Paul teaches us that we have been saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8). However, we have a part in our own salvation, not because God needed our help, but because He desired effort on our part. Sure, God could save us without any action taken on our part at all, but that was not God’s will. Paul did not just say that we have been saved by grace, he said that we have been saved by grace through faith. Grace is God’s part. Faith is man’s part, and without it, pleasing God is impossible.

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Faith is not something that is miraculously given to man by God. It is produced by God’s Word (Romans 10:17). When a person hears the Word of God, he or she has a choice to either accept or reject it. A perfect example of this took place when people heard the Word preached for the first time on the day of Pentecost. At that time there were Jews dwelling in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven (Acts 2:5). After hearing a sermon on the resurrection of Christ, many of the Jews were cut to the heart (Acts 2:37). Why? It was because the Word of God moved them to believe that Jesus was the Son of God. This is what the Word does. There is no need for a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a person’s heart. Man can hear and believe the Word without that. Throughout the Word of God, we have examples of people being moved to repentance by simply hearing God’s Word. In Acts 4:4 we read of those who heard the Word and believed. There was no outpouring of the Spirit or special illumination given by God…just hearing and believing. That is the power of the gospel. When Philip went down to Samaria and preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us that both men and women believed and were baptized (Acts 8:12). So, in order to be saved, man has the responsibility to believe the truth of God’s Word and respond to it.

What kind of faith saves us? Is it just believing that God exists and that Jesus is His Son? No, there is more to saving faith than that. Real faith is trusting God enough to obey His instructions. When it comes to man’s initial salvation, it involves obeying the gospel by repenting and being baptized. Do you remember those whose hearts were cut on the day of Pentecost after they heard the Word of God? Their newly found faith moved them to follow the instructions of Peter and be baptized (Acts 2:38). Saving faith, however, does not cease when one becomes a Christian. It continues to obey. Faith apart from works is useless (James 2:20).

No chapter in the Bible gives us a better picture of saving faith than the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain (ver. 4). By faith Enoch lived a life that was commended by God (ver. 5 ). By faith Noah obeyed God and built an ark (ver. 7). By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go to a place, not knowing where he was going (ver. 8). Can we not see what saving faith looks like from Hebrews eleven? It not only believes that God exists, it obeys God under all circumstances. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that some in times past were willing to be mocked, tortured, flogged, imprisoned, stoned, killed with the sword, and even sawed in two, all because of the saving faith that they had in God (Hebrews 11:35-37). What kind of faith do you have? No, you could not be saved were it not for the amazing grace of God; however, we have a responsibility too. We are saved by grace through faith.

As you wind down for the night, think on these things.