And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebrews 11.6).
Introduction
The author of Hebrews defined faith:
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval (Hebrews 11.1).
The Bible declares no one can please God apart from faith. In the above definition, we learn faith is the means of perception that apprehends unseen reality. Through such perception, men and women achieved God’s approval. Why is faith so important to God?
What is Faith?
Faith, trust, and believe mean the same thing. In theology, faith means believing God or in other words, believing the Bible. God has given man three means of perception to obtain knowledge of the external world. They are rationalism, empiricism, and faith. Rationalism derives knowledge about the external world through reason. Empiricism gains knowledge about the external world through sensory perception, through taste, touch, sight, smell, and hearing. Faith obtains knowledge about the external world through authority with is beyond personal experience or reasoning.
| Means of Perception | |
| Rationalism | Trusts Reason |
| Empiricism | Trusts Senses |
| Faith | Trusts Authority |
What is Biblical Faith?
A vast difference exists between these two propositions:
| Statement | Meaning of Statement | |
| 1. | I believe in God | Mental Assent |
| 2. | I believe God | Personal Trust |
The first proposition is a statement of mental assent. It means one believes in God’s existence. No reliance, trust, or personal engagement with God is present in this statement. It is a non-personal statement about the reality of God’s existence. The second proposition, however, moves beyond intellectual assent of God’s existence. It is a statement of personal trust. When one declares that he believes God it means he trusts God. It is personal. It means one believes what God has said. This is Biblical faith. Biblical faith is personal trust in God and what He has said.
Epistemology or How We Know What We Know
Science deals with knowledge gained through our senses and reason and operates primarily through the scientific method. With the scientific method, one observes the world and formulates a hypothesis or theory. The hypothesis or theory is tested through experimentation. These results are analyzed and interpreted to see if they confirm or deny the theory. New conclusions are drawn and the process begins again. In the scientific method, data are valid if they can be observed and reproduced. If they cannot, they fall outside of the realm of science. Scientific knowledge is extremely valuable. However, valuable as it is, it occupies only a small subset of knowledge. For example, all historical knowledge falls outside of science. No scientist can form a theory and run an experiment to determine if Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon, what year he crossed the Rubicon, or even if there was a Julius Caesar. All historical knowledge is based upon authority. To possess historical knowledge requires faith for we must trust historical records. Almost all knowledge is non-scientific. I have never been to India but believe India exists. Why? Because I trust atlases, satellites, and persons who have been there. News from newspapers, television, radio, and the internet is based upon trust. We directly experience almost no news we receive through the media and no experiment can validate it. It is knowledge based on faith. Similarly, all learning begins by faith. A child begins to learn language, for example, by a parent saying “dog.” The child then says, “dog.” He learns because he trusts the parent.
What’s Special About Faith? or Why Does God Require Faith?
Answering this question is complex. It goes to the heart of the problem God had to solve to save the human race. Adam and Eve’s disobedience caused them to die spiritually (immediately) and physically (later). The Hebrew expressed this thought grammatically as an infinitive absolute: “dying you will die” (מוֹת תָּמוּת). Adam’s action plunged the human race into a condition of sin and death (Genesis 2.17; 1 Corinthians 15.22; Ephesians 2.1-3). Tragic as this was, as soon as man sinned, God began His redemptive plan (Genesis 3.15). Because the penalty of sin was death (Genesis 2.17; Romans 6.23; Ephesians 2.1-2) man was incapable of saving himself. A dead man cannot save himself from death. How then could man be saved?
God’s Dilemma
God’s character is composed of His sovereignty, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, veracity, eternal life, righteousness, immutability, justice, and love. God’s justice demanded death for sin. God’s love for man demanded his salvation–life for man. God created man in His own image (וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ, Genesis 1.27) and put His breath of life, literally, “breath of lives” (נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים) into him so he became a living being (וַיְהִי הָאָדָם, לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, Genesis 2.7). Man was God’s special creation. God loved man and desired man to live. How was this possible?
