True Faith

Q: What does the Bible say about true faith?

True faith is a gift from God, the mark of divine election, and is essential for salvation. The Bible teaches that true faith is a gift of God and cannot be produced by human effort. According to Ephesians 2:8-9, we are saved by grace through faith, which itself is the gift of God. Faith is crucial because it leads to obedience and a relationship with Christ. In Philippians 1:29, we see that it is granted to believers not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for His sake. True faith signifies spiritual life, marking those whom God has elected for salvation, as emphasized in Romans 11:5.

Q: How do we know faith is a gift from God?

The Bible explicitly states that faith is not produced by human effort but is given by God. Faith being a divine gift is supported by several scriptures, notably Ephesians 2:8-9, which states that salvation comes through faith, highlighting that this faith is not of ourselves but a gift from God. This teaching emphasizes that human beings are incapable of generating saving faith on their own, as it is a result of God's grace and initiative. Philippians 1:29 further affirms this by indicating that not only is belief in Christ a gift, but the willingness to bear suffering for His sake is also granted by God. Thus, faith clearly is an act of God's grace.

Q: Why is obedience important for Christians?

Obedience is the evidence of true faith and a natural response to the grace of God in a believer's life. Obedience is a fundamental aspect of the Christian life as it reflects the reality of true faith. According to Romans 1:5, Paul discusses the apostleship granted for obedience to the faith. Genuine faith naturally produces obedience, which is seen in the lives of believers. James 2 emphasizes that faith without works is dead, suggesting that true faith manifests itself through actions that align with God's will. Thus, obedience becomes a vital expression of a believer's relationship with Christ, showcasing the transformative power of faith in one’s life.

Q: What does the Bible say about divine election?

Divine election refers to God's sovereign choice of certain individuals to be saved, which is evident in scripture. Divine election is a critical doctrine in Scripture, illustrating God's sovereignty in salvation. Romans 11:5 states that there is a remnant chosen by grace. The idea is that God, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, has chosen certain individuals for salvation before the foundation of the world. This is further affirmed in 2 Timothy 1:9, which emphasizes God's purpose and grace in election. As noted in Acts 13:48, those who were appointed to eternal life believed, highlighting that belief is deeply intertwined with God’s sovereign calling. Therefore, divine election underscores the grace and mercy of God in the salvific process.

Q: Why is faith considered the mark of divine election?

Faith is viewed as the mark of divine election because only those chosen by God will truly believe. In Reformed theology, faith is seen as the evidence of divine election. Scripture indicates that those God has chosen will respond to Him in faith. Titus 1:1 refers to the faith of the elect, implying that genuine faith is granted to those who are elected by God. Romans 8:30 outlines the chain of redemption, where those whom God predestined He also called, justified, and glorified. This correlation explains how faith functions as an assurance of one's election, showing that true belief is not merely an act of human will but a response to divine initiative.

