Responding to God's Truth

"The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:17

Have you ever wondered what is faith? Often times when faith is described it comes across as believing something to be true even though you have little to no idea what you believe in. As if you just clench your fists and squint your eyes hoping something is true. Or as the dictionary defines faith, "belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof.” When it comes to Christianity, we sometimes don't offer anything much different. As one online definition put it, "According to the Bible, faith is belief in the one, true God without actually seeing Him." I get that to one extent. After all, Jesus Christ said, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29).” Yet, Jesus said this to Thomas who was doubting His resurrection. Jesus had only died about a week earlier and up to this point in history nobody, other than those that Jesus Himself brought back from the dead, had been resurrected. So, Thomas' lack of faith is understandable. However, when it comes to our daily lives most Christians will say we have faith in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished for us, but it is everything else we believe on top of that which cancels out what we say we have put faith in. Look at certain topics that people describe as the hallmarks of our Christianity; forgiveness, salvation, and grace. The best definition of faith I've heard is that "faith is our response to the truth God has revealed to us." Using that definition, let's look at those three topics.

Nearly every Christian will agree that Jesus Christ died to take away our sins. If you ask them, "Are you forgiven of all your sins, past, present, and future?" you will hear, "Yes," nearly every single time. However, many of those same people will nullify that belief by their actions. If you followed up that question with, "What do you do when you sin?" the answers will vary depending on the individual. You will hear them mention things like, "I ask God to forgive me." Others will say, "I go to confession often." Even others will suggest they keep "short accounts," say a "prayer of forgiveness" and so on. Yet, these people don't realize they are living in double-mindedness. The Bible says that God is "not counting people's sins against them (2 Corinthians 5:19)," and that "Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them (Romans 4:8)." There are more verses like this. Given the fact that we are already forgiven, it is not an act of faith to continue to ask God to forgive sins He is not counting against us. Therefore, faith says, "Thank you," to God for the forgiveness we have received. When we sin, instead of asking God to forgive us, we acknowledge that our sin is so terrible it deserves the death of God as payment and thank Him that He, in Christ, died in our place. This is how we are able to confidently approach God in our time of need when grace and mercy are what we require most.

Can you lose your salvation? While there are those who say you can, I believe there are more that will say you cannot, but that you can "lose fellowship" with God or He will "punish" us for our sins. While this is often tied to a misunderstanding of forgiveness, what does the Bible say? First off, salvation is the restoration of the life of God lost when Adam sinned. Adam disobeyed God and died spiritually when God removed His Holy Spirit. All mankind is born spiritually dead; alive to the world, but dead to God. Jesus Christ died to take the penalty for our sins and rose from the dead to offer the Holy Spirit, the life of God, back to mankind. Once you accept Jesus Christ, you are born again, having the life of God restored to you for eternity. A life you will never lose because there is no sin God counts against you that would require Him to remove it. Therefore, you cannot lose salvation because you cannot lose eternal life. Can you lose fellowship instead of eternal life? The Bible says, "God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Corinthians 1:9)." Will God punish you? The Bible says, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:18)." The answer to both questions is a resounding, "No!" If you could lose your salvation, fellowship with God, or be punished by Him because of sin or poor behavior, when would you truly have any of these things? A response of faith is to believe that nothing "in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39)."

What is the oldest sermon given in the Bible? Surprisingly, it is the message Satan delivered to Eve in the Garden of Eden. Satan said, "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5).” Today, in nearly every church a variation of this message is given to Christians as if it has come from the mouth of God. Although, it is cloaked in religious-sounding language like you must be "obedient" and "repentant." In order to obey and repent, you must define what is good and evil. Obey that which is good. Repent from that which is evil. And receiving blessings and cursings accordingly depending on your ability to live this way. This is living life under the law; whether it is the law of God or the law of men. For many Christians living this way is said to be living under grace because they think that without laws there would be nothing to restrain our sinful flesh. But, what does the Bible say? The Apostle Paul said, "So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian (Galatians 3:24-25)." Living under the law is living as though you are a lost person needing to be shown your sinfulness and need for the forgiveness of God and the restoration of His life. But, Christians, under grace, live by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ for us and His resurrected life in us. Grace is allowing Jesus Christ to live the Christian life for us because He is the only one that can. Faith doesn't work, it rests!

Therefore, when the Bible says that the righteous live by faith, think of it as saying, "Those who are right with God because of His forgiveness, His life, and His grace will live their lives in response to this truth." It is not an act of faith to ask for or live in pursuit of, those things which you have freely been given by our God through your faith in Jesus Christ.