10250 North Freeway @ West Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484

What We Believe and Why
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

Copyright - Lester Hutson - 1986
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

FAITH, GOD'S METHOD FOR APPROPRIATING ETERNAL SALVATION

ROMANS 4:4-5

That salvation is exclusively by faith is probably the clearest teaching in all of the Bible, yet it is probably understood less than any. To misunderstand this teaching is to miss heaaven. Thus I want here to lay this fundamental truth clearly before you.

I. Salvation in no way comes about as a result of any work of any sort which we might do:

A. Most religious denominations say it does

1. With many it's being "good", living an upright life.

2. With others it's self abasement, pennance.

3. With some it's baptism, church membership, communion, prayer,, tongues or some similar experience.

4. Anything that involves an effort on your part is one work or another:

a. Praying, being baptized joining church are efforts of your life.

b. Faith is not an effort; it takes no action, it is strictly a state of the mind (heart).

c. It is thus that the Bible speaks of faith; then of all else as works. (It doesn't name each individual work; simply all that is not of faith is work.)

B. If your hope for heaven is based upon your efforts or your plans to continually live right in the future, or if you think there is anything you could ever do or fail to do in the future that would exclude you from heaven, then you have a works salvation, and it isn't worth a dime. You are lost; and you will never be saved until you get self out of it and come by faith, wholly relying upon the work of Christ for your redemption.

C. Listen to how the scriptures exclude works in salvation:

1. Rom. 4:1-5 This text certainly shows it's not of works.

2. Titus 3:5 says it's not of works.

3. Rom. 3:20 "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight."

4. Eph. 2:8-10 One ought to work; but not in order to obtain salvation.

D. Some point to Jn. 6:29 as proof that faith is works:

1. If so, then there would be a contradiction between this and the foregoing scriptures as to how one is saved.

2. The work that Jesus here refers to is the feeding of the 5000 (Jn. 6:5-15) which was the work of God, not man.

3. The purpose of this work was to cause men to believe: not that faith is a work. It is not and never has been.

II. Neither is salvation appropriated by a combination of faith and works:

A. This is probably the most common religious idea:

1. Nearly all religionists will tell you that you need to believe in God.

2. Then, they start tacking on all these extras.

3. They see it as appropriated by a sort of blend of faith and works.

B. It is strictly not a blend of the two:

1. Rom. 11:6 blows to bits the idea of a blend: it's one or the other.

2. Rom. 3:28 says, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."

3. Whenever the word of God tells how to be saved, it always says it is by faith, plus nothing; minus nothing.

C. What I've given so far is the negative side of the story. However a man is saved, his works have nothing to do with it. Now let's look at the positive side of it.

III. Salvation is appropriated exclusively by faith in Jesus Christ:

A. In appropriating salvation, faith is the one spiritual command you must obey:

1. Acts. 16:31 tells us, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

2. Jn. 3:16 says, "Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" and verse 18 says, "He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

3. Jn. 3:36 shows both positive and negative sides of belief.

4. Jn. 5:24 Jesus shows believers to be saved.

5. Jn. ll:25-26 Listen to what Jesus told Martha.

6. It seemed a foregone conclusion to Paul who said in Rom. 5:1, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God. "

7. Yet, today there are those--even preachers--who have the audacity to stand up and dispute God and say faith is not enough; that it takes more--even your works.

B. It seemed God was inspiring Paul to labor the point and once and for all destroy the idea of a works salvation and to establish salvation by grace alone in Rom. 4:

1. Vs. 3 Abraham just believed God and God gave him righteousness.

2. Vs. 4-5 Note well these verses as to how it's faith minus works.

3. Vs. 6 The Lord imputes righteousness without works.

4. Vs. 16 Thus, it is of grace.

5. Vs. 24-25 It was not for Abraham only; but to all who believe.

C. Salvation is there to all who will believe:

1. Rom. 3:22 It is like a TV beam. It is there; it needs only to be received.

2. Rom. 10:8-9 Only by the faith in a heart can it be received.

D. Belief is simple trust or reliance on some one or thing:

1. Eph. 1:13 calls it "trust."

2. Mk. 10:15 It's relying even as a little child.

3. James 2:19 it is not just accepting a fact.

4. Belief is a matter of trusting Him as your saviour.

E. Whether you have or ever do receive eternal salvation is dependent solely upon whether you come God's way and exercise faith or not:

1. I Jn. 5:1, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. "

2. Jn. 8:24, "If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"