I'm going to read a passage first
from the book of Mark, chapter 9. Our Lord was challenged by
a man with an afflicted son, and an interesting conversation
takes place here. It says in verse 17 of Mark 9, And one of the multitude answered
and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath
a dumb spirit, and wheresoever he taketh him, he tarreth him,
and he foameth and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away. And
I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out, and
they could not. The Lord Jesus answered him and
said, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?
How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me. And they brought
him unto the Lord Jesus, and when Christ saw him, straightway
the Spirit teared him. He fell on the ground, wallowing,
wallowed, foaming. And the Lord Jesus asked his
father, how long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said,
of a child. And oft times it had cast him
into the fire and into the waters to destroy him. But if you can do anything, isn't
that interesting there? If you can do anything. have
compassion on us and help us." And Jesus said unto him, if you
can believe, if you can believe, all things
are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of
the child cried out and said with tears, Lord I do believe,
help thou mine unbelievers. I do believe, don't you? I do believe, but I have to pray
with this man. Lord, help thou mine unbelief. I jotted down six things which
I know about faith. If you want to take them down,
you're welcome to do so. All things are possible to them
who believe, if you can believe, if I can believe on the Son of
God. One man answered this way. Our
Lord said to him, Do you believe on the Son of God? He said, Who
is he that I might believe? Tell me. Tell me who he is, and
I will. I'll believe on him. Our Lord said to Peter one day,
Will you go away? He said, To whom shall I go?
Thou hast the words of eternal life. I believe that you're the
Christ, the Son of the living God. I believe that. I believe
that. All right, here are the things
that I know about faith. One, where true faith is found. And he said, when the Son of
Man cometh, will he find faith on this earth? Well, I know where
true faith is found, it is the gift of God. It is the gift of
God. It's the work of God. Faith is
not the product of our own efforts. It's the gift of God. Let me
show you these scriptures. First of all, in Ephesians 2,
verse 8 and 9, it says in Ephesians 2, verse 8 and 9, for by grace,
by grace are you saved through faith. You're saved by the grace
of God through faith. A man is not saved who doesn't
believe. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. But
this faith is not of yourselves. It's the gift of God. It's not
of works, lest any man should boast with his workmanship. So
where you find faith, it's the gift of God. The goodness of God leads us
to repentance. It's a gift of God. And turn with me to Philippians
1, right over just a few pages. Philippians 1, verse 29. Listen to this. For unto you
it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on
him, but to suffer for his sake. Faith is the gift of God. It's
given to you, not only to believe on Him, but to suffer for His
sake. And Brother Joe Turner read a scripture over in the
Psalms. I want you to turn to this and look at it. In Psalm
147, Psalm 147, and we were discussing this and applying it to our own
selves. The Lord says here in Psalm 147,
verse 18, He sendeth out His Word and melteth them. He's the
one that broke our hearts and melted us and brought us to Christ.
He did it. He sent His Word. I made this statement recently.
The only thing I know, the only broken thing that's useful, you
know you can't use a broken mirror. You can't drink out of a broken
glass. You can't write with a broken
arm. You can't walk with a broken cane. But the best thing you
can have is a broken heart. God will bless a broken heart.
God, He said He dwells with the broken heart. He enters the broken
heart. And who breaks the heart? He
does. He does. I've tried to break some hearts
by breaking some heads. It won't work. It won't work. It just won't work. He breaks the heart and says
he sends his word and melts them. Now watch it. He causes his wind
to blow and the waters flow. He showeth his word unto Jacob. He showed his word to Jacob.
His statutes, his judgments to Israel, and he hath not dealt
so with any nation. Passed them all by. the Egyptians
and the Amorites and the Babylonians and the Hittites and the Philistines. He took his word and showed it
to Jacob and Judah and Israel, his judgment. And he hath not,
he hath not, he hath not dealt so with any nation. But he dealt
with us that way. And I see all the pagan practices
identified and associated with religion today. And I say, don't
they know? Don't they know? No, they don't
know. They read the words, but they don't understand. They have
ears, but they don't hear. They've got eyes, but they don't
see. They've got hearts, but they don't understand. I say,
why do we understand? He told Peter, he said, flesh
and blood didn't reveal that to you, my father did. The angel came to Mary and said,
you've found favor with God. You've found favor. Blessed are
you among women. You've found favor with God.
Oh, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. So where do you
find faith? May it be found here and there. It's the gift of God. Secondly,
where faith is found, it's the mark of divine election. It's the mark of divine election,
whom he foreknew. He predestinated to be conformed
to the image of his son, and whom he predestinated, he called. He called. You're the called
of Christ Jesus. If you'll turn to Titus, chapter
1, verse 1, it says here, faith is the faith of God's I tell you I love that word election. Don't you it's a blessed word
It is not that I did choose thee Lord that could not be This heart
of mine would still refuse thee but thou has chosen me his grace
