The New Testament clearly teaches that faith is necessary for salvation.
Jesus said:
“…if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”
(John 8:24, KJV)
Paul wrote:
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
(Romans 10:17, KJV)
But that raises an important question:
DOES THE BIBLE DESCRIBE EVERY KIND OF BELIEF AS SAVING FAITH?
Or does Scripture distinguish between a faith that merely acknowledges something as true and a faith that trusts God enough to obey Him?
SOME BELIEVED BUT WOULD NOT CONFESS CHRIST
John records:
“Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him…”
(John 12:42, KJV)
Notice:
MANY BELIEVED ON HIM.
If every kind of belief automatically constituted saving faith, we might expect the passage to end there.
But it does not.
John continues:
“…but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:”
(John 12:42, KJV)
Why?
“For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”
(John 12:43, KJV)
They believed.
But their belief did not produce the allegiance Christ required.
That should cause us to examine carefully what Scripture means by faith.
THE DEVILS ALSO BELIEVE
James wrote:
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
(James 2:19, KJV)
The devils believe.
They know God exists.
They recognize spiritual realities.
Yet their belief does not save them.
Therefore:
BELIEF CAN EXIST
↓
WITHOUT OBEDIENCE
↓
WITHOUT FAITHFULNESS
↓
WITHOUT SALVATION
Biblical saving faith cannot simply mean acknowledging that something is true.
FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD
James makes the point even clearer:
“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
(James 2:17, KJV)
Notice:
FAITH
↓
WITHOUT WORKS
↓
IS DEAD
↓
BEING ALONE
James repeats the conclusion:
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
(James 2:26, KJV)
A dead faith is still called “faith.”
But it is not a living, obedient faith.
ABRAHAM’S FAITH ACTED
James points to Abraham:
“Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?”
(James 2:21, KJV)
Then James explains the relationship between Abraham’s faith and his obedience:
“Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?”
(James 2:22, KJV)
Notice:
ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD
↓
ABRAHAM ACTED UPON HIS FAITH
↓
FAITH WROUGHT WITH HIS WORKS
↓
BY WORKS HIS FAITH WAS MADE PERFECT
Abraham’s obedience did not compete with his faith.
His obedience demonstrated his faith.
HEBREWS 11 SHOWS FAITH IN ACTION
Hebrews 11 is one of the greatest chapters in Scripture concerning faith.
But notice what faith did.
“By faith Abel offered…”
(Hebrews 11:4, KJV)
↓
“By faith Noah… prepared an ark…”
(Hebrews 11:7, KJV)
↓
“By faith Abraham… obeyed…”
(Hebrews 11:8, KJV)
↓
“By faith Abraham… offered up Isaac…”
(Hebrews 11:17, KJV)
↓
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.”
(Hebrews 11:30, KJV)
Notice the action words:
OFFERED
PREPARED
OBEYED
OFFERED
COMPASSED
Biblical faith moves.
Biblical faith responds.
Biblical faith obeys.
NOAH DID NOT EARN HIS DELIVERANCE
Hebrews says:
“By faith Noah… prepared an ark to the saving of his house…”
(Hebrews 11:7, KJV)
Noah did not earn God’s grace by building the ark.
God provided the warning.
God provided the instructions.
God provided the means of deliverance.
Noah believed God enough to obey Him.
His obedience was:
BY FAITH.
That distinction is important.
OBEDIENCE DOES NOT MEAN EARNING SALVATION
Scripture condemns the idea that man can earn salvation and then boast before God.
Paul wrote:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
“Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
(Ephesians 2:8–9, KJV)
Salvation is God’s gift.
Man cannot place God in his debt.
Man cannot perform enough good deeds to purchase forgiveness.
Man cannot boast that he saved himself.
But the very next verse says:
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works…”
(Ephesians 2:10, KJV)
And Paul later spoke of:
“…the obedience of faith:”
(Romans 16:26, KJV)
Grace and obedient faith are not enemies.
Obedience to God does not mean we are attempting to earn salvation.
It means we trust God enough to do what He says.
