Weekly Devotional 5-26-14 How Does One Come to Have Saving Faith?
How does a person come to have saving faith? An important question for sure! Saving faith is against the nature of man. In the Garden of Eden Eve was led to believe that she and Adam would not die should they take of the forbidden fruit. Adam also bought into this deception (Genesis 3:1-6), shown when they both took of the forbidden fruit. The consequence was that they did die toward God and immediately they thought to cover their sense of guilt by their own invention (Genesis 3:7-10). From that time until the present, those who accept the existence of God have, by self-invention, tried to appease God. Satan, the deceiver of Genesis 3, is still about his diabolic work leading mankind to believe that they can find a right standing before God by self-effort. Scripture (God’s word, the Bible) emphatically says something quite different.
We read that in the Garden God did not accept Adam and Eve’s invention, but by His own hands He made a way for them to continue to live physically (for a time). He also provided the means by which they were restored spiritually (Genesis 3:21). His provision was and still is the provision which allows a term of physical life to all, and is the guarantor of spiritual restoration to those who turn from self invention to Him. That extender of physical life and the guarantor of spiritual life is God Himself. John the Apostle, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tells us that God took upon Himself the flesh of man (John 1:14). The writer of Hebrews tells us why. His flesh (body) was sacrificed to satisfy the justice of God (Hebrews 10: 1-18). The blood of the animal shed to obtain the skin to cover Adam and Eve’s shame (sin) looked forward to God’s sacrifice of Himself. That sacrifice was and is applicable to all who turn to Him.
This is all well and good some might say, but what has to happen that I might believe this, that I might come to have saving faith? There are two sides to the answer. John was led to write, “God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting (spiritual) life” …and rebirths new spiritual life in those who turn to Him (John 3:16; John 3:3-8). This is God’s side. Man on the other hand is to seek after Him. A clear understanding of the Gospel is essential for a person to believe and receive the good news of Jesus Christ. His death on the cross was the only sacrifice required to remove our sins, but such an understanding does not come apart from the Scriptures. This means a required, committed, and diligent search (study).
Secondly, a definite decision must be made, a decision of forsaking self-effort (self-invention) to accepting and committing to God’s provision, Jesus Christ. Believing about Jesus Christ is not enough. A believing in and committing to Him is the saving factor; a believing in and commitment that produces action. A man or woman of faith chooses to surrender to Christ, embraces the Word of God, and lives fully for the Lord. True believers will put self desires aside to follow and serve the Lord. Jesus said, “37He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:37-39 NKJV ).
There are many today that believe they have saving faith, but relegate Jesus to the back seat, so to speak. However, Jesus said that unless He has preeminence in one’s life, one is not a true follower. James, having come to saving faith himself, was led to write, “22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does….14What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 1:22-25 .… 2:14-18 NKJV).
Saving faith produces action. In truth, saving faith is God’s work in and through us. The Apostle Paul wrote, “10 We are His (God’s) workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV).
It is quite possible that where there are no works, there is no Spirit.
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Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man