that wrote my name In God's eternal book. It's grace that gave me
to the lamb who all my solace took Faith is the mark of divine election. Look at Titus 1. Titus 1, verse
1. It says here, Paul, a servant
of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith
of God's elect. According to the faith of God's
elect. Only the elect will believe.
only the elect and the acknowledging of the truth which is after God
in hopes of eternal life. Another scripture I want you
to look at is Romans 11. Am I one of God's elect? If I
believe I am. If I believe I am. He said in
Romans chapter 11 verse 5 says this, Romans 11 5. Even so, at this present time,
also, you know, Elijah said to the Lord, just kill me, I'm the
only one left, just kill me, I'm the only one left. And he
said, no, he said in verse 4, what saith the answer of God
to Elijah? Well, he said, Elijah, I've reserved
to myself seven thousand men who've not bowed the knee to
Baal, to the image of Baal. We're living in a day of unparalleled, heathen, pagan
religion. I guess religion is more pagan
today than it ever has been before. And yet our Lord has reserved
himself a people. Now watch it. Verse 5 says, He said that to Elijah. And then
he says, even so then, at this present time, there's a remnant
according to the election of grace. And if it's by grace,
it's no more work. Otherwise, grace is no more grace.
But if it's of work, it's no more grace. Otherwise, work is
not work. And Israel hath not obtained
that which ye seeketh far, but the election hath obtained it, and the rest are blinded. where
you find faith, it's the mark of divine election.
All right? Thirdly, where you find faith,
you find spiritual life, spiritual life. Let's turn to the book
of John. In our Bible class this morning, we studied this first
chapter of John, John chapter 1. I'm going to read verses 10
through 13. But while you're finding that,
John wrote in his first epistle, chapter 5, he said, Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. He that believeth
that Jesus is the Christ. Do you believe Jesus is the Christ?
You've been born of God. And the religious world got that
backwards. They say, In order to be born of God, you
believe. But no, I believe because I'm born of God. I'm not born
because I believe. I believe because I'm born. I'm
not born again because I love Christ. I love Christ because
I'm born again. He said He passed by the deserted
infant, polluted in its blood, to the loathing of its person.
And He said it was the time of love. I passed by you and saw
you polluted in your blood and the time was the time of love.
I loved you. You didn't love me. I passed
by you. You didn't come to me. I came
where you are. You didn't come to me. You had
no thought toward me or love for me or regard for me or interest
in me. You didn't even know the mess
you were in. But I passed by you and I said live. It was a
time of love and you lived. And here in John chapter 1, it
says in verse 10, he was in the world. He who made the world
was in the world and the world didn't know him. And he came
unto his own, his own tabernacle, priesthood, people, sacrifices
and types, and his own received him not. But as many as received
him, and we have, haven't we? To them gave he the power, privilege,
to become sons of God, even to them that believed. And we have,
haven't we? We've believed on his name. Well,
what was the cause of this? I'll tell you, verse 13, which
were born. These people received him and
believed on him because they were born. Not of blood. That is, not of fleshly inheritance.
I'm not saved because my daddy was. I'm not redeemed because
my mother was. Rebecca and Isaac had two sons,
and one of them God loved, the other God hated. And these were
born, and they were born not of blood, not of human genealogy,
and not born of the will of the flesh, that is, not of your own
will. You didn't will to come to God, He willed for you to
come. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. You
came not because you're willing, but you came because He is willing,
and He made you willing. not of the will of the flesh,
and not of the will of man, of another man. This birth, these
people who the world knew him not, and his own received him
not, but some did receive him, and some did believe on him,
and he put a difference, he made the difference. They were born
That's why they received Him. They were born. That's why they
believed on Him. They were born, but not of blood,
not of their own will, not of the will of somebody else. Three
words, but of God. Born of God. Born of God. And that's when you find faith,
this genuine faith. Oh, if you can believe, if you
can believe. All things are possible to them
that believe. And where you find this page,
it's the work of God, it's the gift of God, it's the mark of
divine election. Turn to Acts 13.48. Turn over
here a minute. It's the mark of divine election,
Acts 13.48. Look at it now. Acts 13.48. And
Paul said, I turned to the Gentiles, Acts
13, 48, and when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and
they glorified the word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed." He doesn't say as many as believed
were ordained to eternal life, he says as many as were ordained
to eternal life. It's the gift of God, the mark of divine election.
And where you find true faith, you find life, spiritual life. Fourthly, and where faith is
found, faith in Christ, a love for Christ, there dwells true
Israel. There's true Israel. Now, Israel
in the Old Testament was a a nation that God raised up among other
nations. It's a nation God raised up and
blessed. He blessed them materially. He
blessed them in many ways. Though they were a people, most
of whom did not know God, did not believe God. They were a
backslidden, rebellious nation, but they were a type, they were
a picture of true Israel. They were a picture of the Israel
of God, of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were
