What saves us? Chirst or ‘our faith’ in Christ.
My dear friends…What saves you?
Does Jesus Christ save you or does ‘your faith’ in Jesus Christ save you?
Many of you may think that this is a play on words. It is not. Satan uses subtlety to get humans to believe in ‘self’ instead of Christ. If the Adversary’s tactics were overt and obvious, then nobody would fall for them.
So, let me clarify this question: Do you believe that Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection saves you? OR: Do you believe that Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection only makes it possible to be saved if you accept it by faith?
First, let’s take a look at if you believe that ‘faith’ comes from your ‘free-will’ choice in which God cannot or will not influence. If your faith and free-will is actually free, then God cannot touch it…otherwise…its not free. Therefore:
This belief rests on the premise that Christ’s death for sin, His entombment, and His resurrection actually saved nobody by itself. Christ saved not one person by His work on the cross unless a person believes He saved them by their own faith. You have to come to this conclusion because ‘if you have no faith’ then you are not saved. Therefore, Christ did not save you if you are not saved. As a result, without faith, the cross of Christ has no effect of salvation. The cross of Christ, without man’s faith, does nothing.
So, what actually saves you? Christ or ‘your faith’ in Christ? The obvious answer is that its ‘your faith’ in Christ that actually saves you, not Christ. Christ only made it possible for you to save yourself. Do you see how the Adversary has turned Christ’s accomplishment of salvation into human ‘self’ accomplishment?
Now, the saved person can boast in what he or she has done for salvation. They can boast because they have done something that others have not, in order to be saved. Of course the religious would never claim they are boasting because scripture debars it. However, boasting overtly or quietly is still boasting.
Okay, so does faith play a part in salvation? I am getting to that. However, to explain the role of our faith in salvation, I am going to start at the end. Here we go:
The end goal of God and everything that has ever happened in this world is for God to be All in all of His creation. Every creature that dies in Adam will be made immortal in Christ and so will every sovereignty, authority, and power. This includes all humans, animals, and spiritual entities. This is proven in Colossians 1:15-20 and 1 Corinthians 15: 21-28, and throughout the scripture.
Here in Romans 5: 18-19, Paul explains that we get death and condemnation from Adam, not because of anything we have or have not done…not because of any faith we had or didn’t have. Well, comparatively, we get life and justification from Christ, not because of anything we have or have not done..not because of any faith we had or didn’t have.
18 Consequently, then, as it was through one offense for all mankind for condemnation, thus also it is through one just award for all mankind for life’s justifying.
19 For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, the many shall be constituted just.
Okay, so if we are all with God in the end because and only because of the death of Christ for sin, His entombment, and His resurrection…then where does our faith come in?
Let’s look at Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 4:10:
10 (for for this are we toiling and being reproached), that we rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers.
You see, in the end, God saves all mankind. However, before the end, some have an early and special salvation. Well, how do these people have a special salvation?
FAITH!
So here is the truth of scripture: Everyone is saved by and only by Christ’s death, entombment, and resurrection. Those that have faith realize and live in this salvation first, those that don’t have faith need to go through judgement in order to realize this salvation. All done by God, through Christ.
Those that do not have faith are not banished to an eternal hell hole, but miss out on some glorious ages until they eventually are saved by the blood of the cross.
Okay, so someone might argue that this faith that results in a special salvation is a human’s free will choice in which they can boast. However, that is not the case. Why?
Because that faith is not an act of ‘free-will’ but is given to each by GOD.
3 For I am saying, through the grace which is given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to be overweening, beyond what your disposition must be, but to be of a sane disposition, as GOD PARTS TO EACH A MEASURE OF FAITH. -Romans 12:3
Scripture says that God chooses who will believe and then gives them the faith at His appointed time. Note what Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:9:
9 Who saves us and calls us with a holy calling, not in accord with our acts, but in accord with His own purpose and the grace which is given to us in Christ Jesus before times eonian…
We get grace, through faith, and this grace was given to believers before time began. Therefore, the faith was given before time began. It is impossible for human beings to believe in God without God giving them the faith. So, nothing happens out of man’s supposed ‘free will.’
48 Now on hearing this, the nations rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and they believe, whoever were set for life eonian. – Acts 13:48
You see, God determines who will have this special salvation (agelong life) and then gives those that He has chosen the faith that is needed. It is not up to the human. The faith that is given by God is faith to believe that Christ did everything and accomplished salvation, apart from any human contribution, on the cross.
Faith does not save you but brings you to a realization that you have been saved by Christ. Those that do not have faith have still been saved by Christ, though they will not realize this until judgement and they will miss out on the glorious aionion life that is part of the ‘special salvation.’
This is true faith: Believing that Christ accomplished salvation apart from your ‘self’ contribution. This is the difference between believing that Christ saved you and believing that ‘your faith’ has saved you. This is the difference between being a member of the Christian religion and being a member of the Body of Christ.
Grace and peace to you all.
Saved ignoble 
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