This is a production of
World Video Bible School. To God be the glory! When discussing how to be saved from sin,
people are often told that they must have faith. That is, they must believe. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith
it is impossible to please Him.” Romans 5:1, “Therefore, having been justified
by faith, we have peace with God.” And, of course, the very well-known John 3:16,
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” I want to begin by asking this question:
What is faith? Some people have the idea that faith
is merely believing in something for which there is no evidence. For which there’s no proof;
there’s nothing to back it up. You just believe it and that’s faith. Friends, I want to tell you
that is blind faith. That’s not biblical faith. I want you to listen to the
words of Hebrews 11:1. The Bible says,
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Notice two words in this verse:
‘substance’ and ‘evidence.’ Several versions of the Bible translate the
word ‘substance’ as ‘assurance.’ One version even says,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for.” The idea of the word ‘assurance’
is not a “leap in the dark.” Assurance is based on evidence. But then you have the
second word: ‘evidence.’ Other versions of the Bible translate
this word as ‘conviction.’ Friends, the Biblical definition of faith
is an assurance--a conviction-- arrived at by examining the facts—
examining the proof. Biblical faith is confidence in spiritual things
based on an examination of the evidence. The idea of faith as being a leap in the dark
is completely the opposite of Biblical faith. Now with that definition in mind,
I want to consider again the three passages that I mentioned earlier that reference
faith with regard to salvation. Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith
it is impossible to please Him.” Romans 5:1, “Therefore, having been
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him (that is faith)
should not perish but have everlasting life.” Now here’s the question: Do these passages
teach that all that a person must do in order to be saved is to believe? That all that a person
has to do is have faith? That’s what we want
to study in this lesson. Point number two…
Point number one is “What is faith?” Point number two in this study is that
“Faith is an action word.” I want to show you that when the
Bible talks about faith, it is more than just mental assent.
It's more than mere belief. I want you to consider some passages with
me to prove that faith is an action word. Number one is Mark 2:5. In Mark 2 Jesus was teaching
in the city of Capernaum, and there were people all around him.
There's a crowd. There were four young men who were desperately
trying to get to Jesus because they had a friend who was paralyzed. He couldn’t walk.
So, they had an idea. They climbed up on the roof of the house,
and they lowered their friend down through the roof so that they could get him to Jesus. But here’s the part I want you to get. Mark 2:5 says, “When Jesus saw their faith,
He said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven you.'” Now, what did Jesus see?
Friends, what He saw was their action. What He saw was them lowering
him through the roof. But the action is called faith.
He saw their faith. What’s our point?
Our point is faith is an action word. True Bible faith involves obedience.
It involves action. Here’s a second passage I want us to consider
to prove that faith is an action word. This is John 3:16. This is a verse that people oftentimes go
to try teach salvation by faith only. Of course it says, “For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life.” I want you to consider
with me a second verse. Hebrews 5:9 says that Jesus
“became the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him.”
I want to put these verses together. John 3:16 says that eternal life
comes to those who believe. Hebrews 5:9 says that eternal life
comes to those who obey. Now, which one is it?
Do these verses contradict each other? Or, is it the case that faith is an action word
that implies--even demands--obedience? In fact, if you keep reading in John 3
and you move on past John 3:16 and you get down to verse 36,
the text says, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life;
and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life,
but the wrath of God abides on him.” Now, I want you to notice
the two words ‘believes.’ “He who believes has everlasting life...
He who does not believe shall not see life.” These are two different Greek words. The second word carries
with it the idea of obedience. In fact, a number of versions
translate it that way. The American Standard says,
“He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not
the Son shall not see life.” The New American Standard says,
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey
the Son shall not see life.” The New Century says,
“Those who believe in the Son have eternal life, but those who do not obey
the Son will never have life.” And so what is this verse
actually teaching us? Friends, it is teaching us that it is
an obedient faith that saves. One who believes, but does not obey
shall not see life. The great scholar Guy N. Woods
wrote about this passage. “To believe on the Son is to obey the Son,
‘believeth’ here signifying a faith that acts. Mental assent is not true biblical faith and
is nowhere reckoned as such. Belief…”
Now listen to this part. He says, “Belief blesses only when it leads
its possessor to obedience.” Belief blesses only when it leads
its possessor to obedience. John 13:17 says, “If ye know these things,
blessed (or happy) are ye if ye do them.” What’s the point? You see, just knowing it's not enough.
