a result of believing; Acts 13.39 – justified (or freed) by faith; Acts 16.31 – again, our salvation depends on believing; Rom. 1.16 – salvation is offered to those who believe; Rom. 5.1 – we are justified by faith; Gal. 2.16 – justified by faith; Eph. 2.8-10 – we are saved through faith; Heb. 11.6 – it is impossible to please God without faith.
Saving faith, contrary to denominational teaching, is a faith that is coupled with obedience (John 12.42-43; Rom. 1.5; 10.16; 16.26; Heb. 11; Jas. 2.14-26. Future articles will show how saving faith is put into action. What about you? Do you have saving faith, a faith coupled with obedience?
originally published in the Banner-Gazette
2007.10.03