How am I saved? Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, That verse settles it, I am saved through faith. Ephesians 2:5 … (by grace you have been saved),” ok I guess I am saved by grace also. Wait, I read another passage that says, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5”. Now I’ve got it, I am saved by the mercy of Jesus, grace, and through faith. But what am I going to do with passages like 1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism does also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: and Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the words of my Savior Jesus Christ that clearly say belief and baptism have a part in my salvation. The more I read my Bible the more I see a list of things that are said to save me. The next paragraph contains part but not all of the things found in the New Testament that are said to save.
The Word saves me: James 1:21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Coming to God saves me: Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Continuing in the doctrine saves me: 1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. Jesus Christ saves me: 1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. The Gospel saves me if I hold fast to the inspired words: 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, (2) by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. Believing the preached message can save me: 1 Corinthians 1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. Calling on the name of the Lord saves me: Romans 10:13 For "WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED." Confession and belief in Christ will save me: Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Hope saves me: Romans 8:24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?
So which is it? What is it that actually saves me? Everything that the Holy Bible mentions as something that saves us is truly part of our salvation process. The Bible does not say that repentance saves me but Jesus said Luke 13:3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Paul said this about repentance: 2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
This takes us back to the title of this lesson. “I am saved through faith”. When we understand what true biblical faith is, then we begin to see that “faith” is a single word that describes the whole. For me to say that, “I am saved by faith only”, would be a false statement. James 2:24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. When I understand the proper use of the word faith and that it is a synecdoche, which sums up the whole process of salvation, I then can truly say, “I am saved through faith”. Yes all I need for salvation is “Faith” but it must be true faith. A true faith includes everything that the Bible says is part of God's plan of salvation. This includes Jesus Christ and His blood, His mercy, hope in Him, repentance, confession in Christ, water baptism, living faithful unto death, and anything else that is mentioned in God's holy word as part of His salvation plan.
Going back to the word synecdoche, it is defined as follows; “a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole”. If I say that, “I obey the law”, I have used a synecdoche. I obey the rulings that have been written down in the law books that govern the land in which I live. I obey the officers and government officials who give me lawful orders. I obey the lawfully posted traffic signs and street markings, etc... Instead of going through the long list, I use a figure of speech called a synecdoche and I simply say, “I obey the law.”
Instead of going through the long list of everything that the New Testament teaches as a part of my salvation, I can instead use a synecdoche and say, “I am saved through faith.” The problem is that many who claim to be a Christian say that they are saved by faith and contend that it is by “faith only”. To them, faith is simply saying, “I believe in Jesus”, but not actually acting upon the teachings found in the New Testament. The way in which they use the term “saved by faith” is very different from what the Bible actually reveals in regards to one being “saved through faith”. Through true faith I'm going to act upon ALL that God's Holy Word reveals to be the will of the Creator. The Bible mentions several things that contribute to our salvation. You are not being truthful with the scriptures if you simply pick out one thing such as confession, faith, or belief and then say, “that alone saves”.
A good summation would be to say it like this; My faith is in Jesus Christ. Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; 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 for me.” If my faith is truly in Him and through Him, then I will only be saved when I do all that He has called me to do. Everything that the Bible mentions in connection with man's salvation is something that brings us into a proper relationship with God the Father, His Holy Spirit and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I must believe all that God says in order to have salvation. Ephesians 1:13 “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise”. Belief is another synecdoche. I CAN NOT just say “I believe in Jesus” and expect to be saved. True belief represents the mindset of one who is willing to do ALL and believe ALL that pertains to God’s will. Yes, “I am saved through faith”, because I trust every word that God has given. James 1:21-22 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (22) But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
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