Saving faith content

Among those who believe that one is saved by faith alone ("free grace" folks), there is a difference of viewpoint as to what the content of saving faith (cosf).

There are some differences about the nature of faith and how it relates to the will.    But putting that aside for now…the cosf is an issue that has created division and hostility between those who use to work together and were friends.

Whatever view one takes on the cosf, it is agreed among free grace folks that salvation is not a result of one’s own righteousness, but that righteousness (called “justification”) by which we are saved is conferred (or imputed or reckoned) when one believes that cosf. 

Free grace folks would not equate the faith by which we are saved with the works that the Apostle Paul said that do not save us.  Faith in Christ for salvation is to be distinguished from the works of the Law or righteousness (which we have done).

 

Free grace folks would agree that salvation is received through faith in Christ. Yet they would associate more content to that faith in Christ.  Now I know some would say there are prerequisites that one must believe, about God and man, but the cosf  is really the issue. 

Whatever one is believing when salvation takes place, is what one has to believe when salvation takes place-it would seem.   It may seem that one would need to believe other things to get to that point, but that really is another issue.  Because a person could believe a lot of right and true things and not be saved.  Whatever a person believes when salvation takes place is what he has to believe for salvation to take place.   But what is that?

What is the content that is to be believed when salvation takes place?  And does that content communicate with certainty to the believer that salvation has taken place?  I ask this because one would think that if the content does not include assurance of salvation, what and why are they believing, if there is no outcome revealed in the content? Why would one believe in something unless it calls for belief and promises an outcome worth believing in?

For example, if I said that Jesus died for your sins and said nothing else, I haven’t communicated to him what the outcome is.   If I tell them that Jesus died for their sins, and they need to believe in him, I gave them more content, but I still haven’t communicated what the outcome of that is.   If I tell them that Jesus died for their sins, and if they believe that, they will be saved, I’ve given them content that includes an outcome that includes assurance of salvation, an outcome that requires a response of faith in not only that Jesus died for their sins, but that if they believe in Him, they will be saved.  (Now I haven’t explained what Jesus dying for sins can mean in this content, such as Jesus’ death satisfied the righteous demands against our sins by which God is able to justify and regenerate us, but if that was explained, there still would need to be communicated how God justifies and regenerates or saves since the death of Christ for sin does not automatically result in salvation to everyone.) 

Most would probably include the outcome with the content of saving faith, but what about how the outcome is received?  Some would identify the faith by which we are saved as just the response (and some may even call faith a kind of work), but it is part of the content.  Doesn’t one have to know and believe they are saved by faith?  

If you believe Christ died for all, and all are not saved, then how can one know they are saved, even if they believe Jesus died for their sins?  If his death didn’t save everyone, then how do you know it saves you?  (Some believe Christ’s death took everyone’s sins away in a judicial sins sense, while others believe the judicial remission of sins does not happen until one believes, but in either case, no one is automatically saved because Jesus died for them; salvation is still conditional.)  

How can one know they are saved?  Do they have to know they are saved by faith?    Does one have to believe they are saved by faith to be saved?  For if the death of Christ is for all, and not all are saved, how do you know you are saved, even if you believe Jesus died for your sins.

It would help if there were some biblical accounts of people getting saved in response to words spoken that we could examine every detail of the message.

What about the Cornelius account?  He was to send for Peter who would “tell him words by which [he] …would be saved.” (Acts 11.14)  When we examine those words, we have content spoken that is immediately followed by Cornelius’ salvation, evident by his speaking in tongues. (Some believe Cornelius was already an Old Testament Gentile saint, since he feared God and was a godly man, and even if that is true, his salvation had to be connected with believing certain words about Jesus--maybe for his sake and a Jew like Peter to know how Gentiles are saved).

Peter said: “To Him All the prophets bear witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” (Acts 10.43)  Prior to this, Peter makes references to Jesus being proclaimed throughout Judea, and Cornelius knew about this.  Peter makes reference to Jesus being killed and resurrected and the judge of the living and dead.  He then says that whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins. 