Man could live only if someone who was not dead satisfied God’s justice and paid the penalty for sin. The penalty of sin required death, i.e., the shedding of blood, since the life of the flesh is in the blood (Genesis 9.4; Leviticus 17.14; Deuteronomy 12.23; John 6.53-54; Hebrews 9.22). As early as Genesis 3.21, we read of God shedding the blood of an animal to provide animal skins to clothe Adam and Eve. This act began the requirement of animal sacrifices to cover man’s sin. It was a hint towards how God would solve the problem of sin ultimately. God replaced Adam and Eve’s feeble attempt to hide their sin with fig leaves and clothed them in animal skins and in His righteousness. For hundreds of years, God taught this fundamental truth to mankind and later to the Jews. Sin required a blood sacrifice (Hebrews 9.22) which the Jews practiced in their Levitical sacrifices. All pagan peoples practiced animal sacrifices. Even though most of the world had rejected God’s revelation they retained this fundamental knowledge. But animal deaths could never atone for sin (Hebrews 10.1). They were but a shadow or a type of a greater reality to come. They were temporary and imperfect. What man needed was a sinless man, another “Adam,” to pay his penalty of sin (1 Corinthians 15.22, 45).
This “new” Adam, was, of course, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (1 Corinthians 15.45). As God, He stepped out eternity, became a man, and died to pay man’s sin. Theologians call His work, redemption, reconciliation, justification, atonement, propitiation, redemption, etc. Each of these theological terms reveals an aspect of Christ’s salvific work. The proof Christ’s death effectively paid man’s sin was His resurrection.
Because man is spiritually dead he has no ability to save himself. He must depend upon another to regain spiritual life. Man’s dependence is expressed by faith, he must trust God. Only God has the ability to save fallen, spiritually dead, man. Man’s apprehension of God’s salvation is by faith–to trust-obey what God has revealed about salvation. That is why faith is essential.
Faith Throughout History
Faith has always been required as the means of salvation. In Romans 1.7, Paul, quoting Habakkuk the prophet (Habakkuk 2.4), wrote,
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
Hebrews 11 is an account of those who lived victorious lives, conquering the world and death, by faith.
Paul and Faith
Paul revealed a new revelation and doctrine about faith. He began his great treatise of Romans with the following introduction:
1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;
In this preface, Paul identified himself as God’s chosen apostle and defined his mission: to proclaim the gospel–that Christ died for us and rose from the dead–and to bring about “the obedience of faith” among the Gentiles. Prior to Paul, God’s attention had been on Jew only (with a few exceptions). The ascended Lord commissioned Paul, however, as “the apostle of the Gentiles” (Romans 11.13). This was a vast change of God’s program–something that had not occurred since God called Abraham, 2,000 years before. What did Paul mean by the phrase “obedience of faith” (εἰς ὑπακοὴν πίστεως)? The phrase is a genitive of apposition. It means “obedience, which is faith,” or “obedience, namely, faith.”
Faith had always been required for salvation. However, faith before Paul included works.1 In the economy under which Israel operated, under the Mosaic Law faith and keeping the Law were required for salvation. As an example, consider the Mosaic Law’s requirement for one who had sinned (Leviticus 1). The Law required the sinner to bring a sacrifice to the priest. If a person reasoned, “I believe God will cover my sin but I’m not going to bring an animal” he could not be forgiven because he had disobeyed God, i.e., he had refused to believe God regarding the necessity of the animal sacrifice. If a man reasoned, “I will bring the sacrifice because the Law demands it, but I don’t believe God will cover my sin,” this man too would not have been forgiven for he had no faith. To experience God’s forgiveness, a man had to bring a sacrifice for sin in obedience to the Law and exercise faith. Faith responds to God by believing what He had said. So under the Mosaic Law faith and works were required (a man expressed faith through works). God pounded this into the Jews’ thinking for hundreds of years. This is why Paul had such a difficult time with Jewish believers with his doctrine of salvation by faith alone. Believing Jews were adamant Paul’s converts were not saved apart from works. They insisted believing Gentiles had to be circumcised and keep the Mosaic Law to be saved (Act 15.1, 5). Paul said “no” to this–not because he was in rebellion to Judaism or the Mosaic Law but because he had received new revelation from God. This revelatory new doctrine became such a source of contention that it precipitated the necessity to resolve the matter. Thus, they gathered for the Council of Jerusalem, c. 51 A.D.
