What is Saving Faith? (James 2 prt 3)

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Present yourself approved to God a worker who does not need to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth
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Alpha and Omega ministries presents the dividing line radio broadcast The Apostle Peter commanded all
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Christians to be ready to give a defense for the hope that is within us Yet to give this answer with gentleness and reverence
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Your host is dr. James White director of Alpha and Omega ministries and an elder at the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church If you'd like to talk with dr.
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White, you can call now by dialing 602 -274 -1360. That's 602 -274 -1360
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Or if you're out of the Metro Phoenix dialing area, it's 1 -888 -550 -1360.
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That's 1 -888 -550 -1360 And now with today's topic, here's
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James White Well, hello and welcome to the dividing line My name is Sean Han and I am serving as the vice president of Alpha and Omega ministries
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And I'm also privileged to be a deacon at Sovereign Grace Bible Church at 29th Avenue and Bethany Home Road and sitting here in the studio with me is
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Simon Escobedo Who is also a board member of Alpha and Omega ministries and Simon you attend
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Phoenix Reformed Baptist with dr White is that right? That is correct. And it's great to be here this morning.
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Yeah, let me ask you It must be a difficult task that the Lord has given you to be with. Dr White and day in and day out at church on a weekly basis.
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Is that somewhat of a challenge for you? Yes, it's the most interesting as people write the ministry and have much adoration for dr.
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White I think yeah, he's a great guy. I wait live with him have fun with him He's just a regular Joe just like you and I that's great.
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Well, it is our delight to be filling in for dr White today and it is dr. White is currently in st.
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Louis. Is that correct rich? Actually rich is I got his back to me. Rich is also with us. He's in our our
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Studio booth today taking calls and stuff for us, but I do believe that dr White is in st.
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Louis doing some preaching and I believe he was scheduled for a debate that got canceled for Reasons that we're not totally clear on but anyhow today.
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Our desire is to discuss the very important topic of saving faith
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Saving faith. What is saving faith? And is it different from just plain old ordinary faith?
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Is salvation simply a matter of believing that Jesus is the Son of God or is there more to?
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Salvation than that and what does it really mean to believe in Jesus Christ? If I believe that Jesus Christ is the
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Son of God come in the flesh. Does that make me a Christian? Well many people think so You might be asking yourself why on this apologetical radio program are we talking about Saving faith and I would say that a correct understanding of the nature of biblical saving faith is very much a part of defending the faith and as a matter of fact anytime you and I study a particular doctrinal truth
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You are strengthening your ability to give a more accurate answer for the hope that lies within you as first Peter 3 15 says
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And I think it's a guarantee that any non -believer you share Christ with has an errant view of faith or of saving faith
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And therefore I think the study is going to be very relevant even for that most hardcore apologist out there and theology and apologetics for me
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Are very closely related so closely related that I cannot see doing one without engaging in the others
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Would you agree with that Simon absolutely Sean one cannot provide a truly biblical Apologetic or defense of biblical truth unless one is grounded in sound doctrine
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They go hand in hand and sadly as you know as others of the ministry know Many of the groups that we deal with be they adherence to Roman Catholicism Mormonism Marianism you name it if they are not biblically challenged
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With sound truth sound doctrine. There's a lot of confusion and that tends to be what Most the circles that are not well grounded end up causing with these groups
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In fact the issue that we are discussing was one of the most frequently asked questions When we were at the
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Easter pageant over and over and over again in Mesa the question was asked What does it mean to believe in Christ?
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What did Paul mean when he said believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and on I guess it was a week ago
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Friday Marty Minto on his straight live talk show Brought up this very issue what does saving faith mean and based upon the
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Response that was given all the callers that called in the perspective was so grievous to me
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It was it was disheartening because quite frankly most of the answers that were given were downright heretical
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And so I think that this is an exciting topic to deal with this morning extremely relevant. Mm -hmm, definitely
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And now this is a live program where we welcome your phone calls And today I would ask you that you hold your calls until after our first break
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This will give us some time to get through some of the material that we have here and possibly during this first segment.
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We might Answer a lot of the calls that would come in but so anyhow, let's dig in to begin this study
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You ask a simple question. What is faith? Let's back up and just ask before we get to saving faith. What is faith?