Just believing it is not enough. The blessing does not come until you do it,
until you act upon it. Faith is an action word. Here’s a third passage to illustrate that
faith is an action word. Hebrews 3:18-19. These verses are discussing God’s anger
toward the rebellious Israelites who died in the wilderness. I want you to notice what it says. “And to whom did He swear that they would
not enter His rest, but to those…” Now listen: “…Who did not obey?”
So, verse 19 says--keep listening— “We see that they could not
enter in because of unbelief.” The text makes disobedience
and unbelief equivalent to one another. In the same sense, the reverse is true:
“Obedience is equivalent to belief.” What's are point?
Faith is an action word. Here’s point four to show
that faith is an action word. It comes from the book of Romans. Romans 1:8, Paul commends
the Roman Christians and he says this. He talks about their faith. He says that it is
“spoken of throughout the whole world.” But then as he closes the book, 16:19 he says,
“For your obedience has become known to all.” What’s he saying? Your faith is known to all.
Your obedience is known to all. They’re one in the same. Number five: John 12:42.
This is to show faith is an action word. This verse says, “Nevertheless even among
the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees
they did not confess Him, lest they should be
put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men
more than the praise of God.” Friends, here is a case of individuals--
people who believed. The text says they believed they had faith,
but they did not follow through with obedience because there were some things
in their life that held them back. What was their problem? Their problem is that faith without
obedience is not saving faith. Why? Because, faith is an action word. Okay, we’ve discussed
(1) the definition of faith. We’ve discussed (2) the fact that faith
is an action word. Now I’d like to talk about
(3) the relationship of grace to faith. Friends, the Bible teaches that there are
two sides to man’s salvation. There is, of course, God’s side,
but then there is man’s side. God’s side involves His grace. Ephesians 2:8 says,
“For by grace you have been saved.” Now with that in mind,
I want you to consider another passage. Titus 2:11 says, “The grace of God that
brings salvation has appeared unto all men.” Now, here’s the question: “If the grace of God
that brings salvation has appeared to all men, then why is it that not all men
are going to be saved?” It’s a legitimate question. We keep reading in Ephesians 2:8,
and we find the answer. It says, “For by grace
you have been saved through faith.” Through faith.
Friends, that’s the other side of the equation. That’s man’s part. God’s part is His grace.
Man’s part is his faith. The word ‘grace’ there is the
culmination of everything that God has done to bring
about man’s salvation. In fact, when I say that,
what comes to your mind? What kind of things has God done
to bring about man’s salvation and to enable man to go to heaven? You say, “Well, I think about the cross of Christ.
I think about the blood that He shed. I think about the New Testament, and how the
Bible illuminates the pathway to heaven. And the fact that I can know God’s will. I think about the unraveling of the Old Testament
and all the things that happened. And how we can trace the scheme of redemption
through the Bible.” You know what? All of those things are entailed
in the word grace. Everything that God has done to bring about
my salvation is wrapped up in that word grace. Sometimes we define the word grace as
“unmerited favor.” I’m good with that.
That makes sense. I don’t merit what God has done
to bring about my salvation. And all that God has done is wrapped up in
that word grace in this verse. But we can’t stop there. We keep going, “For by grace you have been
saved through faith.” Now, the word faith is the culmination of
everything I do in response to God's offer. Grace entails everything God did. Faith entails everything I must do;
everything that is required of me. And so I am saved by
God’s grace through my faith. But how do I express that?
How do I express my faith to God? You know it’s more than just saying it. I know that because Jesus said in Matthew 7:21,
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven,
but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” James 2:26: “Faith without works is dead.” In other words, the way to express this intangible
thing that called faith is through obedience. And so He tells us what He wants us to do,
and we obey it, and that is faith. And so, here’s the point. “For by grace (that’s God’s part)
are you saved through faith (that’s our part).” Somebody says, “Well, wait a minute.
Wait a minute. Doesn’t that imply if I have a
role to play that I am saving myself? And that I could brag about it.
I could boast about that.” No. Keep reading. He says, “Not of works,
lest any man should boast.” He says, “Don’t brag about this. You bear in mind that you are
still saved by God's grace, but there’s a part that we play. It’s not about earning it.
It’s about coming to God on His terms.” The first time that the word ‘grace’
appears in the Bible is in Genesis 6. It says that the Sons of God—
that is, righteous men-- married the daughters of men—
that is, ungodly women. Godly men married ungodly women
and they had children, and their children grew up
and they were wicked. And God looked at the the earth,
and it got the point that it was a sad state. In fact, the Bible says, “Every intent of the thoughts of his heart
was only evil continually," Genesis 6:5. All that man thought about was evil.