Paul received his gospel directly from the ascended Lord. He did not consult with the Twelve or anyone else (Galatians 1.1, 11-12). Because of this, Paul set his feet like a bulldog and would not give an inch. Paul’s gospel, that Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15.1-4) required no works or Law keeping. It was faith alone: faith + 0. Paul declared that any who believed his gospel was saved (1 Corinthians 15.2), became a member of the body of Christ, the Church, (1 Corinthians 12.13; Ephesians 1.22-23; Colossians 1.18), and was free from the Law and works (Romans 6.14, Galatians 5.18; Ephesians 2.15). Thus, the “obedience of faith” (genitive of apposition) meant obedience was faith alone. In other words, according to Paul’s theology (the revelation he received directly from the glorified Lord), one could not obey God unless one adhered to faith + 0. This is why Paul wrote the following to the Galatians:
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! (Galatians 1.6-9).
Note Paul wrote this after the Council of Jerusalem. In the council, Peter had declared,
10 Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are” (Acts 15.10-11).
Any who teach otherwise disobey God and are under His condemnation (Galatians 1.6-9). Paul could not have written such strong words until after the matter of his gospel of faith + 0 had been settled at the Council. In that meeting, after much dissent, Peter finally spoke up and made an astonishing declaration: Jews were now to be saved as Gentiles. From the Scriptural record, we learn few Gentiles were being saved under the ministry of Peter and the Eleven. Those who were had been commanded to be circumcised and keep the Mosaic Law. In other words, they had to live like Jews. That is why the believing Jews at the Council had been so adamant. In fairness to them, they were right. No one had told them differently. They knew nothing of the revelations Paul had received from the ascended Lord.
Paul revealed something totally new to the believing Jews in Jerusalem. The risen Lord had given to Paul, not Peter or the Eleven, the new doctrine that those who believed Paul’s gospel of grace (Acts 20.24) were saved by faith alone. No works were required and they were not under the administration of the Mosaic Law. Paul’s gospel was different from the gospel the Twelve preached. To the Jew, this was almost incomprehensible. They had been under the authority of the Mosaic Law for 1,500 years. Jesus Himself had ministered under the Law. But Peter, under the direction of the Holy Spirit recognized Paul was right. He recognized Paul’s gospel had superseded the “gospel of the kingdom” though he found these new truths difficult to comprehend even at the end of his life (2 Peter 3.14-16).2
Life is a Gift
God is the source of all life. He alone gives it. It is a gift. We cannot earn it and we clearly do not deserve it. God owes man nothing (Romans 4.2, 4-5).
God is sovereign. He makes the rules. We come His way or not at all (Matthew 7.13-14; John 14.6). If God declared one could be saved by doing 10 jumping jacks, a person would trust God by doing 10 jumping jacks. God has changed the requirements for salvation over time but the means of salvation has remained the same: faith.
At this present time, we are under the administration of Paul’s gospel (1 Corinthians 15.1-4). Salvation is obtained by faith + 0. Paul wrote:
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3.23-24).
4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness (Romans 4.4-5).
15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ (Romans 5.15-17).
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6.23).
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2.8-9).
These passages are so easy a child can understand them. They are crystal clear in their meaning. Salvation is a gift given by God simply by trusting Him: that He died for our sins and rose from the dead. If one trusts God about the work Christ did on the cross for him and rose from the dead a person is saved. Period. It is that simple.
1 The exception was Abraham. Abraham was saved apart from works, that is, by faith alone. This is why Paul chose him as an example of his doctrine of faith (Romans 4.1-5).
