Saving Faith.

        Repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
                                   Acts 20:21

       In the last post we discussed repentance, and how it is indispensable to our reconciliation with God. Without it there can be no new birth.
     The other side of the coin is faith. Like repentance, faith is also an indispensable condition of our salvation through Jesus Christ.
     It is God's grace that saves us, through our faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Saving faith is a faith that continues firm until the end (Col 1:22-23, Hebrews 3:6, 12-14, 10:23, 35).
     Our faith is placed in the Lord Jesus Christ. See what Jesus says about belief in the gospel of John (John 3:14-16, 5:22-24, 6:29, 40, 47, 7:37-38, 12:44).
     It is through faith that we are united to Jesus Christ and receive His life, cleansing us and setting us free from bondage to sin.
     It was through His sacrificial death on the cross that we can be forgiven and reconciled to God. His resurrection from the dead was God's seal of approval on the sacrifice of His son, and the guarantee of our resurrection from the dead also (Romans 8:11, 1 Cor 15:13-20). We have victory over death and the grave through Jesus Christ.
     We also are resurrected to a new life here and now.  Just as Jesus died, we also die to sin. As He was raised, so we also now are alive to God (Romans 6:4-12, Col 3:1-5). This is a glorious life of freedom in Christ. Freedom not to live as we please, but a freedom to walk in the power and victory provided us in Christ.
     Many people take faith to mean knowing the right things, to believe right things about Jesus. It is important to know right doctrine, to believe what is true. However, a mere belief or head knowledge falls far short of saving faith. Even demons believe correct things about Jesus (James 2:19-20).
     A true biblical faith attaches itself to Christ. An individual who believes in Jesus will forsake all and follow Him. Such an individual renounces all other attempts of self justification, attempts at making oneself right with God, and relies solely upon the mercy of God found in Christ.
     To believe in Christ, to become a follower of Him is to take on His cause. It involves renunciation of all we have and are, totally denying ourselves for His sake (Luke 14:25-32).
     There is an acrostic that states this well. "Forsaking All I Take Him." See how the letters spell faith?
     This seems hard for many, but this is what we  were created for! To belong wholly to Christ alone, living in His service.
     This is faith, to cast ourselves upon Him, based on what He accomplished for us on the cross, and to attach ourselves to Him. To now live for Him and for His cause as disciples.
     Any man in Christ is now a new creation. The old life of sin and self is gone, and a new life has now come (2 Cor 5:17)!