And it repented God that He had made man. But then you have Genesis 6:8.
The Bible says, “But Noah found grace." That’s the first time the word
grace is used in your Bible. “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” I want to ask you a question:
What did grace do for Noah? What did God’s grace do for Noah? Here’s what it did.
God’s grace told Noah how to be saved. And so, God came to Noah, and He said,
“Noah I want you to build an ark, and I want you to build it out of Gopher wood;
a window; a door; pitch it within and without. 30 cubits, 50 cubits, 300 cubits.
Build it to these specifications.” And then the last verse of the chapter says
that Noah did all that God commanded him to do. Now wait a minute! Wait a minute!
I thought Noah was saved by grace! The text says that Noah
found grace in the eyes of the Lord. “Noah, what are you doing building an ark? What are you doing with a hammer?
What are you doing with a saw?” What do you call that? Can’t you just hear the hammer
and you hear the saw. And Noah's sweating
and he’s building a boat. What do you call that? Friends, the answer is found in the
New Testament in Hebrews 11:7. We know that Noah was saved from the flood
by grace because the Bible says that. The question is “Noah, what are you doing building
an ark if you have been saved by God's grace? If you’ve been saved by grace
you should have to do anything, right?” Here’s what the Bible says. Hebrews 11:7.
“By faith…” Now listen. “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of
things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household,
by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness
which is according to faith.” What do you call building an ark?
And friends, the answer is, “You call it faith.” And so, Noah was saved by grace through faith. In Hebrews 11 tells us he was saved
by faith when he built an ark. Noah was saved by grace,
through faith, just like we are. Do you suppose that when Noah
finished building the ark and the rain came-- 40 days, 40 nights--
and he got his family on there. Do you suppose that Noah bragged
to them about how he saved himself? “Yeah, I built this boat.” Don’t you think other people had boats?
But their boats went down. Friends, I’m telling you that ark didn’t float
because Noah was a great boat builder. It floated because of God’s grace. Noah didn’t have anything
to boast about and brag about. You know what the Bible
says about you and me? “For by grace are we saved through faith
and that not of yourselves.” We have to obey God—that is faith--
but even then, we’re still saved by grace. Let’s do another example.
This is from Exodus 14. The Bible says, “There arose a king
in Egypt who knew not Joseph.” That is to say, the descendants of Joseph
had been respected by the king—by the pharaoh-- in Egypt, but that no longer the case.
There’s a new king. And so, the new king of Egypt
looks out at the Hebrew people, and there’s so many of them,
and he sees them as a threat. And so he makes slaves of them.
And they live in bondage for hundreds of years. And finally, they cry out to God for mercy,
“Help us, God. Help us. Show us your grace.” And God sends a deliverer
by the name of Moses to the Israelites. And God brings plagues upon Egypt. Do you remember the water to blood
and the frogs and the lice and the flies, murrain of cattle, boils, hail, locust,
darkness, death of the firstborn. And Pharaoh—who in the beginning
had hardened his heart-- finally says to Moses,
“Just take the people and go!” And so Moses leads the people of Israel
out of Egypt. And there’s a lot of people.
I don’t know how many--maybe a million people. And they’re traveling along
and it’s slow and laborious. And Pharaoh has a change of heart,
and he decides he’s going to come after them. And so 600 chariots and footmen,
and they take off after the Israelites. And the Israelites get to the edge
of the Red Sea, and it’s huge! And they can’t cross it
and they think they’re trapped. And they look back,
and here comes the Egyptians. And the people begin to murmur against Moses,
“We could have died back there in Egypt. Why did you bring us out here to die?” Moses tells them hush,
and here’s what the Bible says. I’m in Exodus 14. I want you to listen closely,
and see the grace of God. “The Lord shall fight for you,
and you shall hold your peace.” And God says, “Moses, lift up your rod,
lift up your hand, and the waters will open." And, of course, the Red Sea opened,
and the people of Israel crossed on dry land. But when the Egyptians tried to follow,
the water crashed down and they drowned. The question is this: What do you call that? We know and no one would deny that God saved
them and that he did it by His grace— because of His grace. The opening of the Red Sea
is a manifestation of the grace of God. That’s unmerited favor.
