ONE Faith

How do people go to Heaven?

“By having faith in Jesus.”

How do people go to Hell? “By not having faith in Jesus.”

So its not on their ability to do good works? or think nice things? Be good people… correct?

So people are saved because they believe in Jesus? Yes? So what about the people who can’t? What about the babies? They don’t have the cognitive ability to accept these principals as true so how are they saved? What about those individuals who have intellectual disabilities that limit their mental functioning and skills? If they are not capable of belief how are they saved?

I think of Lennie from “Of Mice and Men” who killed Curley’s wife on accident by shaking her too hard because she wouldn’t stop yelling, because he had hold of her hair, because he liked to touch soft things. He wasn’t malicious or wrathful. He was scared and caused an accident. So what about Lennie?

Some have suggested that those without the cognitive ability to believe are saved because of their innocence. They harbor no ill will, so they don’t have to believe. But then I ask you, if salvation is ONLY through Christ, and in one hand he offers belief and the other he offers innocence.... wouldn’t it be safer to intellectually disabled? You can reject belief so wouldn’t it be a better assurance of salvation to simple not comprehend?

The argument quickly falls apart: So lets back it up...

What is Faith?

Often times when asked to define faith you will here someone quote Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Sometimes you will even hear Romans 10:9 focusing on the believe in your heart.

Romans 10:9 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Either way more often than not when people describe faith it usually is synonymous with belief. There is no question you cannot believe without faith, but lets back up, but can faith abide before or maybe without belief?

Faith is the means of salvation

Ephesians 2:8 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Faith: Faith is the means by which we are saved.

but lets back up, but can faith abide before or maybe without belief?

Is the absence of sin the guarantee of salvation?

What can faith do?

Move Mountains?

Matthew 17:20 ESV

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Grant Wisdom

1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Where does it come from?

Hebrews 12:2 ESV

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus is Fully God and Fully man

For the first 1000 years the church dealt with many challenges regarding the nature of Jesus. Every once in a while a theologian would show up who had a different spin on how the divinity of Jesus related to the humanity of Jesus. From those great debates to clarify the nature of Jesus’ relationship to God and us the Creeds were created. Those variant theologies were called heresies because they diverted from the one true Faith.

Fundamentally the question is: Is Jesus God and/or man, and how do those natures relate to each other. Is he 100% God wearing a man costume? Is he 100% man, a puppet of God? is He 50/50% half of both? Jesus is 100% God and 100% man, because with out that there is no way for Him to accomplish salvation.