Salvation-The Sinner's Faith in Jesus Christ Appropriates Salvation
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday December 15, 2015
Salvation: The Sinner’s Faith in Jesus Christ Appropriates Salvation
Lesson # 11
The Scriptures teach that the spiritually dead sinner appropriates the salvation provided for them through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ by exercising faith in Jesus Christ.
There are three forms of perception: (1) Empiricism: Trusting in one’s experiences in life to make decisions. (2) Rationalism: Trusting in one’s intellect to make decisions in life. (3) Faith: Trusting in the authority of another to make decisions in life.
Faith is the only system of perception that God will accept because it is compatible with His grace policy (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The object of the Christian’s faith at the moment of conversion is the Lord Jesus Christ and the object of his faith after conversion is the written Word of God.
Faith for the Christian is trusting in the authority of the Word of God in order to govern one’s life.
Faith is obedience to God’s commands and is the positive response to God’s commands and acting upon those directions.
The Bible never separates faith from obedience (cf. Hebrews 11:8).
Unbelief on the other hand is disobedient and is the negative response to God’s commands and as a result the failure to act upon God’s commands (Hebrews 3:12).
After conversion the believer is to walk by means of faith in the Word of God (2 Corinthians 5:7; Galatians 2:20; Romans 1:16-17; Hebrews 10:37-38).
Just as the Christian received the Lord Jesus as his Savior by exercising faith in Him for eternal salvation, so after conversion he is to live by the same principle of faith (Compare Ephesians 2:8-9 with Colossians 2:5-7).
The principle of faith operates quite simply: (1) God speaks and we hear His Word. (2) We trust His Word and act on it no matter what the circumstances are or what the consequences may be.
The circumstances may be impossible, and the consequences frightening and unknown but we obey God’s Word just the same and believe Him to do what is right and what is best.
One of the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith is that of the doctrine of justification.
This doctrine has given assurance to believers throughout the centuries and has changed the course of human history.
By way of definition, justification is a judicial act of God whereby He declares a person to be righteous as a result of crediting or imputing to that person His righteousness the moment they exercised faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
Consequently, God accepts that person and enters that person into a relationship with Himself since they now possess His righteousness.
The mechanics of justification are as follows: (1) God condemns the sinner, which qualifies them to receive His grace. (2) The sinner believes in Jesus Christ as His Savior. (3) God imputes or credits Christ’s righteousness to the believer. (4) God declares that person as righteous as a result of acknowledging His Son’s righteousness in that person.
Justification is God declaring a person to be righteous as a result of acknowledging or recognizing His righteousness in that person, and which righteousness He imputed to that person as a result of their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
It causes no one to be righteous but rather is the recognition and declaration by God that one is righteous as He is.
It is a once and for all declaration, which never changes and never can be rescinded since God is a perfect Judge who because He is immutable, always makes perfect decisions.
To be justified by God through faith alone in Christ alone means that God can never condemn us for our sins.
It means that a believer can never lose his salvation because of any sin since God, who is a perfect judge, rendered a perfect decision when he declared righteous the person, who exercised faith in His Son Jesus Christ!
Thus, Paul declares the following: Romans 8:1, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
The Scriptures teach that the only way that a member of the human race can ever be declared righteous by God is through receiving the gift of divine righteousness by grace through faith alone in Christ alone.
In Romans 3:28, Paul teaches that justification is by means of faith in Jesus Christ, independently of actions produced by obedience to the Law.
Romans 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. (NASB95)
In Romans 5:1, Paul teaches that since the believer has been justified by faith in Jesus Christ, he has peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. (NASB95)
The apostle Paul in Romans 5:9 writes that if Christ died as a substitute for sinners, how much more then, will He deliver the sinner justified by faith in Jesus Christ from the wrath of God.
In this passage, Paul uses the logical argument of a fortiori.
Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. (NASB95)
The Christian experiences his salvation after their conversion by exercising faith in the Word of God.
In fact, fellowship with God is based upon a moment-by-moment walk of faith in the Lord.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the {life} which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (NASB95)
Faith in the Word of God is the way to victory over the enemy, Satan.
1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith. (NASB95)
In fact, the believer is commanded to take up for himself the shield of faith.
Ephesians 6:16 In addition to everything, I solemnly charge all of you to take up for yourselves your shield, which is your faith because that will enable all of you to extinguish all the flaming arrows originating from the evil one. (Author’s translation)
The believer acquires faith through hearing the communication of the Word of Christ.
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (NASB95)
Answered prayer requires faith and is thus an expression of confidence in God’s ability to meet one’s need (Matt. 8:10; Luke 7:9; Matt. 9:22; Mark 5:34; Luke 8:48; Matt. 9:29; 17:20; Luke 17:5; Mark 9:29; Matt. 21:22; Mark 11:24; 1 John 3:21-22; James 1:5-8; 5:15).
True faith regards what has been requested as one’s own possession even though the request has not been received.
Faith is an attitude toward God, in which the believer considers God to be faithful who will perform all that which He is promised in His Word.
This attitude is illustrated in Philippians 1:6.
The great Old Testament saints were men and women who lived by this principle of faith.
Hebrews 11:1-3 gives a definition of faith and also a description of the nature of faith or in other words, what faith does and how it works.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. (NASB95)
The Lord will test the believer’s faith after conversion in order to produce endurance in them.
James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 2 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance 3 and let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (NASB95)
The Lord rewards the believer after his faith has been tested.
James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (NASB95)