2 God had prepared Peter for this critical moment 13 years earlier. God foresaw the crisis Paul would face. For that reason, He orchestrated Peter to visit the Gentile Cornelius. Peter obeyed God and traveled to the house of Cornelius–dragging his feet the entire way. While Peter was getting warmed up in his message, the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and the others with him. Peter and the six Jewish believers with him were stunned. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way! These Gentiles had received the Holy Spirit without baptism, works, Law-keeping, circumcision, etc. (Acts 10.44-48). It was a faith + 0 event. However, Peter did not understand this at the time. Flummoxed, Peter commanded them to be baptized (Acts 10.47-48) since water baptism was required for salvation under the gospel of the kingdom program (Mark 1.4; 16.16).
©2012 Don Samdahl. Anyone is free to reproduce this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold.
Thank you for this website. If only christiandom new of these truths. Faith being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see. This website is exactly what I’ve been taught through the teaching of Les Feldick. One of the very few legit bible teachers found on so called christian television today although he is now retired. I thank The Lord for having His remnant available for true word of God teaching that can be found on websites such as this. Thank you again for your courage in teaching the gospel.
Jim,
Thank you for your kind words of encouragement.
I’m with Jim K. This past year I’ve “stumbled upon”, (was led to) Bullinger’s COMMENTARY ON REVELATION, then Les Feldick, (I’ve read all of his almost 11,000 pages of transcripts) and now DOCTRINE.ORG, which again I “stumbled upon”, (was led to).
Mr. Samdahl, thank you for your outstanding site. It’s incredible, and after my previous exposure to Bullinger and Feldick, I have yet to read a single word that I even question, let alone disagree with. It appears that plus Scripture I have my three witnesses.
Maranatha,
Bob
Bob,
Thank you for your encouraging words. Grace and peace!
Hi Don!
I have a question about Galatians 2:16 (KJV), and since you know Greek maybe you could shed some light on it for me.
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.
It says the faith OF Christ here twice, not IN Christ as in some other translations. Is this significant or doesn’t it matter. Did the Lord Jesus in His humanity have or need faith in His Father? I hope this isn’t a dumb question but these little things sometimes bother me. Grace and Peace
Tom,
The sense of this verse is better rendered as “the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.” The word πίστις can mean either faith or faithfulness. Here, Paul was emphasizing Christ’s faithfulness regarding His work on the cross. The next part of the verse, “even we have believed in Jesus Christ” considers the believers response to Christ’s faithfulness. A more literal translation of the passage is the following: “we know no man is justified from works of the Law but through faithfulness of Jesus Christ, and we believed in Jesus Christ, in order that we were justified from faithfulness of Christ, not from works of the Law because all flesh will not be justified from works of the Law.” Paul’s emphasis was upon the work of Christ, not our work. It is Christ work, His faithfulness, that saves us. Faith is the hand that reaches out and takes God’s gift of salvation.
That’s the way Les Feldick teaches it too and it makes perfect sense. I’m glad to have it finally settled in my mind Don.
I love coming here to study every chance I get. I’m systematically studying every topic and when I finish I’m going to start all over again.
Thanks again for all your hard work and studying on our behalf. There is so much false teaching everywhere and it seems to be getting worse and worse as we get closer to His return.
I was trying to share your site with someone on NTEB the other night and she had a fit! She called me (and you) a heretic and an “Ultra Dispensationalist”. I didn’t even know what that was so I looked it up and was still confused as to why someone would take that position on the truth. She seemed to be a true believer but it’s hard to tell sometimes.
Thanks!
Tom,
Thank you. Glad it was helpful. Tragically, this is how too many respond. Convey the truth of Paul’s unique apostleship or that he did not proclaim the same message as Jesus and the Twelve and they scream, “ultradispensationalist.” It is like shouting, “unclean” to a leper. Like most of the Jewish rulers of Jesus’ day, they love tradition more than the Scriptures. One can only pray.