They certainly didn’t deserve it. But what do you call the people of Israel
walking across the Red Sea? And here’s the answer: Hebrews 11:29,
“By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians,
attempting to do so, were drowned.” What do you call them walking
through the sea? Friends, the answer is you call it faith.
It was more than just belief. They actually had to do something.
But were they saving themselves? Would anybody in his right mind argue that
they had saved themselves? And I hope that by now what’s echoing in
your head are the words of Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace (that’s God’s part)
are you saved through faith (that’s our response to Him).”
That is our part. Let’s do one more.
This is Numbers 21. This is toward the very end of the
40 years of wandering in the wilderness. The children of Israel
had gotten tired of manna. And we’ve got to be careful
of this type of heart. Manna was something that God gave the people.
They didn’t earn it. God gave it to them because He was gracious. But anyway, they got to where
they didn’t appreciate it. In fact, they started to complain about always
having to eat the same thing. We’re really ingrates sometimes, aren’t we?
Friends, they’re complaining against God. And God sent serpents--snakes--
among the people and they bit the people, and they began to die. And the people began to cry to God,
and they said, “Moses, please talk to God. You’ve got to help us. We’ve sinned. We’re sorry.
Please ask God to take away the snakes.” And Moses prays before God and God says,
“Moses, this is what I want you to do. I want you to make a pole, and I want you
to make a snake out of brass and I want you to put him
on the top of the pole.” And this is very interesting because they
way God proposes to save the people is not what they had in mind. You know, people will have their own idea
about how God should save them. But you see, we don’t get to decide how
God’s grace is going to be exhibited to us. And so, God’s way was to put a brass snake
on a pole, and put it in the middle of the camp, and whenever someone is bitten by a snake,
if they will look at that pole-- look at that snake on the pole,
they would not die. Hold it a minute. Imagine someone being bitten by a snake,
and saying, “I’m not going to look at the pole. I will not look at that pole because I don’t
want to call into question the fact that God is saving me by His grace.
If I look at the pole, that would be a work. That would be me doing something
and I don’t want to communicate to God that I don’t trust his saving grace. God's going
to save me by His grace. I’m not going to look.” How would you respond to
someone who said that? Would that be reasonable?
Would that be right? You say, “No, you’re wrong about this.
You’ve got to look at the pole. Look in faith. If you believe God,
look at the pole, man!” As a matter of fact, to not look at the pole
would actually exhibit a lack of faith. What do you say to a person today who says,
“I’m not going to be baptized because that would be a work.”?
I think I would say the same thing. Don’t you see that this is God’s doing?
I can’t save myself by water. Water has no inherent power to remove sin,
except that God said to do it. Just like looking at a brass snake
has no power to cure a snake bite, except that God said to do it. How could we summarize Numbers 21? I think we could say it this way,
“For by grace were they saved, when they exercised their faith
and looked at the snake on the pole.” And friends, the same thing
is true for us today, “For by grace are we saved,
when we through faith obey God.” Faith is an action word. And as James 2:26 says,
“Faith without works is dead.” Dear friend, it is true that the Bible says
that we are saved by faith, but it never says that we
are saved by “faith only.” In fact, the only time that the words
“faith only” even appear in the Bible is in James 2:24 where it reads,
“You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” Absolutely, it is the case that faith
is necessary for a man to be saved. But you see, faith is an action word.
Faith without obedience is not Bible faith. Bible faith involves accepting God’s grace
by obedience to His commands. Titus 2:11 says that “the grace of God that
brings salvation has appeared to all men.” Why then are not all men saved? The answer is because not all men
respond in faith to accept that grace. Friend, the Bible teaches that for me to be
saved from my sins and go to heaven eternally, I must hear the gospel
and I must believe it. That is, I must have faith in what it says
to do and what it requires of me. Then, I must repent of my sins,
confess my faith in Christ, and in faith I accept God’s saving grace
by being baptized in water for the remission of my sins. Now, maybe you’re watching this lesson
and you’re struggling because you’re thinking, “Doesn’t Ephesians 2:8-9 say,
‘For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast.’?” Perhaps you’re thinking, “Baptism is a work.
It says it’s not of works.” Dear friend, John 6:28-29
also teaches that faith is a work, and yet this very verse teaches
we are saved by faith. So what’s the answer
to this seeming contradiction? The answer is very simple. John 6:28-29 says that faith
is a work of God or from God. Likewise, baptism is a work from God. I can’t be saved by works of personal merit.
But works of obedience as set forth by God? That’s not me saving myself. That’s called faith.
That’s coming to God on His terms.