Peter doesn’t really explain the value of Christ’s death, he only says that by believing in him, one receives remission of sins, which I understand to be the same as being saved from sin.  But we see here the need for faith in Christ ("whoever believes in Him")—which everyone in the content debate should agree on, and the response of faith that brings an outcome of remission of sins.   I think we need to see all this as the content:  salvation (11.14) is a result in believing in Jesus for remission of sins, and this was the witness of the prophets.  The means and the outcome are both there.  I think a proper understand of Jesus' divine authority has to be included, though it isn't really brought out.  But Cornelius could have had a similar understanding as the Samaritans who anticipated the Messiah who would be the Savior of the world.

How do I know I have salvation or the remission of sins?  Because the Words of Scripture says that if you believe in Him, Jesus, you will receive remission of sins.  Obviously, I am believing in Him for the remission of sins, because that is what is offered or prophesied or promised in the words.  If the purpose of the coming of Peter was to speak words by which Cornelius would be saved, and Peter spoke the words, and Cornelius believed and was saved, then we have a biblical example of the content of saving faith.   If Cornelius was already saved, then his salvation was to be connected specifically with believing in Jesus as the Jewish Messiah and son of God who would suffer for sin and give forgiveness of sins to all who believed in him for it.  That connection was for the benefit of both Cornelius and Peter--who still had to learn that gentiles could be saved just like Jews by faith alone in the Christ and Savior.

A Measure of Free Will

I believe we have a certain measure of free will.   I believe that measure of free will has to do with the ability to make choices, even of a spiritual nature.  The argument is over there is any ability to make any kind of choices of a spiritual nature due to one’s fallen, sinful nature.

 

Free will does not mean one can do something he was not created to do, like choose to grow wings and fly like a bird.   Some will argue that one cannot respond to God positively because of his fallen nature, and this is why will require regeneration before one can respond, while others will say it’s not regeneration, but something like it—like a “quickening” (using the King James language in Ephesians 2.5) in which one is able to believe the gospel, and then they receive regeneration.  I would seriously question that there is both a quickening and a regeneration, because the quickening is really just another term for being made alive which is the same as regeneration:  it is the impartation of eternal life.  Whether one is regenerated or “quickened,” they surely mean the same thing, but I believe Scripture is clear that regeneration happens when we believe, not before we believe. 

 

Some (or many) believe in “total depravity,” which says one is totally unable to respond to God positively.  According to this total depravity, if man has any free will, it is within the limits of his total depravity, and that depravity is such that for him to respond to God, there must be regeneration or a quickening of some sort first.  

 

There was this guy who use to ridicule the idea of free will with a fictional story.  He told the story about a boy who grew up in a home in which his father told him that chocolate ice cream was bad for him, that it was poison, and if he ate it, he would die.  This was constantly taught to the child.  So, when the father and son went to get ice cream, and the offer was made to him of either vanilla or chocolate, he would obviously choose vanilla.  He could not by his free will choose chocolate because of his conditioning.  But this story leaves out the fact that one could be persuaded contrary to what he was always taught and accepted as true.  Choices are not always made in such an environment as this story, but even in such an environment, what difference could it have made if a reliable source and demonstration showed that the father was a liar?  What if the grandfather came along and told the boy that his father was not truthful, that he loved chocolate and always tried to keep it all to himself.  The grandfather said Chocolate ice cream is not poisonous, and to demonstrate it, he ate some in his presence.  The boy could know that his father lied, and so could actually then choose to have it.  This is the part the guy would leave out: the power of persuasion by demonstration to change one’s mind.  This is where free will actually does work, because through demonstration and persuasion, one can choose differently, even against previous beliefs and feelings. It is how I understand repentance as the resolve to think or do differently due to persuasion.