THE ROMANS OBEYED FROM THE HEART
Paul wrote:
“But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.”
(Romans 6:17, KJV)
Then:
“Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”
(Romans 6:18, KJV)
Notice the sequence:
SERVANTS OF SIN
↓
OBEYED FROM THE HEART
↓
MADE FREE FROM SIN
↓
BECAME SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Their obedience was not an attempt to earn salvation through human merit.
They:
OBEYED FROM THE HEART.
That is the nature of biblical faith.
FAITH RESPONDS TO THE GOSPEL
When Peter preached the gospel on Pentecost, his hearers were:
“…pricked in their heart…”
(Acts 2:37, KJV)
They asked:
“…Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
(Acts 2:37, KJV)
Peter answered:
“…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…”
(Acts 2:38, KJV)
Then Scripture tells us:
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized…”
(Acts 2:41, KJV)
Notice:
THEY HEARD THE GOSPEL
↓
THEY WERE PRICKED IN THEIR HEART
↓
THEY ASKED WHAT TO DO
↓
THEY RECEIVED THE WORD
↓
THEY WERE BAPTIZED
They did not merely say:
“WE BELIEVE PETER’S SERMON.”
They received God’s Word and responded to it.
That is faith that obeys.
JESUS CONNECTED DISCIPLESHIP WITH OBEDIENCE
Jesus asked:
“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
(Luke 6:46, KJV)
Jesus also said:
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
(John 14:15, KJV)
The writer of Hebrews said concerning Christ:
“And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;”
(Hebrews 5:9, KJV)
Christ is:
THE AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION.
We are not.
Yet Scripture describes those receiving that salvation as:
“ALL THEM THAT OBEY HIM.”
THE BIBLICAL PATTERN
GOD SPEAKS
↓
MAN HEARS GOD’S WORD
↓
MAN BELIEVES GOD
↓
FAITH TRUSTS WHAT GOD HAS SAID
↓
FAITH RESPONDS TO GOD’S COMMANDS
↓
FAITH OBEYS FROM THE HEART
↓
GOD FULFILLS HIS PROMISE
Look at the pattern throughout Scripture:
GOD SPOKE
↓
NOAH BELIEVED
↓
NOAH OBEYED
GOD SPOKE
↓
ABRAHAM BELIEVED
↓
ABRAHAM OBEYED
GOD SPOKE
↓
ISRAEL BELIEVED
↓
ISRAEL MARCHED AROUND JERICHO
THE GOSPEL WAS PREACHED
↓
THE PEOPLE AT PENTECOST RECEIVED THE WORD
↓
THEY REPENTED
↓
THEY WERE BAPTIZED
Faith did not earn God’s blessing.
Faith trusted God enough to obey Him.
So the question is not merely:
“DO I BELIEVE IN JESUS?”
We should also ask:
“WHAT KIND OF FAITH DO I HAVE?”
Is it merely intellectual belief?
Is it a faith that refuses to confess Christ when doing so becomes difficult?
Is it a faith that remains alone?
Is it a dead faith?
Or is it:
FAITH THAT HEARS
↓
FAITH THAT BELIEVES
↓
FAITH THAT TRUSTS
↓
FAITH THAT OBEYS
↓
FAITH THAT CONTINUES
James asked:
“Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?”
(James 2:22, KJV)
Don’t accept that conclusion merely because it is written here.
Open your Bible.
Read John 12.
Read Romans 6.
Read James 2.
Read Hebrews 11.
Read Acts 2.
Read Ephesians 2.
Read Hebrews 5.
Compare Scripture with Scripture.
Then ask:
IS MY FAITH THE KIND OF FAITH THE NEW TESTAMENT DESCRIBES AS LIVING AND OBEDIENT?
The question is not simply whether we have faith.
The question is:
WHAT KIND OF FAITH DO WE HAVE?
ALLOW SCRIPTURE TO INTERPRET SCRIPTURE.
The Biblical Pattern
Biblical Studies & Books by Kevin L. Walker
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The Biblical Pattern 