Hello Don, Its amazing that many of your readers have had the same experiences that Vernon and I had regarding sharing the truth with others. Reading Toms replies brings us such joy that there are those who hunger for the truth. As you know we are also babes in Christ when it come to the truth though we have been saved for over 30 years. The word is like a healing balm and washes over us daily. Vernon has been diagnosed with cancer. He quotes 2 Timothy 1 verse 12 and when he does I smile at him as we know what it means. We have peace about the situation and have total faith and trust in God. Not for healing but for our daily bread. All we desire is to be in Gods will and nothing else matters. Not even his death. The truth does that for one. Faith is beautiful and peaceful. If God wishes to heal thats fine and if God does not thats just as fine. The body which is sinful must die but when you are In Christ Jesus its the beginning of eternal life. Take care and thank you for your hours of writing for the Body. We have always appreciated you and thanked God for you in our prayers.
Vanessa,
Thank you. We’ll be in prayer for Vernon and you.
Bro.Don, I really like this article. Well done. ” nuff said”. GOD BlessYou
Brother Don, I’ve been searching for scriptural truth regarding salvational faith in the case of infants or young children. I cannot find any scripture that supports “the age of accountability”. In your opinion, how do young children (or the mentally handicapped) get saved if faith (believing Paul’s gospel) is required? Also, if we are born spiritually dead, how are we drawn to God… how does the Holy Spirit reveal the truth to us… purely intellectually, or is our dead spirit brought to life first… Then we get to choose truth? I’m so looking forward to finding this piece in the puzzle!! I know its here somewhere, right under my nose!!
Leon,
The age of accountability varies among individuals. God alone knows this. Salvation depends on our ability to choose for or against God. See my article on Predestination.
Don,
Thanks, I read your article on predestination. Can we assume therefore that individuals are saved or lost based on God’s foreknowledge regardless of our age when we die? Babies are therefore saved or lost based on the fact that God knows outside of time whether their individual choice would be to accept or reject his free gift of salvation?
What I still cannot derive from the article though, is whether “the age of accountability” forms part of sound biblical doctrine. Any scriptural references at all? Doesn’t God’s predestination in foreknowledge negate the notion of an “age of accountability”?
Could it possibly be that we are born innocent, alive to God as a result of the finished work of the cross and that as we are made aware of this fact (and we all are made aware), we have a choice to accept or reject this truth.
Romans 5:18
” Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
Rejecting our new identity in Christ would obviously leave us living according to our old, sinful, fallen identity in Adam. The wages of this sinful life is death, meaning that we eventually “perish” and do not “claim” eternal life as the gift from God. On the other hand, if we choose to accept our new identity in Christ, we live accordingly, set free from sin, saved by Grace through faith and therefore alive to God for eternity.
We could then say that babies who die, do so in a state of innocence and are therefore saved, because they have not “earned” the death-wage of a sinful life.
I’m trusting God for insight and wisdome! Thank you for your wonderful work in this, the edifying of the Church – The body of Christ!
Leon,
God holds no one accountable who cannot make a choice. God knows all hearts and is able to determine this. Babies dying and idiots cannot choose so we assume God’s work covers them. How this might work in terms of foreknowledge (if they had lived, if they were in their right mind) is highly speculative. God has done everything in His power to save man and we can trust that he has provided for these situations. God created man primarily to resolve the angelic conflict and the problem of evil. God wishes creatures who love Him and respond to Him for who He is. See my article, Job: A Peek Behind the Curtain for some insight into this matter.
Acts 20:24… the gospel of the grace of God.
How all this pertains I don’t know yet. Have been lead to study it.
Okay so last night I found two words for faith.
One is ‘pistis’ in greek and one is ‘pisteuo’.
So I think one means intellectual insight. And one is belief…?
I know one has to believe and on some level we must have an innate sense of this, but the other would relate to what is given us??
What do you think of this Don?
Thanks Brother . Your awesome to help.
Bobbi,
One is a verb and the other a noun. Both mean faith. Context determines meaning, so the same word is used for mere intellectual assent or trust. Biblical faith is trust. Insight into this difference is “I believe in God”=intellectual assent vs. “I believe God”=trust.
Hello Don
I’m so glad I found your site late last year. You have a knack of explaining in ways that makes it understandable and clear for me. Hal Lindsey’s Liberation of Planet Earth gave a good case for faith + 0 which I read before finding a church in the 1980’s, however churches always made me doubt/cloud my understanding because of the ‘works’ message. I’m so glad I started with a decent foundation so as to know something was not quite right but struggled to know why. Early last year I became aware of the great Les Feldick on Youtube and the issues he raises led to me finding doctrine.org.