a picture of true Israel. Now, where you find faith, you
find true Israel. Now you say, well, who is true
Israel? Well, turn to Galatians chapter 3. Galatians chapter
3. And here, here in Galatians 3,
we have, we have an answer to that question, who is true Israel? Those folks over there in Jerusalem. There's a conflict between the
Palestinians and the Israelites. And they both came from the Lord
of Abraham. There's Ishmael's family and
there's Isaac's family. They've been warring for 4,000
years. They've been at one another's
throats. And they claim, well, we're the sons of Abraham. The
Ishmaelites, the Palestinians say, Jerusalem's ours. We're
true Israel. We're the seed of Abraham. This
group over here says, no, we're the seed of Abraham. And most
of the preachers are on the side of this bunch. And some of the
rest of the third world countries are on the side of this bunch.
And they say Jerusalem's a holy city and a holy land. It belongs
to the holy people and all that. Neither one of them are seed
of Abraham. Neither one of them are the sons of Abraham. Neither
one of them were Israel. Not either one of them. I hear
preachers say, God's going to judge us for the way we treat
Israel. Yeah, for the way you treat true Israel. Not those
bunch of renegades. Hasn't got anything to do with
God. That bunch of people doesn't have anything to do with God.
Now you listen to this. Where you find faith, you find
Israel. Galatians 3, verse 7. Know ye therefore that they which
are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." I'm a child
of Abraham. You're a child of Abraham, if
you believe on Christ. You believe Christ? You believe
He's the Son of God? You believe He's the Messiah?
Have you received Him? Then you're a Jew. I'm a full-fledged,
absolute Jew. Judah, that's right. Absolute,
full-fledged Jew, Israelite. He's not a Jew which is one outwardly. He's a Jew which is one inwardly.
Look at verse 15 and 16, "'Brethren, I speak after the manner of men,
though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man
disalloweth or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were
the promises made. Oh, preacher, there it is. God
made that promise to Abraham and his seed. He surely did.
Absolutely. He promised them the land. He
promised them salvation. He promised them that they'd
be his people and he'd be their God. He promised to bless them,
Abraham and his seed. Oh, don't stop reading, though.
He said, if not, and the seeds, Palestinians or Ishmaelites or
Isaacites or as of many, but as of one, to Abraham and thy
seed, Christ." There, the promise is made to Christ, in Christ
and through Christ, to Abraham and his seed, who is Christ.
That's right. All right, verse 25 now. Verse
26, verse 26, Galatians, the children of God by faith
in Christ Jesus. For as many as have been baptized
into Christ have put on Christ, and there's neither Jew nor Greek.
There's neither bond nor free. There's neither male nor female.
Don't resurrect it. Don't bring it back. Don't try
to make it so. There's neither Jew nor Gentile.
There's neither male nor female. You are one in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ, then are
you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Isn't
that clear? Where you find faith, saving
faith in Christ Jesus, there you find Israel. That's Israel. Israel. Philippians, one other
scripture here on this point, Philippians 3, let's look at
it. Philippians 3, and that is a an important, important thing. Philippians 3. Now watch this. Verse 1, Finally my brethren
rejoice in the Lord. Now to write the same things
to you, to me, is not grievous, but to you it saith. Now beware
of dogs. Beware of dogs. What's your reference
there? Isaiah 56.10, that's talking about false preachers. Isaiah
called them dogs. dumb dogs that don't bark, don't
warn people. Beware of dogs, beware of evil
workers, beware of the concision, beware of the circumcision, beware
of this ceremonialism, Judaism, and circumcision, and this... I hear people talk about our
Judeo-Christian ethics. No, no, no, no, no. Our ethics
are Christ's ethics. It's not Judeo-Christian ethic. There's no Judeo-Christian, Jews
are believers, aren't they, Tom? Listen, verse 3, you beware of
this, for we are the circumcision. What is the circumcision? It's
Israel. Circumcision, he gave it to Abraham. It distinguished them from all
other nations. all of the nations. It wasn't
a nation on earth that had circumcision, but Israel. That was a token
of God's presence among circumcision. And he says, now, we are the
circumcision. Who are we? Number one, who worship
God in spirit, who rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence
in this flesh, in our heritage or ancestry or background or
anything else, just Christ Jesus. That's the circumcision. Where
you find faith, it's the gift of God. Where you find faith,
it's the mark of divine election. Where you find faith, you find
spiritual life, alive under God, born again. Born again, never
to die. Where you find faith, you find
Israel, God's chosen people. All right. Fifthly, where true
faith is found, It produces obedience. It produces obedience. Obedience
to God, obedience to His Word, obedience to the faith. That's
what He said over here in Romans 1. In Romans chapter 1, when
Paul started this book, this book of Romans, which is
the gospel, the gospel, He says in verse 1, now watch this, Paul,
a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to
the gospel of God, which he promised afore by his prophets in the
Holy Scripture concerning his son, Jesus Christ our Lord, which
was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, declared
to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness
by the resurrection from the dead. By whom? By Christ. We have received great apostleship
for obedience to the faith or to the obedience of faith among
all nations for his name, obedience to the faith. You see, this is
