TOPIC 16 OF 47
Saved Through Faith
Faith receives Christ’s promise and rests in his saving work.
THE MAIN TRUTH
We are saved by God’s grace through the Gospel of Jesus Christ when we, as repentant sinners, receive him by faith alone.
The teaching
From the book · pages 47–49
We are saved by God’s grace through the Gospel of Jesus Christ when we, as repentant sinners, receive him by faith alone. Faith in Christ includes knowledge of the Gospel and acceptance of its truth, but faith essentially consists of confident trust in the Lord Jesus.
By faith, we surrender and embrace the external, objective promises of Jesus and his saving work for us. Saving faith does not look to our reasoning ability, our moral achievements, or any emotional experience; faith looks to Jesus. Faith may be conscious or unconscious of itself, such as when believers sleep or when the mentally challenged or young children trust in the spoken words of Christ, just as an infant trusts the voice of its mother.
Faith is not a work we accomplish but a gift of God’s grace. Through the Word, the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts to trust in Christ. When the Spirit brings us to faith in Christ, he unites us to Christ and his body, the Church; he gives us new hearts and desires; and he strengthens us to persevere in faith until he brings us to the resurrection of the body and eternal life.
Scripture foundations
All Scripture excerpts from this topic are presented below in the book’s order. Ellipses and bracketed explanations follow the manuscript. Select a reference to read the surrounding passage in the EHV.
Reading these passages together
The passages show faith as trust in Christ and as a gift worked through God’s Word. Its saving strength lies in the Savior it receives, not in self-confidence or the intensity of an experience.
15 Scripture excerpt groups
SCRIPTURE 01
Ephesians 2:8-9 ↗
“Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Book page 48
SCRIPTURE 02
Acts 16:31 ↗
“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Book page 48
SCRIPTURE 03
Titus 1:1; Acts 2:41; 2 Thessalonians 3:4; Hebrews 11:1 ↗
“. . . knowledge of the truth . . .” “. . . accepted his message . . . “ “. . . confidence in the Lord . . .” “Faith is being sure about what we hope for, being convinced about things we do not see.”
Book page 48
SCRIPTURE 04
Romans 10:10 ↗
“. . . with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and it is with the mouth that a person confesses, resulting in salvation.”
Book page 48
SCRIPTURE 05
Colossians 2:6; Acts 11:23 ↗
“. . . just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him . . .” “. . . remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts.”
Book page 48
SCRIPTURE 06
Romans 4:16,21 ↗
“. . . the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace and may be guaranteed . . . fully convinced that God was able to do what he promised.”
Book page 48
SCRIPTURE 07
Romans 3:28; 9:32; 10:3 ↗
“For we conclude that a person is justified by faith without the works of the law.” “. . . they kept pursuing it not by faith, but as if it comes by works.” “. . . and sought to establish their own righteousness. . .”
Book page 48
SCRIPTURE 08
Hebrews 12:2 ↗
“Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who is the author of our faith and the one who brings it to its goal.”
Book page 49
SCRIPTURE 09
Psalm 3:5 ↗
“I lie down, and I sleep. I awake, because the Lord sustains me.”
Book page 49
SCRIPTURE 10
Psalm 22:9-10 ↗
“You made me trust when I was at my mother’s breasts. I was cast on you from the womb . . . you have been my God.”
Book page 49
SCRIPTURE 11
Matthew 18:3,6 ↗
“. . . Unless you are turned and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven . . . these little ones who believe in me. . .”
Book page 49
SCRIPTURE 12
Romans 10:17; Colossians 2:12 ↗
“So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through the word of Christ.” “. . . the faith worked by the God who raised Christ from the dead.”
Book page 49
SCRIPTURE 13
Acts 15:7-9,11 ↗
“. . . [they] hear the message of the gospel and believe . . . [God] giving them the Holy Spirit . . . cleansing their hearts by faith . . . through the grace of our Lord Jesus.”
Book page 49
SCRIPTURE 14
Ephesians 1:13-14; 2:22 ↗
“. . . in him, when you also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit . . . the downpayment of our inheritance . . .” “In him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
Book page 49
SCRIPTURE 15
1 Peter 1:5 ↗
“Through faith you are being protected by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of time.”
Book page 49
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture passages are from the Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV), copyright 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission, as noted in the manuscript.
PERSONAL REFLECTION OR GROUP DISCUSSION
Reflect and pray
How does trust in Jesus differ from merely knowing facts about him?
Why is faith not another work by which we earn salvation?
What promise can you return to when your faith feels weak?
A prayer
Lord Jesus, we believe; help our unbelief. Turn us from measuring ourselves to trusting your promises, and sustain us through your living Word. Amen.