Faith In Faith
by Jody L Apple

    There are numerous passages in scripture that teach that faith is necessary for salvation. John 1:12, for example, affirms that those who believe (or receive) Christ are given the right to become the sons of God. Likewise, John 3:16 declares that belief is essential to obtain everlasting life. Both Romans 1:17 and 5:1 plainly teach that we are justified by faith. Should we choose to, we might compile a rather lengthy and impressive list of biblical passages that reflect this salient principle.

    A problem arises, however, when Bible students make incorrect assumptions about the meaning of these texts. Because of: (1) the sheer number of these verses, (2) the seemingly simple nature of faith taught in them, (3) a failure to study the totality of God's word relating to faith and (4) a failure to properly consider their immediate context, many students assume that the Bible teaches we are saved by faith alone. In so doing they make false assumptions about the mechanics of faith and salvation.

    None of the passages alluded to above teach justification occurs only by faith. They simply indicate that faith is a prerequisite for justification. In fact, eight verses after Paul affirms that justification occurs by faith (Rom 5:1), he informs us that we are justified by the blood of Christ (Rom 5:9). Either faith and the blood of Christ procure salvation independently, or they function in a way complementary to each other. Even a cursory examination of this passage yields the conclusion that both are essential.

    But even this is an oversimplification of the matter. Romans 5 teaches that salvation includes not only faith and blood, but also grace (v 2, 15), hope (vs 2, 5), love (v 3), Christ (vs 1), Christ's death (v 6, 8), Christ's resurrection (v 10), righteousness (v 17-18), and obedience (v 19). A careful reading will show that not only must faith and the blood of Christ be understood as complementary, but all the various elements listed above (not to mention additional elements included elsewhere) must also be seen as essential for salvation, as well intricately intertwined one with another.

    In light of this very brief discussion, it would seem absurd to contend that salvation occurs by faith alone. Yet that is what we often encounter. It is almost as if some think that our faith is in faith.

    Numerous are the fictitious and fanciful stories that advocate the false maxim of "believing in the power of faith." Rather than addressing the biblical relationships that exist between faith, knowledge, evidence, hope and the word of God, secular pundits aver that faith, rather than being anchored in foundational and propositional evidences and truths, need only be loosely tied to the metaphysical threads (read "existential") of the sheer power of belief. If you only "believed" you could see how "angels" came to the aid of a struggling baseball team, how "Kris Kringle" was "really Santa Claus," or how the farm would be saved from ultimate ruination, foreclosure or some other terrible end.

    Yes, we must have faith. We must even have faith in our own ability to believe. But believe what? It makes no difference. The power of faith itself, regardless of content and context, is viewed as sufficient to accomplish almost anything - even the "impossible." Sad to say, but this quasi-religious, pseudo-spiritual notion of faith is found not only in the celluloid productions of Tinseltown; it seems to be at the center of every false religion as well.

    The young LDS (Mormon) disciple places his hand over his heart and convincingly affirms that he "believes Joseph Smith to be a prophet of God and the book of Mormon to be the word of God." Denominationalists of every kind speak fervently of "their faith." Sometimes they "convince" others simply by their fervency. Sometimes a legitimate grain of truth provokes a response. But how often are conclusions reached and decisions made based upon an appeal to "just believe?" This over emphasis upon personal, subjective faith has lead many astray.

    To be sure, the word of God addresses faith from the perspective of the subject. There is clearly a need for our faith to be our own, to be personal (cf. Mk 9:24; Lk 17:5). But unless our personal faith is grounded in "the faith," it is inadequate to save from sin. We are saved by grace through "the faith" (Eph 2:8-9). We are the children of God by "the faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:26). It is only when our faith is coherent and consistent with the objective nature of "the faith" (i.e., "the truth," "the way," "the gospel") that there is any ability in our faith to save. It is not, however, because of our own ability to believe, but rather because we are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." (1 Pet 1:5) Without this real, absolute and objective connection to the saving power of God by and through the gospel message (Rom 1:16), our faith is meaningless.

    Let's strive to be people whose faith is not just "personal," but also a people whose faith is truly founded in God, His Son and His word. Saving faith can be obtained only when we learn God's word and draw conclusions - thus tenets of faith - based on its authority. By constantly examining our faith in light of "the faith" revealed in God's word, and by putting our faith into practice (James 2:14ff), we can be assured that our faith will be what God wants it to be.