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Well in a little dictionary that sits on my desk. It simply says that faith is belief without evidence belief without evidence and That struck me as odd as I read that because I'm I understand what real faith is
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And when I read that I was really taken back and I had to think about that and that definition that that little dictionary gave
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Me is really what we would call blind faith. And this is a common misconception or a common conception and a misconception of faith today
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As a matter of fact, I would even say that this kind of faith is a sinful faith
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And therefore it's not the kind of faith that would honor the God that we serve. It's not a true biblical faith,
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Simon Would you you would you agree with this kind of faith? This mindless faith is is prevalent today even in our churches
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Well, I think Sean certainly that caters to the misconception of some that faith is some kind of a blind leap in the dark
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It is a faith without certainty of faith seemingly defined as an entity in itself And it is what
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I guess I could coin The phrase it is what some might call wishful thinking now, my daughter
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Abigail is in studio with us this Afternoon and some time ago. We had the opportunity of watching the
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Prince of Egypt. I don't know John Did you get a chance to see that? Yeah, actually, I think we own that film if that's okay.
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It's a good video Yes, it is. I don't want you to think I'm going in a direction is gonna cause problems here But one of the more popular songs in that in that movie from that score is the song if you believe
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And if you remember that song basically, it's never said as to what you believe seemingly the idea that's given
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Is that if you have enough belief then you can make things happen hence the suggested definition of saving faith or any kind of a faith
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Is simply that you might be able to make something happen as opposed to the biblical definition that we're going to get into today
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That is based on something that has been promised to happen, right? And there is a current teaching out there that is what we call
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Faith the faith movement or faith teachers that there's this force of faith that's out there that exists almost as a
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God But anyhow the Bible views the conviction of faith as a known certainty It's based upon the divine testimony of God who cannot lie and therefore a true biblical faith is not a blind faith
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Why well because it's based upon the testimony and the evidence of God's Word and hence it's utterly trustworthy
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Real biblical faith Knows nothing of the prevailing modern notion that faith is an enemy of knowledge
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You have stated accurately Sean biblical faith is not antithetical to knowledge It is not an either -or dichotomy it in no way is synonymous to the prevailing notion of rationalism
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I've heard many individuals and seeking to give a hope for the reason that lies within him will basically offer this kind of a response
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Well, you just got to have faith somehow suggesting that there's no objective testimony to which their faith rest
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Such as contrary to reason and such as contrary to even the natural faith that you and I experience every day now as we were
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Coming to the radio station today we were driving in the car riches car and we were engaged in conversation and Believe it or not
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Each of us was experiencing some kind of faith each time a rich stepped on that gas and as he was driving we
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Entrusted ourselves to rich there was a faith that was demonstrated now We I guess you would agree that we recognize rich as a competent driver
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Yeah, we're putting our faith in man or in God when rich is driving That's true the good point and as we approach the traffic light
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There was a faith being demonstrated that the brakes on the vehicle would stop our vehicle
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It was a faith that was demonstrated by knowledge We know mechanically the brakes will work and it was a it was a faith based on experience
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We knew they had work. So certainly there is a faith that is it is not a rational and it is not relative or subjective
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In other words, there are many that would say it's not so important as to what you believe, but how you believe it.
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Hence Objectivity is not an issue but sincerity and that's where they would focus right and sincerity becomes the overriding ultimate authority in the individual if you're sincere then that's all that matters, but That's that's not biblical thinking.
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Well before we look at what saving faith is I want to briefly consider what saving faith is not this is kind of how the
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Puritans would define things They would say it's not this and here's what it is So I would like to attempt to remove some of the common misconceptions
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So what faithings what saving faith is not here it is It's not merely and I want to emphasize the word merely it's not merely a belief in the truths of the
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Bible for instance saving faith does not again merely
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Consist of believing that Jesus is the Son of God that he was born of a virgin that he lived a perfect life according to the law of God that he was crucified as a
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Substitute for sinners that he was resurrected on the third day ruling and reigning at the right hand of the Father and is coming again
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You see to simply believe in the facts of the gospel is to have what theologians call a historical faith
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Historical faith in other words the person who has this kind of Historical faith believes the truths of the
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Bible in the very same way and with the same degree of interest as any other historical fact in other words
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He would believe that Jesus is God come in the flesh as much as he would believe that George Washington was the first president of the
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United States of America This person simply does not dispute or deny the facts and thus the name
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Historical faith, it's purely an intellectual apprehension of the truth and Some characters in the
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Bible that demonstrate this kind of faith Well are the demons in James 219 it says you believe that God is one you do
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Well, the demons also believe and shudder. Yes, even the demons are monotheists
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It but it despite the notitia element of their of their faith. There is no trusting in Christ Mike and I played on this text some time ago the
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Greek term there shudder Frisson Despite the fact that they know they believe they're monotheists
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They believe that there is only one God and it causes them to tremble yet Then in this in and of itself does not deliver them from their peril
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Yeah I would even go so far as to say that the demons are Better than then then even being a monotheist
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I'd give him more credit than say they're they're good Calvinist good Calvin They're better Calvinist than we are As far as the notitia element goes exactly, right?
