The topic of faith is truly an endless subject that can be discussed on all levels and from every direction. Because of this, I believe more and more that the more we think and study about faith, the stronger it will be.
In regards to our faith, I would like us to first think about three words.
- Faith
- Grace
- Righteousness
These three things are essential to being a child of God. In fact, without them, you cannot be a child of God. There are a lot of discussions over “when” one is saved but it seems that the “how” really testifies to the “when.” In my estimation, it could be that the key to our understanding of “when” and “how” one is saved is found in the concept of the word “response.”
God is waiting for a response from me based on what He has done. Then I await a response from Him based on what I have done. Then at that time, we respond to each other based on “what He said He would do” and “what I said I would do.”
Religion truly is a relationship that is based on trust, reliance, responsibilities, faith, and more. In this relationship that one can obtain with God through Christ, we find something truly amazing. At its core, we find the most powerful aspect of all of life and that is love.
One might ask himself/herself, “How can a person truly come to a point of faith that moves them?” The answer is love. Just think about a few verses here that may move you to a point of faith.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life”…John 3:16
“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren”…1 John 3:16
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”…2 Corinthians 5:21
“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly”…Romans 5:6
Love is a powerful thing that does mighty things. Because of God’s love, He gave His own life which abolished an old law (Eph. 2:15; Heb. 9:16-22) that only made you aware of your sin but could not save you from it, tore down the separating wall between us, gave us an everlasting sacrifice and priest (Hebrews 9-10), transfers us from darkness to light (Col. 1:13), forgives our sins (Acts 2:38), and keep us in a state of cleansing if we walk with Him (1 John 1:7,9).
This is what His love has done and can do! But how? The answer is in your response. Understanding God’s love and what He has done because of it, trigger my faith. Therefore I believe this is what He has done and I act on it. So faith is a response to love.
Am I saved by faith? Yes! But, not by faith alone. Here is what Paul states…
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast”…Ephesian 2:4-
As Paul writes to the Ephesian brethren he gives us a wonderful view of the response one needs to have salvation. If we note the first response which is our faith because of God’s love where does it go from there?
Notice Paul’s words,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast”
Our salvation is a result of faith and not works because we cannot be and will never be owed heaven based on what we have done. However, by our faith, which responds to God’s love we can obtain his response to our faith which is His grace. But how? The apostle and best friend of Jesus answer this question for us.
“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this, we know that we love the children of God when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome”…1 John 5:1-3
God is looking for, “faithful obedience” which means that what He says I must do, is what I must do. He gives a command and we must obey that command. This is how we demonstrate our love for Him. Remember He showed us His love by His faithfulness toward His people, His fighting for His people, and ultimately His death for His people. He died so that we wouldn’t have to. That was His demonstration of love. Our demonstration of love is found in our keeping of His word. NOT partially but FULLY.
When we keep His word, we are keeping His commands which is the true response of faith which says, “I believe in what you say and therefore I believe what I must do.” We can do this because we have full trust in our relationship I trust that what He says He will do, He will do.
Now let’s notice another part of what Paul said in Ephesians 2:4-9.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus”
Notice the location of where His response is found, “in Christ” and one is in Christ when they have been “made alive together with” and “raised up with Him.” How can I be raised up with Him? Was I down with Him? Paul explains in Romans 6:3-7.
“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin”
Our faith which is a response to His love also responds to the grace that God is willing to give. So in all reality, true faith is looking at the past, the present, and the future. What He has done, what He is doing, and where He wants us to be. Therefore when I am “raised with Christ” I am raised in His grace and therefore God has responded to my faithful obedience to His will. It is at this point that true “magic” happens. When my faith and God’s grace become one and converge together righteousness is born.
Therefore Paul would write this as inspired by the Holy Spirit
“I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus”…Romans 3:26
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 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”…Romans 5:1-2
When we respond to God, God will respond to us which means we are responding to each other based on our responsibilities toward one another. Me living according to my oath to Him, and Him living to keep His oath to me, that upon my faithful obedience, and His everlasting grace, we will be together because He has brought me to a point where I can be together with Him.
Let us excel in our faith by our response to His love and His grace which will lead us to righteousness!
Garrett married his wife, Cristen, in December 2005 and has four wonderful boys! Parker is married to his beautiful wife Claire and their daughter Taytum, Cohen, Ryder, and Kamden. Garrett has directed and participated in many camps, retreats, conferences, and workshops and serves on the national staff for Lads to Leaders. He is the President of Excel Still More and an annual writer and instructor for ESM. Garrett currently serves as the pulpit minister for the Hydro Church of Christ in Hydro, Oklahoma, where he and his family reside.