Thanks for lifting many veils with your articles.
Now to what pushed me to reply at this time – In the section Paul and Faith, second to last paragraph – did you mean Paul rather than God in ‘They new nothing of the revelations God had received from the ascended Lord.’
Richard,
Thank you for your kind words. I’m glad my articles have been helpful and that you found me after finding Les. If I had to recommend one commentary it is Cornelius Stam’s Acts. It is essential reading. And Bullinger on Revelation. Great works. And thank you for noticing and reporting the error. Now fixed.
Don can you say anything more about the exception of Abraham as an Old Testament figure saved by faith alone? Why? Any other scripture that explains the reasoning?
Keith,
God promised Abraham an earthly progeny (Genesis 13) and a heavenly progeny (Genesis 15). Faith alone is associated with the latter. The Church is that progeny. This is why Paul calls us children of Abraham in distinction from Israel.
A question for Don. This may not be the proper place, sorry.
I know that the chapter and verse divisions were added to the original writings. What about punctuation? Did we add those too? I have no knowledge of Greek.
I’ll use Romans 5:1 as an example.
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” ESV
Could that also have been translated as follows?
“Therefore, since we have been justified, by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
I suppose both are true, but just wondering about the punctuation.
Thanks!
Cpb,
Generally, punctuation is not in the text. The Romans 5.1 text is Δικαιωθέντες οὖν ἐκ πίστεως εἰρήνην ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. It is more natural to read it as in your first rendition, particularly since other texts state we are justified by faith. Literally, the verse reads: Therefore, because we were declared righteous by faith, we have peace before the God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Doctrine, tell me if you’ve ever considered this.
At the first Passover in Egypt blood was to be put on the door frame otherwise the first born’s life would be taken. What if the family behind the door all had been baptized, prayed, gave to the church, did good works, were nice to others, endured to the end etc. but didn’t mark their door posts. What if the neighbor next door simply by faith applied the blood but were pretty much nonreligious and not very nice people?
Of course the works used as examples above weren’t applicable at the time but I think you understand my point.
Joe,
Paul wrote that obedience is faith. Not to put blood on the door posts was no faith and meant death. Same situation as Cain and his sacrifice.
Doctrine said:
Paul’s gospel was different from the gospel the Twelve preached.
I’m not sure if you’re speaking of the Gospel declaration or it’s formula. Here is why:
Co 15:11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
From Genesis to Revelation, salvation has always been a two dimensional formula: An objective Declaration from God + subjective receiving of that declaration by or through faith. The act of faith being “εκ πιστεως” for the Jew and “δια της πιστεως” for the Gentile, with faith taking the definite article for the Gentile.
Rom 3:30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
If you’re saying the words of the declaration (or revelation from God) can and do change, then yes I would agree. However, the formula itself is unchanged.
PajamaGuru,
Paul’s gospel is 1 Corinthians 15.1-4. The 12 knew nothing of this gospel. They proclaimed Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God for salvation, the gospel of the kingdom. Paul wrote his gospel was a secret (Ephesians 6.19) and this was why they argued with him at the Council of Jerusalem. Salvation by faith alone was unknown before Paul (Abraham being the exception). Salvation has always required faith, but not faith alone. Jews were saved εκ πιστεως but Gentiles δια της πιστεως, Paul’s gospel. The grammatical construct εκ is a kind of parent or source to δια. Paul made this clear in 1 Corinthians 11.12. If effect, Romans 3.30 is the Abrahamic Covenant.
Don, is regeneration the same as being saved? I have friends who believe one must be regenerated first before they can have faith
Craig,
One is regenerated the moment one believes, not before. If before, man has no role in salvation, no free will. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness.
Craig,
The notion of “regeneration precedes faith” is a Calvinistic doctrine. And it is unbiblical.
Spiritual regeneration is salvation as Paul teaches.
Ephesians 2:4-9 (NKJV)…..