 

This is why God in Romans 11.11 can be said to be seeking to provoke the Jews to jealousy by salvation coming to the gentiles.  (I think this salvation is probably more than justification, but the purpose of God to have a people for his name through the gentiles.)  Why would God need to do this if he just needed to “quicken” or regenerate them to believe?  God, by putting gentiles into a role of privilege and blessing as the people for his purpose, just as previously was the nation of Israel, could stir up the unbelieving Jews to what they had missed, and then some might choose to seek the truth about the person of Jesus and come to the knowledge of salvation through faith in Jesus for salvation.  

 

Free will involves the ability to choose between different options.  Sometimes, a choice that seems very unlikely can be helped along by persuasion and repentance.  People can be persuaded to make choices contrary to what they prefer or desire, because they are persuaded otherwise.  It may be that some our more stubborn than others, or more fearful.  The reasons why some respond one way and others another is complex.  But if we are talking about salvation, why is it any different than anything else people agree and disagree on?  Why is it we make responding to the way of eternal life different than the way people respond to anything else?  I think because of certain theology that is so engrained in the thinking of so many.  Some are willing to be persuaded otherwise.  It’s probably often the case that one won’t be persuaded about anything unless they are willing to consider other arguments and have questions. 

 

By a “measure of free will,” I believe we have the capacity to make choices and to have a change of mind, if we are willing to consider different viewpoints and evidence that may be contrary to what we have believed before.  

Socialization and homeschool

When my wife and I decided to homeschool our children, and one of the concerns I heard was "what about their socialization?

Socialization (definition):
noun 1. the activity of mixing socially with others.
"Socialization with students has helped her communication skills."
2. the process of learning to behave in a way that is acceptable to society.
"Preschool starts the process of socialization."

We were not so concerned about this.  

My main concern was over the content of the teaching and the philosophy that the school material and the individual teachers would try to promote.

Children should learn their social skills primarily from their parents and maybe grandparents.  If parents do not provide a good example and try to instill proper behavior around others, I think it will be more difficult for their children to have good social skills.

Children can still have contact with other children through siblings, other relatives, neighbors and friends.  They also can have interaction with children at church.

Other children can often have a bad influence on your children.  There is usually pressure from other children to do things you know you shouldn't.

Kids in school are a varied bunch of immature characters.  I made some friends in school, but we didn't always get along.  Kids can be mean and form their little cliques.    Few kids are able to stand alone when the group is doing something they shouldn't, and I think this is a real concern for parents who want to instill certain values in their children, for they are under the pressure to adopt the behavior of the group of kids they are socializing with.  That pressure often involves some alcohol drinking, drug use, premarital sex or pornography, vandalism, and just rebellious behavior.  The socialization of the public school makes this easier to participate in, because so many are doing it.  I saw it all going on back in the mid 70's, so the need for socialization by the public school doesn't interest me. 

The majority of children in school have little or no exposure to the Bible, and that includes teachers, so don't be surprised if your children become even more alienated to spiritual things.  The public school is not a place for Christian education, but it makes it more difficult when the teaching has a subtle philosophy that is antichristian.

How do you know you believe?

 

If a person says they believe something, the more natural question is why do you believe it, not how do you know you that believe it.  

 

If someone said they believed that the earth was flat, I would not ask them, “How do you know you believe that?”   I would ask them, “why do you believe that?”  

 

If a person doubts their salvation, I would ask them what they believe.  It could be that they never understood the terms of salvation correctly, but I would like to know what the content of their faith is.

Some take the view that one cannot believe something and later not believe it.  But why not?  Why couldn't one have a change of mind? 

But one may not have believed in the right thing, as well, and had a false assurance.  

When we speak of "saving faith," we are speaking of faith in a particular content.  What if the content was wrong or incomplete at the supposed point of saving faith?

 

I would like to know what a person believes and what persuaded them.

Deliver us from evil

Revelation 3:10 “I also will keep [tereo] you from [ek] the hour of trial [temptation]…”

I can’t say with certainty that the ‘hour of trial’ is the great tribulation, but even if it is, the deliverance may not be necessarily a physical one, especially since such a great multitude of Christians will go through it:  Revelation 12.17; 13.7; 7.9-14.  

