IntroductionGod made man upright (Genesis 1:26,27; Ecclesiastes 7:29). Adam and Eve lived in perfect communion with God until sin separated them from Him (Genesis 3; Isaiah 59:1,2). When sin entered the picture, something else entered: A plan to save man. To the serpent, God said, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). Sin made salvation necessary.
God purposed man’s salvation: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:3-6).
In order to save man from sin, God sent His Son (John 6:38), born of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 2), to die on the cross (1 Peter 3:18). The Holy Spirit-inspired apostles and prophets made this known to a lost and dying world (John 16:13; Colossians 1:6). Not only did they make known God’s gift to sinful men, but revealed that men have a part in their salvation (Ephesians 2:8,9). Salvation has been provided by God’s manifold grace, but must be accepted by men, through the knowledge of and obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16; Hebrews 5:8,9). Which obedience involves man in believing what the Holy Spirit revealed (Ephesians 3:1-6; John 8:24; Hebrews 11:6).
Many passages teach that man is saved by faith (John 3:16; John 3:36; John 5:24; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 5:1,2; Mark 16:16). In Romans 1:16,17, Paul quoted Habakkuk 2:4 “…The just shall live by faith.” While the two statements differ slightly, they both affirm that faith is involved in man’s being just. The Majority Text reads, “The just by faith shall live.” I prefer this reading. It is the natural flow of the words and it places the emphasis on the nature of man’s relation to the salvation process. That man is saved (justified, sanctified, reconciled) through a SYSTEM of faith, not a system of works. From Romans four we learn that Abraham could not be justified through a system of works. How then was he just before God? Abraham believed God and that faith was made evident through years of faithful service (Genesis 15:1-6; Hebrews 11:8-19; James 2:20-24). Abraham depended on, believed in, and walked by Divine Revelation.
The Problem Of SinSin is universal (Romans 3:23; Ecclesiastes 7:20). It had its origin in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) and its consequences are still with us (Genesis 2:17; Isaiah 59:1,2; Genesis 3:16-24). The most serious consequence of sin is spiritual death (separation from God, Isaiah 59:1,2; Romans 6:23).
Man is not capable of dealing with his sins without the help of God. In Matthew 16:24-28, Jesus dealt with this problem: In verse 27 He said, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Jesus was not saying that one soul is worth more than all the world. What He was saying is that if a man could have all power, popularity, money, etc. which the world offers, he still could not redeem one soul. “…ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot…” (1 Peter 1:18,19). Material things are not in the medium of exchange when it comes to the soul of man. Turn that around. What happens when a person tries to sell, or trade, his child? People have been known to offer their children in payment. People get in trouble with the law of the land for doing such things. Why? Is it because what they want is worth more than a child? No! It is because a human being is not in the same medium of exchange as a material object.
Since man is spiritually destitute, “…God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son…that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man…that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh…” for in Him “…we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace…” for “…without shedding of blood is no remission” (John 3:16; Hebrews 2:9; 1 Peter 3:18; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:22).
The Gospel Is A System of Grace And Faith“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins….For by grace ye are saved through faith…” (Ephesians 2:1,8). “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11). “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they” (Acts 15:11). Paul testified of the “…gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). Our salvation is dependent upon the rich provisions of the grace of God: (1) Jesus and His death (Hebrews 2:9), (2) the gospel (Acts 20:24) which was revealed by the Spirit of God (2 Timothy 3:16,17; 1 Corinthians 2), (3) the church which Jesus obtained through the shedding of His blood (Acts 20:28), and (4) the spiritual blessings that are in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
After showing that all men sin (Romans 1-3), and that man cannot save himself (Romans 4), Paul wrote, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom we also have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the Glory of God” (Romans 5:1,2). This system of grace and faith is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Principle Upon Which God Deals With ManIn all of God’s dealings with men, there is an underlying principle. What is it? (1) God speaks, (2) man hears, (3) man believes, (4) man obeys, and (5) God blesses. Consider examples from both testaments: (1) Noah: (a) God told Noah to build an ark (Genesis 6:14), (b) Noah heard God, (c) Noah believed God (Hebrews 11:7), (d) Noah built the ark (Hebrews 11:7; Genesis 6:22), and (e) God blessed Noah by saving him from the punishment which came on that wicked world (1 Peter 3:20). (2) The blind man: (a) Jesus told the blind man to go wash (John 9:7), (b) he heard Jesus, (c) he believed, (d) he washed (John 9:7), and (e) Jesus opened his eyes (John 9:7).
In each case, God spoke, man heard, man believed, man obeyed, and God blessed. Man has never pleased God before hearing Him, believing Him, and obeying His word. In every dispensation, God has operated by this principle and every man who has been blessed has been blessed because he did what God commanded.
Consider some lessons to be learned from the healing of the blind man in John chapter nine. (1) The blind man was healed by the grace, goodness, and power of God. (2) The healing was above the power of man. (3) Jesus revealed that he was to go wash. (4) Though his healing was a matter of grace on God’s part, yet he had to do what Jesus said. What if he had done something else? He would have still been blind. (5) the blessing (sight) came after the man heard, believed, and obeyed God.
