In the Bible, there are a multitude of passages that talk about salvation, faith, love, and obedience.  For many, salvation by faith is merely an intellectual decision about the fact claims of Jesus, but the Bible pushes for a much deeper definition of salvation.  Much could be said about the intersection of the head, heart, and hands, but I want to go one step further… they are inseparable.  Distinct, yes, but inseperable.  You cannot have salvation without faith, you cannot have faith without obedience, you cannot have obedience without love, and you cannot have love without faith.

The picture of a Christian we see in the Bible is markedly different from the world around him/her.  They are in the world, yet clearly separate.  In 1 Peter 3:15, we are told – “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”.  When was the last time someone asked why you were living your life the way you were, and the answer was Jesus?  Why do many people sit in comfort passively, professing Jesus as savior, fading into their surroundings?  Where is the gap?  My answer is that there are many who have deceived themselves with counterfeit faith.

What does it mean to have faith? It may be interesting for you to know that the word for faith has much more to do with actions as it does about intellectual agreement.

The greek noun for faith is “pistis” is used around 250 times in the new testament.  Common uses of this word in Greek was to refer to trust in others, persuasion of a thing, confidence, assurance, trustworthiness, and faithfulness.  The greek verb for faith is Pisteuo, which is usually translated “to believe” in our Bibles.  This word in Greek would mean to trust, or to rely on.   Now, what’s interesting about this words is that nowhere is their definition remotely close to “intellectual assent to a fact claim”, yet that is usually how most church-goers would define their “faith” in the gospel of Jesus.

Each of these words for faith by their very definition, have implied actions.  If there is an unwillingness to obey God in an area of life, this is not a sin issue, it is an absence of faith.  That person’s faith is counterfeit.  You cannot trust God, and not trust Him at the same time.  That’s rediculous, right?  Yet through their lives, that is what many professing Christians today, are holding onto.  It would have been understood, especially in the time the New Testament was written to a first century person living under Roman rule, that having faith would necessitate their obedience to Christ, which would come at great personal risk.  Christians were being martyred and persecuted – faith was not a thing to be taken lightly.

Likewise, what brought a person to faith, was the love of God in the gospel, wrought in their hearts by the Holy Spirit.  What is irresistible about the gospel, is not escape from hell or a promise of heaven, but Jesus Himself.  God, infinite in power and perfectly happy and content in Himself, came to die on a cross, shedding His blood for those who stood in the crowds mocking Him.  You cannot have faith without love.  Authentic faith is not merely a change of one’s mind about a fact, but a turning of affections towards God.  The inclination of one’s heart is drawn by faith towards God, and godliness, rather than fleeting worldly pleasures.  1 John 4:19 – “We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” 

If you are not a Christian, you cannot love.  If you are a Christian, you cannot help but love because Love dwells in you.  Does you see that?  If the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the ultimate seal of authentic faith (Eph 1:13), you cannot rest in the assurance of your professed faith is real if you don’t love like God loves.  You cannot have saving faith in God, and not love Him, and love others, because God Himself dwells in you as the Holy Spirit.  Moreover, loving God is not primarily an emotion, but a matter of obedience to Him from the heart.  Your love for God is evidenced in obedience.

1 John 5:1-4 – “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.  For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.” 

Friends, we take the word faith too lightly.  This is not a condemnation of struggling sinners – we all struggle to obey, and are dependant upon the grace of God to cover our sins, and grant us repentance and greater faith daily to follow Christ and put sin to death.  However, we are commanded, as those who fear a righteous and holy God to test our faith.  Matthew 7:22-23 are the scariest verses in the Bible – “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'”  I care about everyone too much to not risk offending someone at the cost of their salvation.  2 Corinthians 13:5 – “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”  That is my hope and exhortation – examine yourselves, turn from sin, run from it and towards God.  Find love and joy in the cross, and let God guide you in the ways you ought to go.  I want every one of us to burn brightly for God, to have our lives marked by a joy in God that world marvels at, and at the end of our time here, for each of us to be able to say as Paul did (2 Tim 4:7-8) – “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

Know that you’re loved and prayed for.  Grace and peace be with you.

In Christ,
Adam