It may be a spiritual kind of deliverance.

Compare this with John 17:15 “I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep [tereo] them from [ek] the evil [ponerou].

This kind of keeping sounds like the Lord’s prayer: “deliver us from the evil [ponerou].  The keeping from the “hour” in Rev 3.10 may be the same idea and be of a spiritual kind (not a physical kind, since many believers will be put to death during the great tribulation, Rev6.9-11).

The Kingdom of God and Heaven as "Already, Not Yet"

I don’t believe there is a difference between “Kingdom of God” and “kingdom of heaven."   I see them used interchangeably in the Gospels, and trying to distinguish them seems unnecessary.  I believe “of God” references the person to whom the authority belongs, while “of heaven” speaks of the place or throne of that authority.   I don’t believe one refers to the Millennium and the other refers to the Eternal State.

I agree with Eldon Ladd that “the kingdom of God” has as it primary meaning that of authority.  The kingdom is the authority that is given.  The realm of authority and the people of that authority are secondary.   Daniel 7:13-14 has a vision of the Son of man coming to the Ancient of Days to receive a kingdom; I would understand that to be an authority.   That Son of man is Christ, and he will receive an authority to reign.  Of course, that kingdom will include a people and a place, but I believe authority is the primary aspect.  I believe that authority already exists, but it has different stages of manifestation, and this is where I also agree with Ladd who emphasizes an “already, not yet” reality of the kingdom.

The kingdom has its association with Christ.   It is to him that the authority is given as seen in Daniel 7:13-14.  That authority of Christ is given because of what He did in his first coming.  But that authority was already being represented and seen in his first coming.  That authority represented and seen in the first coming was a foretaste of what was to come.  

There is a present stage of the kingdom even after Christ’s coming as represented in the salvation of those who believe in Christ for eternal life.  Those who believe in Him are subjects of His authority and the future new world order. This may be seen as the “already, not yet” aspect of the kingdom.   The future aspect of the kingdom, in a more manifested sense, is the Millennial kingdom [MK].  After the MK, it is the eternal state.   These last two aspects are usually understood as the “age to come.”  The present age of the “already, not yet” stage is still considered part of the “this age” or the “present evil age.”  

Eldon Ladd has charts that show these different stages.  

       

The “already, not yet” stage could be represented as that small beginning with the first coming, particularly with the events of the day of Pentecost in which several thousands were saved.

This will come as more of a Preterist view of things, but it could be seen that the kingdom had its small beginning with the first coming of Christ and Pentecost, and this will continue to grow until the manifestation in the earth at Christ’s coming again. The parables of the Leaven hidden in meal or the growth of the mustard seed into a tree speak of small beginnings but with great growth. This may seem like Postmillennialism, but these parables may speak simply of the small beginning of the kingdom in the “already” sense, but following the second coming, it will fill the earth. Daniel 2.35, 44-45 has the “great mountain” striking Nebuchadnezzar’s dream-image and filling the earth—the mountain is a kingdom that God will set up in the days of those kings represented which shall never be destroyed. Though futurists tend to believe the feet and toes of the image represent the Roman empire in a latter day revival (some may see it as a Ottoman Empire revival), and the mountain hitting the image is the second coming, there is a good argument for the feet and toes to be part of the legs and representing Rome of the past, and the mountain striking the image began with the first stage of the kingdom in its advance following Pentecost.

During the Roman Empire, God began to “set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed” (Dan 2.44), and that kingdom will eventually fill the earth and subdue all these past earthly kingdoms. Jesus’s claim that His church will not be destroyed (the “gates of hades shall not prevail against it”) could be understood of this kingdom as it advances through the ages--this age and the age to come.

