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The word faith seems simple enough but understanding it can mean the difference between a liberating relationship with Christ, or slavery to religious ritualism. In today\u2019s world, the word is colored with many different meanings. We often hear secular songs on the radio talk about \u201ckeeping the faith,\u201d but faith in what? Or who?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The original Greek root for faith is \u201cpistis<\/em>,\u201d meaning \u201cconviction of the truth of anything, belief\u201d (Thayers Greek Lexicon). In the context of the Bible, it generally means belief in relation to God. When it relates to salvation the emphasis is specifically placed on the saving work of Jesus and His resurrection (Romans 4:24, 10:9). One of the central beliefs of the Reformation, the time when Protestants challenged the widespread corruption in the Catholic Church (16th century A.D.), was that Christians are saved by sola fide, or \u201cfaith alone.\u201d We see this teaching in passages like Galatians 2:16 \u201ca person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.\u201d And in John 6:28-29 when people asked Jesus what kind of works they had to do to merit salvation, He replied that \u201cThe work of God is this, to believe in the One He has sent.\u201d (John 6:28,29). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sola Fide doctrine was especially important for Reformers because the Catholic Church had created a system of legalism, or works-based righteousness, that opened the door for all kinds of abuse. Luther protested (hence the Protestant Reformation) and called people back to faith as the sole channel for salvation. From his own struggles as a Catholic priest, he knew that trying to merit his own righteousness only led to disillusionment and despair. But when he learned how to trust in what Jesus did for us on the cross, instead of depending on his own works, he finally experienced lasting confidence and peace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n BUT WHAT ABOUT WORKS? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n But what about all the Bible verses that seem to indicate people will be judged by our actions? Think of James 2 \u201cYou see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone (vs. 24). Or the sermon on the mount where Jesus also said that \u201cEvery tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire\u201d (Matthew 7:19-20). Don\u2019t these verses seem to tell us that our works, not faith, will determine our eternity? Taken alone we might be mistaken into believing that faith isn\u2019t really sufficient to bring salvation. But that extreme is based on an incomplete understanding of faith. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The book of James is often misunderstood in the context of Paul\u2019s teachings on faith, but if we explore it carefully it actually highlights something very important. Faith isn\u2019t just intellectual assent to something the Bible teaches it\u2019s something that makes good works inevitable in a persons\u2019 life. After discussing the issue of favoritism in the Church, James begins to deal with people who try to separate themselves into different camps, some want to think of themselves as \u201cfaith\u201d Christian\u2019s while others might think that they\u2019re \u201cworks\u201d Christians. But James goes on to say that real faith is inseparable from good works, \u201cBut someone may well<\/em> say, \u2018You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.\u2019 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder\u201d (James 2:18-19). I have personally known people who hold to a \u201ccheap grace\u201d kind of Christianity who believe that they can go to heaven while deliberately living in sin because they\u2019ve attended church services and said certain prayers. They might be classified as a \u201cfaith\u201d Christian. I\u2019ve also known people who think that they\u2019ll go to heaven because they lead very strict religious lifestyles, but they also fail to demonstrate God\u2019s love and consistently abuse other people. These might be classified as \u201cworks\u201d Christians. But the truth is that neither group actually has faith or works. <\/p>\n\n\n\n RECOGNIZING WHAT REAL FAITH IS <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Faith isn\u2019t just about performing some ritual or reciting some creed, it\u2019s a living trust in God that allows Christ to dwell within our hearts (Ephesians 3:17). If we really trust God\u2019s promises in Scripture, we\u2019ll orient our lives in such a way that our beliefs will shape the way we live. Even Paul, the champion of Sola Fide, says that what really matters in a person\u2019s life isn\u2019t fulfilling the commandments, but holding to a faith that demonstrates itself through love, \u201cFor in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision (obeying religious laws) means anything, but (only) faith working through love\u201d (Galatians 5:6, parentheses mine). <\/p>\n\n\n\n As Christians it\u2019s important to recognize we can\u2019t earn God\u2019s love or acceptance through religious rituals or culture. Through the sacrifice of His Son, God has already accomplished the work of salvation on our behalf and nothing we can do will ever equal that. He\u2019s provided forgiveness and we apply that to our lives through faith. But faith that\u2019s real will always manifest itself through love in person\u2019s life\u2014love for God, and love for people (Matthew 22:36-40). So, when Jesus said that we will be known by our fruit, or the quality of our works, He wasn\u2019t saying that if we do x, y and z, we\u2019ll go to heaven. He was asking us to examine the nature of our hearts. A heart regenerated by faith can\u2019t help but blossom beautiful things, even if it takes time. But if Christ isn\u2019t living in our hearts through sincere faith and trust, why would we expect good works to follow? The real question is what kind of faith do we have? a faith that genuinely trusts God and manifests itself in His ultimate love, or one that has the appearance of something religious on the outside but fails to manifest the fruits of Christ. The question isn\u2019t whether we\u2019re saved by faith or works, but whether the faith we claim to walk in is dead, or alive. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The word faith seems simple enough but understanding it can mean the difference between a liberating relationship with Christ, or slavery to religious ritualism. In today\u2019s world, the word is colored with many different meanings. We often hear secular songs on the radio talk about \u201ckeeping the faith,\u201d but faith in what? Or who? 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