the theme of the book of James. A lot of people want to raise
a conflict between James and Paul, and it's just not so. Paul,
in the book of Romans, is talking about the justification of the
soul. It's by faith and not by works. It's by faith alone. Our souls
are justified before God apart from works of any sort. James
is talking about the justification of our faith. Now, you turn with
me to the book of James. Faith saves. Faith redeems the
soul. But it's a certain kind of faith.
It's a saving faith. It's an obedient faith, to the
obedience of faith. That's what we're talking about,
to the obedience of faith. And brethren, I'm telling you
this, and brethren, I talk to brethren, Tom Harding about this,
the places I've been and people to whom I've been exposed that
feel like that they're honoring Christ and honoring God when
they talk about God faithing a man without the gospel. That's
not honoring to God. Christ is the gospel. The gospel
is essential to faith. A man's got to hear the gospel
to believe. Then they go too far this way, over here they
say, well it doesn't matter how I live, it doesn't matter what
I do, it doesn't matter what kind of life I live, or what
my language and conversation attitude is, I'm saved by grace. No, that doesn't honor God either. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing
by the Word of God, and faith is a faith that works. and labor
and love and serve. And that's what James is saying.
Look at it if you will, James chapter 2. James chapter 2 verse
14. What does it profit my brethren
though a man say he hath faith and hath not works? Can that
kind of faith save? Can that kind of faith save?
If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food,
and one of you say, Thou depart in peace, and be ye warmed and
filled, notwithstanding you give them not those things that are
needful to the body, what does it profit? Even so faith, if
it hath not worked, is dead. If it won't save, it's dead faith. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast
faith, I have worked, show me your faith without your work.
I'll show you my faith by my works." Now there's the key passage
right there. Faith is justified by works. A man says, I believe Christ,
well he'll walk with Christ, he'll glorify Christ, he'll love
Christ, he'll serve Christ, and he'll love God's people. You
see when you read over in Hebrews about all these people, it gives
in Hebrews chapter 11, that all of these folks that believed
God, faith, faith, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence
of things not seen, Abel believed God and he offered a sacrifice. Moses believed God and he refused
to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to
suffer the afflictions of God's people. Rahab believed God and
dropped the lion out the window. Noah believed God and built an
ark. Abraham believed God and left
his household, father's house, and offered Isaac. All of these
people believed God, and they believed God with a faith that
works. Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians,
chapter 1. Where do you find faith? You
find obedience. I hear people say, A Christian ought to pray. They
all do. A Christian ought to love God.
He will. A Christian ought to be generous. He will. Christians
are. Where you find faith, you find
obedience. You find good work. 1 Thessalonians
chapter 1, verse 2. Paul says to this church at Thessalonica,
he said, we give thanks to God always for you all. making mention
of you in our prayer, remembering without ceasing your work of
faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope in our
Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father. I remember
these three things about you. It's a work of faith, a labor
of love, and a patience of hope. All right, in the sixth place,
Where true faith is found, there will be a true witness and an
open witness to the grace of God and the goodness of God.
I want you to turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse
13. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse
13. People sometimes ask me about
preachers that they hear, and they say a few good things, and
some preachers who claim to believe the message of free and sovereign
grace, and they say, but they believe it, but they don't preach
it. That's nonsense. You listen to Paul here in 2
Corinthians 4, verse 13. He's quoting David, and he says,
"...we having the same spirit of faith, according as it is
written, I believe and therefore have I spoken." Paul says, we
also believe and therefore speak. What we believe, we speak. What
we believe, we speak. Now those, that's the life of
faith. To me, that's the mark of the
life of faith. I'll give them to you again in
closing. Where true faith is found, it's the gift of God. It's the work of God in the heart,
in the soul. Where true faith is found, That's
God's elect, the mark of divine election. Where true faith is
found is spiritual life, walking with the King. Where true faith
is found, that's true Israel. That's the child of God. Where
true faith is found is obedience, a work of faith and a labor of
love. And where true faith is found, there will be a clear,
bold witness of the grace of God. May God give us That pays
to believe. All right, why don't you come
lead us in a closing hymn, if you would.

True Faith

What does the Bible say about true faith?

How do we know faith is a gift from God?

Why is obedience important for Christians?

What does the Bible say about divine election?

Why is faith considered the mark of divine election?

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True Faith

What does the Bible say about true faith?

How do we know faith is a gift from God?

Why is obedience important for Christians?

What does the Bible say about divine election?

Why is faith considered the mark of divine election?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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