What it Means to Believe

As a young Augustinian monk Luther could not find any peace with God nor did he have any assurance of salvation. Luther would read the Scriptures, encounter the words of Romans 3:21,22, "righteousness of God", and they would strike terror in his heart. No matter how long he fasted, no matter how long he prayed, he was continually confronted with his own sinfulness and the question of how could he become righteous in the sight of God? All of these events led to what has become known as Luther's "tower experience", in which he come to a full understanding of Romans 1:17 and that justification is by faith alone. For Luther, as for all people, the discovery of what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ was a revolutionary experience. It changed his life in such a profound way that he spent the remainder of his days addressing the errors and abuses within the church of his day.

 

Sadly, there are many who attend our churches today who have yet to experience saving faith. I believe this is due, in part, to the many misunderstandings over what it means to possess Biblical faith. In the following paragraphs I want to look briefly at what faith is not and then a couple of verses that give us a definition of faith.

 

 

Biblical faith is not the same as attending church or even being a member of a church. There are many today who believe that they are on their way to heaven because they belong to a church, and maybe even are faithful to come every time the doors are open. There are a lot of really good things that come from attending church, and being a member of a local church, but it is not the same as having saving faith. John the Baptist addressed this error in his ministry to the Jews when he said, “do not say to yourselves, ‘we have Abraham for our father” (Luke 3:8) and expect that you will avoid the wrath that is to come. Becoming a member of a church does not make you a person of faith but faith in Jesus makes you a member of the church.

 

Biblical faith is not the same as accepting the historical facts regarding the birth, earthly ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. Neither is it accepting that the Bible is true or affirming sound doctrine, though all of these things can lead to faith. Many people in our country today accept as true the propositions that God exists, that Jesus really lived and walked this earth and most would even accept as true that Jesus was the God-man and that He died for the sins of the world but they do not have saving faith in Jesus.

 

James, the half brother of Jesus, in his letter to the churches declares that professions of faith without any actions to back them are dead faith, unable to save. “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. Are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Believing in the historicity of Jesus and the reliability of the Bible are stepping stones to faith, but they are not the same as having faith.

 

Biblical faith is not the same as doing great things for God. While it is true that genuine faith will never be found apart from a life of good works, living a moral life and doing good things for others will never get you into heaven. Jesus in His teaching from the Sermon on the Mount says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day (the day of judgment), ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out many demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’ (Matthew 7:21-23).

 

Biblical faith is not guaranteed in infant baptism and the rite of confirmation. And please do not misunderstand me here. I am not suggesting that infant baptism is not a legitimate sacrament of the church or that confirmation is of no value. However, many in our churches have cheapened the sacraments and make a mockery of the life of faith by treating these events as though they were some kind of magic that lasts for a lifetime. We affirm the efficacy and legitimacy of the sacrament of infant baptism (1 Peter 3:21) but we must also recognize that salvation can be lost through sin and unbelief. In article 12 of the Augsburg Confession it says, “for those who have fallen after baptism, there is remission of sins whenever they are converted. In the Large Catechism Luther himself writes, “where faith is wanting, there baptism remains only an unfruitful sign. (Hebrews 6:4-6; Luke 8:4-15) Consider the number of young people who are baptized/confirmed and then wander away from church life never to be seen again.

 

There are many misconceptions about what it means to have faith today and we have just looked at a couple of them. According the author of the book of Hebrews, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1-6). In 2 parallel expressions the author points out that faith has an “assurance”, a confidence, a certainty of heart, and freedom from doubt regarding the promises of God. Specifically in this context it is referring to the 2nd coming of Christ and God’s declaration of righteousness for those who live by faith. To live in faith is to have an unshakable confidence, a certainty within one’s heart and spirit that Jesus is coming again and all that Jesus has proclaimed and taught about the life of faith, heaven and hell and coming judgment will come to pass.

 

To be a person of faith is to repent of sin, receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (John 1:12) and live in accordance with the will of God. It is also to be a person of conviction regarding the spiritual realm or what the author calls “things not seen.” It is to be of such strong belief that external evidence or proof is not required for proper action to be taken. It is to believe in a spiritual reality that coexists with our own that cannot be perceived with our five senses but is spiritually discerned. It is to believe all that the Bible declares to be true about God, His nature, His character and His purposes and then act accordingly.

 

In keeping with our heritage, let us not only remember the message of the Reformers but proclaim it far and wide. It is by faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ that one enters into eternal life, a gift that comes to us by God’s grace through His written Word.