Faith and Works (Pt 2)

Faith is absolutely essential to one’s salvation.  “For 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 diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6.)  Notice how important faith is.  Without it no person could please God. 

Faith is based on evidence (Hebrews 11:1) and the evidence is found in God’s word.  The apostle Paul informs us that, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17.)  Salvation is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8) and the faith given by God is only in what He has produced and provided for us to believe and act upon. 

Beginning with the Reformation Movement of the middle ages, many folks began to contend that faith is a gift of God—something God puts directly into the heart  of a person.  Man is thought to be so depraved and opposed to anything good  that only direct divine intervention can make a person receptive to the things of God.  Thus faith was, and is, viewed as part of the “free gift” of God and many protestant denominations remain loyal to this doctrine even today.  But as we have noted from scripture, man is the one who considers the evidence and believes.  If man is incapable of accepting the evidence offered by God in His word, then he could not be held accountable for such failure.  If God has to make a person capable of believing, then it is God’s choice and we are not free to choose anything.  We are simple pawns in God’s game—and God is playing with Himself. 

But Jesus invites all to “come unto me” (Matt 11:28)  and in John 3:16 we noted “whosoever believes in him.”  Also Acts 2:38 says “repent and be baptized every one of you”  while  we read that whoever desires, let him take of the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17.)  All these verses (and many more) are cumulative proofs of the freedom of man to accept divine evidence and grace.  To say that man is so depraved that he cannot accept God denies New Testament teaching. Clearly salvation is for all and Jesus “died for everyone” (Heb. 2:9) not just a few that God selects. 

We must have faith but that comes from our acceptance of God’s word.  Part of God’s free gift is the scripture He inspired (2 Tim.3:16.)  God gave man his word for man to consider the evidence of God’s love.  But that is the extent of God’s free gift.  Man must believe for faith is a work belonging to him. We believe and that leads us to seek His will.             (Continued next week)