If there is agreement on any Bible subject, it Is that faith is necessary to be saved. Some believe in “faith only;” as all a person must do to be saved is just believe. Some believe that “repentance” comes before faith, which is strange doctrine, as why would a person repent, if he did not believe. There is a passage which reads: “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). We have often pointed out that context must be understood if the passage is to be understood and this is one such text. Who was Jesus addressing? He was addressing the Jews before his death. They were sinners and needed to repent of their sins so they could be ready for the gospel. This was before Pentecost, which is covered in Acts chapter two. Jesus was trying to prepare their hearts for the gospel which would come later, but without repentance they would not be ready for it. All things must be read in the context in which it appears! We are believing unto Abraham’s bosom.
Faith is a most comforting thing! Just think for a moment. When we stand as the body of a loved one who is being put into the ground; if there is no faith on our part, then, we are standing at the end! I mean the end as there is nothing else for that loved one, we are putting into the ground, our faith stands before all else! A life lived without faith in the word of God is a most miserable life. First, we must believe in God; then, we must believe the Bible is the inspired word of God; then, we must believe the gospel; and we believe that our spiritual life rests in “the teaching of Christ” (2 John 9). This believing brings us to Christ who is our salvation!
For, Paul wrote: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Rom.1:16-17) We will not write anything on this text, as we have written eleven articles on it. However, it does show that believing is necessary to our salvation. The gospel and salvation go together, just as faith and salvation go together. Believing is required, as it leads us to repentance, which leads us to confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Our confession takes us to baptism which is where we come to salvation. Now, it is understood that some do not believe that baptism is necessary to salvation; however, Peter wrote: “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us, …” (1 Pet. 3:21). It is in baptism that we put on Christ, as Paul wrote: “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal.l 3:27). It is here that we learn that we are all one in Christ; for Paul continues to write: “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).
In all of this, we have learned the place of “our faith” in our salvation! At the same time, we have learned that it is never faith only, but faith runs all through our salvation there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Anytime we stop believing the gospel we have lost our salvation! By removing our faith, we have put something else in its place, but there is no salvation without faith in the gospel of Christ! Thus, we have seen how faith leads us unto salvation.
Frank R. Williams