What Does it Mean to be Saved? It Means to Have Faith

Romans 1:15-17  "So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For therein is  the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith."
 
There are certain things that a Christian believes and does and if you don't believe and do those things you are not a true Christian.  The gospel defines what a Christian is.    A profession does not define a Christian, nor does love, but truth. God's word defines a Christian.  Salvation is what God says it is, salvation is God's way of saving sinners.  Previous in this series are the topics of being born again, conviction of sin and confession of sin, and then repentance, how important it is to turn away from sin and to God.  These are the minimum you must believe to be a Christian.

Faith follows repentance. 
"Repent and believe"  Salvation is like  a wonderful cake made of different ingredients but when they are all put together you have one cake.  There are certain parts of salvation that affect our lives: being born again, conviction of sin, confession of sin, repentance, faith, holiness, perseverance, these affect our lives. And there are parts that affect our legal standing:  justification, sanctification, reconciliation, atoned for, these are the things of salvation.  Its because salvation is so wonderful that so many words are needed and used to describe it because salvation does so much for us.  You can't describe it in one word.  There is the legal aspect: we are declared righteous, there is relationship: we are adopted into God's family, there is the comfort angle: we are forgiven, there is the sense of value angle: we are so precious that we were redeemed and purchased by the blood of Christ, God's son.



Christians believe in faith.
What is the meaning of biblical faith?  There is one Greek word and it means belief and trust or confidence.  Its not belief in something, it is belief and trust.  Not just believing the facts that those things did happen, it is not enough to just believe that they happened to save you.  Belief means belief and trust in the Christ, in a person.  Demons believe about Jesus, they know he lived, but its head knowledge, they don't love Christ, they don't trust him, they don't have faith in him.  Faith affects your mind.  True faith is appropriating Christ.  You take the person you are trusting and you take it for yourself.  You take and use and trust in.  It affects your will.  I not only believe that what Christ said is true, but I trust in Him for myself.  I believe in Him, I trust and depend on him as my Saviour and my life.  Here is an example to illustrate the difference between belief and faith.  A tightrope walker could walk a tightrope but then he got a wheelbarrow and he asked the crowd if they believed he could put someone in a wheelbarrow and walk across the tightrope...  they agreed he could,  but when he asked for a volunteer no one would get in.  that wasn't real belief.  Believing in what someone can do and trusting in him are two different things.  You can know all things about Christ, and believe all things about Christ but if you don't trust in Christ you do not have saving faith.  Real faith knows and agrees and trusts in a person, its confidence and trust in Jesus Christ.  Many people think they are saved because they believe in their head but they do not trust in Jesus.  Faith is not just belief, faith is putting your trust in Jesus.  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

What is the extent of faith? 
Christ alone - he is the only object of saving faith.  The extent of faith is to be in Jesus Christ alone.  Christ plus nothing.  Not Christ plus church, or Christ plus tongues, or Christ plus confession to a priest.  The extent of faith is Christ alone.  Your whole life will be affected when you have faith in Jesus.   Its not once "I believed in Jesus" its every day, to the end.  Faith has a beginning but it continues on, it is a life of faith, it extends through my whole life in my actions.  James says "faith without works is dead"  not salvation by works, but faith that works.  The just shall live by faith.

What is the result of faith? 
Have you put your trust in Christ?  You are declared justified by God.  Galatians 2:16 "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."  Acts 13:39  "And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."  The result of faith in Jesus is that you are right with God.

Forgiveness is the result of faith
Acts 10:43 "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins."  Romans 3:23-25 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.."  Jesus died so we would receive remission of sins through faith in him.  You and I as a sinner can be declared legally right by God and forgiven of all our sin.

The how of faith..  how does it work? 
Faith like repentance is God's gift to every sinner who has it.  Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast."  Grace and faith is a gift from God.  Romans 12:3 "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."  God gives to each person that has faith the measure of faith they have.  Hebrews 12:2 "looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith....."   We are called to faith in Christ but we are not the origin of faith.  Faith comes to us by certain means that God uses.  There is a means he specifically uses.  Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." There is the means that God uses.. faith comes to a sinner through hearing the word of God.  There is no faith outside of God's word.  Faith comes by hearing.    2 Timothy 3:15  "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

Trust and depend upon Jesus Christ.  Christian, your faith is to last a lifetime.  It needs feeding.  2 corin 13:5 "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves..."   If you are not saved, from Abraham to this present day, there is not one person in heaven who did not have faith in Christ.  If you want to go to heaven, trust in Jesus, do not just believe in your head, but trust in your heart.  Don't just believe about Christ, but trust in him.  The whole world is founded upon the Lord Jesus.. he is the creator and the sustainer.   If your faith in Jesus is weak, or you think it is, it is Jesus who is mighty to save, it is his He that will save you and hold you, not you that will save yourself.  

The notes above were made by me from the sermon called "It Means to Have Faith" by Rev Paul Dowling of Whiteabbey Congregational (Reformed).  Here is the link:

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=61409161422