Faith In The Blood“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11). “Yet it pleased the Lord to…make his soul an offering for sin…” (Isaiah 53:10). “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…” (Romans 3:24,25). The basis on which God can forgive sins is the blood of Christ. However, man must have faith in that blood. Faith in the blood is brought about “…by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17) for “…we preach, and…ye believed” (1 Corinthians 15:11).
A Misconception Of When Faith SavesThe Bible teaches that faith saves. The religious world is divided over when faith saves. Some believe faith saves the alien sinner from all past sins (and some would say all future sins) the moment he believes, without any further acts of obedience. Others believe the sinner’s faith must lead him to further acts of obedience before he is saved from his alien sins.
Does the Bible teach that an alien sinner is saved from all past sins the moment he believes? No!! (1) Jesus gave power “…to become sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:11,12). The believer has power to become a son of God. The moment an alien sinner becomes a believer he is not yet a son of God. Can you imagine a saved person who is not a son of God, not in the family of God? (2) In Acts 2:36-38, believers were told to “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins….” Here were believers still in their sins. (3) Saul of Tarsus was a believer on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:6). When Ananias came to him he was still a sinner. A believer in Christ still a sinner? Yes! Ananias said to him, “…arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). (4) If salvation comes at the point of faith, then the demons are saved. “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19). The devils believed Jesus was the Son of God for they confessed Him to be the Son of God (Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34). Were the devils saved? No. (5) If one is saved at the moment he believes, he is saved with an unavailing faith. The faith that avails is the faith that works by love (Galatians 5:6). (6) If one is saved the moment he believes, then Jesus did not know it for He said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved…” (Mark 16:16). (7) And Peter did not know it for he said, “…baptism doth also now save us…” (1 Peter 3:21). (8) If one is saved the moment he believes, he is saved without being in Christ for one is baptized into Christ after he believes (Galatians 3:26,27). Remember salvation is in Christ (2 Timothy 2:10), out of Christ there is no hope (Ephesians 2:11,12). (9) If one is saved the moment he believes, he is saved without being a member of the body of Christ, for one is baptized into it after he believes (1 Corinthians 12:13). Since the body is the church (Ephesians1:22,23), he would also be saved without being a member of the church of Christ (Romans 16:16). (10) If one is saved the moment he believes, he is saved by an imperfect faith for faith is made perfect by works (James 2:22-24). (11) If one is saved the moment he believes, he is saved by a dead faith (James 2:26).
Saving Faith Works“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love” (Galatians 5:6). Faith without works is dead (James 2:24-26). Faith that does not act is dead. Faith that produces no fruit is dead. A dead faith cannot please God.
Notice what God-pleasing faith did in the long ago. (1) “By faith Noah…prepared an ark…” (Hebrews 11:7). (2) “By faith Abraham…obeyed; and he went out…By faith he sojourned in the land of promise…By faith Abraham…..offered up Isaac..” (Hebrews 11:8-17). (3) “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days” (Hebrews 11:30). (4) Many know John 3:16, but have no idea what John 3:14 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up….” In Numbers chapter twenty one, when the people of God murmured against Moses, God sent fiery serpents among them and many died (Num. 21:6). In Numbers 21:8, God commanded Moses to “Make a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole; and…every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” The snake-bitten Jew had to believe and “look” to the brazen serpent. Then, he was healed. His faith led him to look.
What Does Saving Faith Lead A Sinner To Do?In Acts 2:36-41, convicted sinners asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins….Then they that gladly received his word were baptized…” (Acts 2:38-41). Saving faith led them to repentance and to baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.
In Acts 8:26-40, the eunuch asked, “…what doth hinder me to be baptized?” The answer came when Philip said, “…If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Then “…they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.” Saving faith led the eunuch to confess Christ as the Son of God and to be baptized in water.
In Acts 9, Saul of Tarsus saw Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. Saul’s faith led him to ask, “…Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” When told to go into the city and it would be told him what to do (Acts 9:6), Saul’s faith led him to go into the city. That same faith later led him to “…arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).
In the first century, saving faith led men (1) to repentance (Acts 2:38), (2) to confession (Acts 8:37), (3) to baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), and (4) to faithfulness unto death (Revelation 2:10).
ConclusionGod offers salvation through Christ. In Jesus’ death, heaven did for us, that which we could not do. This abundant salvation is received through faithful obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 5:8,9; Revelation 2:10).
It is necessary for each sinner to be taught the truth in order to produce faith (Romans 10:17). His faith must lead to repentance (Acts 17:30; Acts 2:38), to confession (Romans 10:9,10), and to baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). Upon being baptized he is a child of God, an heir of God, and joint heir with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17), added to the Lord’s church (Acts 2:47), and the recipient of all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). Truly, this is the man who has been saved by faith (Ephesians 2:1-10).