The Day of Vengeance comes after great tribulation to give rest to the persecuted

The 5^th seal of Revelation speaks of Martyrs who ask when their deaths will be avenged.  I think these martyrs refer to those who die during the great tribulation, but if they include those of past times, the reference to more martyrs to come before the expected vengeance would support the conclusion that the great tribulation is not the Day of vengeance but precedes it.  The great tribulation will be a time of persecution unlike any other, and certainly those who will die during the persecutions of that time would be included with these martyrs that are in view.  Those martyrs will be resurrected at the coming of Christ and be given their rest at that time.  The Day of vengeance will come after great tribulation.

Revelation 6: “9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.  10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"  11  Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer,

until both [the] [number] [of] their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they [were], was completed.”

This is consistent with Chapter 1 of second Thessalonians: “4 we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,  5  [which] [is] manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; 

6  since [it] [is] a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 

7  and to [give] you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 

8  in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Notice that those who are persecuted will be given rest when Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.  The timing of this has to be after great tribulation.  This Day of Vengeance is when Jesus is revealed from Heaven with his mighty angels.  This “Day” and the revealing of Jesus from heaven follows the same scenario Jesus gave in his “Olivet Discourse.”  Jesus spoke of Great Tribulation, and then after that tribulation, He will be revealed, coming with His angels.  That coming will be like the days of Noah.  It will be the Day of divine judgment, and it will be a more direct judgment of Christ himself coming to earth to make war with the nations. 

Matthew 24: “21  "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  22  "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  …  Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  30  "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  31  "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. …   37  "But as the days of Noah [were], so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  38  "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,  39  "and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

Obadiah 1:  “15  "For  the   day   of   the   Lord  upon all  the nations [is] near;  As you have done, it shall be done to you; Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.  16  For as you drank on my holy mountain,  [So] shall all  the  nations drink continually;  Yes, they shall drink, and swallow,  And they shall be as though they had never been.”

Joel 1: “15  Alas for  the   day !  For  the   day   of   the   Lord  [is] at hand;  It shall come as destruction from  the Almighty.”

Jeremiah 46: “10  For this [is]  the   day   of   the   Lord  God  of hosts,  A  day   of  vengeance,  That He may avenge Himself on His adversaries.  The  sword shall devour;  It shall be satiated and made drunk with their blood;”

Isaiah 13: “6  Wail, for  the   day   of   the   Lord  [is] at hand! It will come as destruction from  the Almighty. …9  Behold,  the   day   of   the   Lord  comes,  Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger,  To lay  the  land desolate;  And He will destroy its sinners from it.  10  For  the  stars  of  heaven and their constellations  Will not give their light;  The  sun will be darkened in its going forth,  And  the  moon will not cause its light to shine.  11  "I will punish  the  world for [its] evil,  And  the  wicked for their iniquity;  I will halt  the  arrogance  of   the  proud,  And will lay low  the  haughtiness  of   the terrible. …13  Therefore I will shake  the  heavens,  And  the  earth will move out  of  her place,  In  the  wrath  of   the   Lord   of  hosts  And in  the   day   of  His fierce anger.”

Joel 2: “31  The  sun shall be turned into darkness,  And  the  moon into blood,  Before  the  coming  of   the  great and awesome  day   of   the   Lord.”

Joel 3: “14  Multitudes, multitudes in  the  valley  of decision!  For  the   day   of   the   Lord  [is] near in  the valley  of  decision.  15  The  sun and moon will grow dark,  And  the  stars will diminish their brightness.”

Revelation 6: “12  I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth  of hair, and the moon became like blood.  13  And the stars  of  heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.  14  Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out  of  its place.  15  And the kings  of  the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks  of  the mountains,  16  and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face  of  Him who sits on the throne and from the  wrath   of  the Lamb!  17  "For the great  day   of   His   wrath  has come, and who is able to stand?"

The day of Vengeance and wrath comes in the sixth seal, after the fifth seal which represents the martyrs whose number is complete coming out of great tribulation.  The sixth seal reveals the cosmic events that come after the tribulation and immediately precede the coming of Christ and his direct judgment of the nations, and it is at that time he gathers his elect and gives rest to those who were persecuted by the nations who do not know God.