The Necessity Of Faith - Lesson # 1

A. To discuss Faith, we must begin with a definition of faith.
1. Because of the confusion in the Christians World at large we are going to define faith precisely.
a. DICTIONARY: “Unquestioned belief without proof.”
(A) GREEK LEXICON: “A conviction based on hearing.”
(1) THE BIBLE:
A clear statement (definition): Heb. 11:6.
An example (faith in action): Heb. 11:7.
(2) A working DEFINTITION: “Believing what God has said and acting on it”!
Bumper Sticker: “God said it, I believe it and that settles it”!
ILLUSTRATION: (Hold something in my hand). Can anyone guess what it is?
If I tell you what it is without showing you what it is. If you believe what I say it is without you seeing what it is, you have faith.
Once I have shown it to you, you have knowledge or experience. You no longer have faith. You have knowledge that is realized, actualized. There is a difference between actually knowing and believing without actually knowing.
(B) How necessary is faith in reference to your salvation?
You cannot please God without that faith. That’s square one. That’s where you have to begin.
Heb. 11:6.
You cannot be a child of God (Be Saved) without faith.
Gal. 3:26-27.
Acts 16:31.
You will be condemned without faith.
Mk.16:15.
You must believe in God and what He says and promises in the Bible.
b. But, faith by itself, is useless (You will not be saved by faith alone).
(3) Faith, as a “part of the whole”, brings salvation, not just faith by itself.
(1) Eph. 2:8-10, You are saved by grace. You are saved by God’s gift of salvation, and the way you get that gift of grace is by faith. It’s not faith that saves you. God saves you by grace. And faith is one of the things that puts you in touch with that grace.
(1) But, faith by itself is dead and unavailing. That’s not my council, that’s what God says and I cannot tell you anything different than what God says.
(2) What does God say, and where does He say it? God inspired James, the ½ brother of Jesus to define Christian faith in a definitive way.
(3) Jas. 2:14-20.
Abraham is God’s example of “saving” faith. Abraham is God’s living definition of faith.
(4) Jas. 2:21-24.
(5) When you put all of that together you have God’s definition of faith. A definition and an example of that definition. Anything different is not of God.
(6) The conclusion of the matter is that God’s definition and example of saving faith is not just believing in or having head knowledge about God.
(7) Saving faith produces action, obedience to God’s written word. Belief in God, faith in God, with out obedience to God’s written word is dead, useless and does brings salvation.
But God does not expect you to have faith without evidence.
(2) The primary source of evidence is God’s “Word.”

(1) Rom. 10:17.
(2) God has given us two kinds of evidence by giving us two Words.
(3) God gave us the Living Word who is Jesus. Jno. 1:1-3, 14.
And God’s Word, His living Word, who is Jesus, and His Written Word given to us by the Holy Spirit through the New Testament Apostles and Prophets has been solidly confirmed so we can believe it with absolute confidence.
Jesus spoke God’s Word and confirmed that word with miracles, Jno. 20:30-31.
The greatest and final confirmation was His resurrection from the dead.
(3) Jesus promised that the Word preached by the apostles would be confirmed also.
Mk.16:17-18.
We have the Word of God that produces sufficient faith for us to do what God requires for us to be saved.
Once you believe in God’s Word preached, that faith, if it is real, true will cause you to do what God asks. It will produce a life of more faith and obedience.
(4) Only one thing remains. Do you have real faith, Biblical faith, saving faith?
(1) If not, why not?
(2) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 09/16/2001 am