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
In verse 5 above, Paul equates being “made alive together with Christ” as having “been saved”. Again, just compare what Paul said in verse 5 with what he said in verse 8…..
“….made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” ….. “For by grace you have been saved (made alive together with Christ) through faith”
Now to be clear, we are not born again because we believe. But, we are born again after we believe. We do nothing to cause the new birth. Being born again is a supernatural monergistic work of God.
According to Calvinism, the order of salvation is….
Regeneration…..Faith….Justification.
The biblical order is….
Faith…..Justification…..Regeneration (Saved).
Not only does regeneration not precede faith, it doesn’t even precede justification.
Even in our own judicial system, we know the criminal must be pardoned/acquitted of a crime before he is given new life. So it is with God. All sinners must be declared “not guilty” (justified) before being born from above. Paul makes this clear….
Colossians 2:13 (CJB)….
You were dead because of your sins, that is, because of your “foreskin,” your old nature. But God made you alive along with the Messiah (how?)…. by forgiving you all your sins.
Hope this helps.
Blessings.
Philip, excellent. Thanks for responding. I always believed faith comes first. So much confusion out there. Some say faith is a work. Others say man is unable to come to Christ on his own, that God must do something first. I think that’s where Calvinists get their idea that God first regenerates us before we can respond.
Craig,
Calvinists make all kinds of foolish attempts to circumvent mankind’s free will. The Scriptures teach both the divine will and man’s will are involved in salvation. God draws mankind by making the message of the gospel clear but man must believe it. Thus, the Lord opened Lydia’s heart to attend to the things Paul spoke (Acts 16.14).
Craig,
The examples of faith coming before life are many…
In Numbers 21:4-9 (NKJV) we read that if any bitten Israelite looked to the bronze serpent he would live. Its “look and live”. In Calvinism its “live and look”.
John 5:40 (NKJV)….
But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
One must come to (believe in) Jesus if that want “life”. In Calvinism, one must have “life” in order to come (believe).
John 20:31 (NKJV)….
…but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
Believing is a prerequisite to obtaining life. But in Calvinism, life is a prerequisite to obtaining faith (believing).
John 6:53 (NKJV)….
Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.”
Did you see what Jesus said? Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have NO LIFE in you”. No life. None.
Now, with all that said, our Calvinist brothers will not budge. They can’t. Because Calvinism is a system that must be embraced as a whole. If one petal of the TULIP is plucked, the entire flower dies. And they know it.
God bless.
Thank you very much for your enlightening articles.. Helped a lot sir. What exactly did Jesus mean when He told the disciples “you know not what manner of spirit you are of” when they told Him to act like Elijah. It seemed as though He wasnt totally in agreement with what Elijah did calling down fire
Phantom,
See https://doctrine.org/priests-in-the-church/comment-page-1#comment-127948
what does this mean?
King James Bible
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joe,
This is the divine side of the salvation equation.
Awesome sir!
Question
Does God in any way give faith to believe the Gospel??
Phantom,
God gives every person free will. See Romans 1, John 1.9, Acts 16.14.
Thank you.
1) Do you have any article or source that explains the hardening of heart of Pharoah?? or verses llike Prov 21:1..
2) In 1st Cor10:10.. Who was the destroyer Paul was referring to.
Thank you
Phantom,
1. Man hardens his heart and as a result, God’ hardens him. This is Paul’s case in Romans 1. Man always takes the initiative in turning from God.
2. Jesus Christ is the Destroyer. He destroyed the firstborn at the Passover, the Assyrian army of 185,000, etc.
“… the simple Biblical concept of faith has become cluttered with all sorts of connotations that are foreign to the original New Testament word… The fact is that the Greek expressions for “believe in” or “believe that” are not significantly different from their English equivalents. No one supposes that the English words “believe in” denote a “personal relationship,” much less “submission to,” or anything of that sort. Much pseudo-scholarship has been expended in an attempt to make the Biblical concept of faith carry the freight of a preconceived theology. The time has long since passed for this to stop.” (Zane Hodges ‘Grace in Eclipse: A Study on Eternal Rewards,’ pgs. 18-19)