What does it mean to truly save faith?

The Christian life is lived by faith.

The only language spoken in heaven is the language of faith. The only currency accepted in heaven is the currency of faith. Faith honors God and God honors faith. Hebrews 11 is God’s great hall of fame. Hebrews 11 records the people who walked by faith and took God at his Word. The chapter begins, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for.”

In Hebrews 11:1 there are two great truths we must understand.

The first is the primacy of faith. Faith must be primary in your life. The word faith is used 243 times in the New Testament. That is a lot! It’s used 24 times in Hebrews 11. Faith is complete and total reliance upon God. It is taking God at his Word and responding to it. Faith is always in response to the Word of God.

There is a danger in studying Hebrews 11 in reference to this first truth. There is danger in believing that the saints of Hebrews 11 are spiritual elite. A modern-day comparison would be to believe the saints of Hebrews 11 played in the NFL while the rest of us toil in the CFL. Nothing could be further from the truth. The saints of Hebrews 11 simply demonstrated saving faith. Saving faith looks like Hebrews 11.

Faith must be primary in your life. Verse 6 reads that, “Without faith it is impossible to please God for he that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

This verse is unequivocal. Without faith it is impossible to please God.

The second great truth is the properties of faith. Verse 1 is a description of faith. For a definition of faith we must step back and look at the whole counsel of God. Weaving together Scripture from Genesis to Revelation reveals a definition of faith. Historically, the great theologians all agree that faith involves many aspects of your life.

Faith begins with the mind. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”

Your faith will never outgrow your knowledge of the Bible. Without the revealed written Word there is no faith. There must be special revelation. God speaks today in the 66 books of canonical Scripture. The mind must understand the truth, especially the truth of Jesus. Jesus the Messiah died for our sins. God has spoken through the Bible. You must understand the Bible.

Faith also impacts the emotions. The mind embraces truth and the heart must receive it. There must be excitement, passion and conviction. Faith is not sterile or cold or simply intellectual; it impacts the whole being, especially the heart.

I recently spent time on the Yukon River with Roger Huntington. Roger is a Native leader and former chairman of Doyon Corp. In 1989, his airplane crashed. He was carrying an extra ninety gallons of fuel. Trapped in the wreckage he was burned. In great pain he hiked seven miles in 0 degree weather back to his village for medical treatment. A 1990 issue of National Geographic shows Roger wearing a facemask for a year because of skin grafts.

Before his crash the truth of the Bible was simply cold, intellectual fact. Through difficult circumstances his heart melted. He received the truth.

Faith begins with the mind. Faith impacts the emotions. Faith also changes the will. There must be obedience. The Puritans had a saying: “Faith alone saves, but faith that is alone never saves.” There will be action. If there is no action there is no saving of faith. James 1:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe — and tremble!”

The demons have two of the aspects of saving faith. They have knowledge and emotion but no obedience. The truth must be acted upon. True saving faith results in action.

Noah demonstrated true saving faith.

“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen (the mind), moved with godly fear (the emotions), prepared an ark for the saving of his household (the will),” it says in Hebrews 11:7. God told Noah to build a giant boat in the middle of nowhere. Noah obeyed.

God is not commanding you today to build an ark. The Bible commands all people everywhere to believe upon Jesus. “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,” Romans 10:13.

You must repent of your sin and trust Jesus for salvation. He died in your place. He is the divine substitute. His sacrifice paid for your sins. Walk by faith and believe in him today. Turn to him and then obey what he said.

Ethan Hansen is pastor for Faith Bible Fellowship in Big Lake. He can be contacted at ethanchansen@gci.net.