- The Salvation Secured by Your Faith

7. The Salvation Secured by Your Faith

There is also a common misreading of the passages of Scriptures that speak of faith and salvation. There are passages of Scriptures that speak of faith or belief as the result and effect of eternal salvation applied at effectual calling – justification, regeneration and adoption. Take for example these passages:
a. Eph 2:5,8 “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)… For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” ‘Are saved’ is perfect tense, passive voice and participle mood – indicating an aspect of salvation that is already completed when God effectually called an elect out of spiritual death unto eternal life.
b. 2Tim 1:8-9 “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” The verb ‘hath saved’ speaks of a simple past action which is completed.
c. Titus 3:4-5 “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

There are also passages that speak of faith as the cause of salvation. For example:
a. Mark 16:16 “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.”
b. John 10:9 “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
c. Ac 4:12 “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
b. Acts 16:30-31 “And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
e. Romans 10:9,13 “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
f. Ph. 2:12 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
g. 1Ti 2:15* “Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.”

These two groups of passages do not contradict each other. Rightly diving the Word of God will show that they are in perfect harmony. This is simply because the eternal salvation bestowed by grace [once for all completed past action before faith] is something distinct from the salvation that follows and accompanies [present tense] the living by faith in Jesus Christ. The eternal salvation bestowed [simple past tense] that produced a justified man fitted for eternal glory (Rom 8:30) is different from the temporal salvation experienced and enjoyed as the justified man lives [simple present tense] his redeemed life by faith in Jesus Christ. Eternal salvation cannot be increased or be diminished. It is completed, bestowed by grace, waiting to be consummated, i.e. glorification. Temporal salvation experienced and enjoyed by believers is affected by various factors.

The salvation experienced and enjoyed as the justified man lives [simple present tense] his redeemed [simple past tense] life by faith in Jesus Christ is, negatively, deliverance from the present ravages and miseries and heartaches that accompany sins here and now in this life; and positively, the comfort, assurance, hope, communion of the saints, etc as we journey through this world in this body of sin. This salvation must be actively pursued, worked out with fear and trembling for our present comfort and assurance.

Distinction is the essence of sound theology, and this principle is essential in differentiating the eternal life that precedes faith, and the redeemed life that follows faith; as well as the eternal salvation bestowed by free grace and the temporal salvation which is obtained by the justified ones as they work out, by the grace of God, their own salvation with fear and trembling.

Take John 12:25 e.g., “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” There is a clear distinction between ‘his life’ and ‘eternal life.’ ‘His life’ may be lost or may be kept depending on how he lives his redeemed life – whether he loves or hates his life in this world. The ‘eternal life’ is a gift from God that can never be gained or lost. The present life that Christ has redeemed may be gained or be lost depending on the way one lives it – whether he loves his redeemed life in this world, or he hates his redeemed life in this world. A redeemed life lived by faith in Christ Jesus is a truly blessed life… it shall be kept for eternal life. A truly blessed life is obtained by hating one’s life in this world… by living the redeemed life for Christ, and not for self. A life that is lived for self and not for Christ – i.e., ‘loves his life in this world’ – however ‘successful and glamorous’ is a lost life. What is lost is not the eternal life! One will not be able to keep such a life for eternal life. Such life is a wasted and squandered life. Alas, what a wasted life many true believers seem to live because of the ‘kia-su’ virus. The prodigal son was one such. Lot was another. A life that lays up treasures in heaven, and not treasure in this world is a life that is kept for eternal life! But Abraham kept his life for eternal life.

There are passages of Scriptures that speak of salvation to be consummated at a future time:
a. “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” Rom 13:11.
b. “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” Tit 2:13
c. “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory,” Eph 1:13.
d. “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” Heb 1:14; 9:28.
e. 1 Pet 1:3-5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

These speak of the eternal salvation to be consummated by grace at the second coming of Christ. It is not the same as the temporal salvation conditioned upon faith and obedience. It is the glorification of all the elect by pure grace.

8. The View of a Baptist Greek Scholar

I have no desire to quote men to support a theological viewpoint. It is not a difficult task to quote any number of men who would agree with one’s idea. Our Confession states that the Holy Scripture is the only rule of faith and practice. This is not to deny that they are not great scholars and men of God. But since you have cited Dr. Richard P. Belcher as an authority to support the anti-scriptural view that believing is necessary to eternal life, I will reciprocate in kind. Dr A.T. Robertson, recognized as the undisputed Greek scholar of Greek scholars, in his exegesis of 1John 5:1 penned these words, “The Divine Begetting is the antecedent, not the consequent of the believing” to explain the text “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” An ‘antecedent’ is something that happens before another. Divine begetting of spiritual and eternal life precedes, happens before the spiritual activity of believing.


9. Conclusion

Some people sincerely believe that their believing is instrumental in securing for them eternal life. I as pastor of SDC have always believed that an elect believes because he has been given life. He believes because he has been birthed with spiritual and eternal life! Could anything be more self-evident! You are now informed of what the pastor of SDC actually believes concerning the point you have raised with SDC. I don’t believe that “repentance and faith are necessary IN ORDER to have eternal life.” What I do believe is that repentance and faith are necessary to manifest the eternal life that has been bestowed while one was dead in sin. Faith is the sole instrument appointed by God to evidence the justified and regenerated state of a person.