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Well anyway Consequently their their outward behavior. These individuals is usually
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Modified so that they begin to look like Christians The problem is is that their outward actually
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I've got the wrong note page here. Let me let me continue here the individual that has this historical faith believes that the
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Bible and all that it teaches is true and This kind of faith this kind of historical faith in and of itself is not
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Genuine saving faith. That's the key here Now there's another type of faith that we come across in the Bible besides its historical faith.
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That is not a saving faith it is called a temporary faith a temporary faith someone who has a temporary faith has a knowledge of the truth and he reacts to the truth in such a way that He experiences a degree of natural emotions and affections that are externally consistent with their confession and as a result of experiencing what we call the
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Common grace of God this individual they could be in our churches. They could be sitting in our pews Doing the things that we do and they're coming under the common grace of God and as a result of this
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They're natural and they're rational and their moral powers. They experience this this heightening.
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Although it's a shallow it's a superficial heightening and an excitement toward the truth and Consequently this this outward behavior is modified
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So they begin to look like a Christian and you and I can't tell the difference These people look like you and I they do the same things to say the same things
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The problem is that these outward conforming actions involve no supernatural change of the heart
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It is a professed faith as Sean it is not a possessed faith. And I think if we were to try to Look at the
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New Testament and see where this is most clearly demonstrated It would be in our Lord's parable of this of the soils the four soils
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Remember that text of the Lord demonstrates there There are three kinds of soil that are specifically stated not to provide any long -lasting
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Fruit the word is sown and either because Satan has taken away the seed or the plant gets scorched by the
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Sun or the plant Gets choked by the thorns Ultimately in all three of those soils there was no fruit they produced no fruit some of them produced
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Seemingly some indication that the seed had found root
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But there was it was only temporary. It was only a matter of time between It was only a matter of time before various circumstances
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Would expose the fact that it hadn't truly gotten to the bottom and only one soil is presented in that passage
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That actually bared fruit and that was the one that was genuine Right. So those first three kinds of soils there in that parable are good illustrations of what we're calling a temporary faith
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And there are some individuals in the Bible Actually, they're probably many but a few that I can think of that have this temporary faith or Judas Iscariot You know, he saw the miracles.
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He handled the very Son of God. He was there He understood certain things.
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He realized that this was the truth But yet And and the disciples were fooled by him.
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He was able to walk with them. He might have been able to carry out miracles He might have been all cast out demons and and do certain things
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I think it's interesting Sean if I can interject at that point when the Lord said that one of you would betray me They didn't all say
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Judas. That's right. There was no finger pointing at Judas. There was no indication at all What was the response of the disciples
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Lord? Is it I right? Yeah, but he certainly had them all that's right And and and that's that that's the point from from our perspective a lot of times with an individual that has a temporary faith
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We cannot see their heart. So we don't know they're pumping out Good works that line up with what the scriptures would be but we cannot see their heart
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But ultimately time will tell usually for these individuals. They will eventually fall away
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Simon Magus is another example and another character named Demas in the New Testament that all exhibit these
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Characteristics of temporary faith. So having a faith that merely believes the truths of the Bible And responds to them in such a way that it causes these individuals to to reform themselves external
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Reformation And some sort of external conformity to the gospel that kind of a faith is not a faith that justifies the individual before God ultimately the knowledge of God Christ and the scriptures that this historical believer or even the temporary believer has for that matter
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It's divorced from any real heart acquaintance So anyhow, those are two examples of faith faiths that we see in the
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Bible that are non Saving faiths a historical faith and a temporary faith.
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So what is saving faith? What does saving faith involve and what is it about faith that makes it a saving faith?
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Well theologians say that there are three elements or three parts to real saving faith and they are
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Notitia which we've hinted to already. It's called knowledge notitious the Latin the second one is called a census in the
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Latin or assent in English and Fiducia, the third aspect is fiducia and we're familiar with that word.
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It means trust So first off saving faith is based upon having a knowledge of the truth.
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You cannot have Faith you cannot have saving faith without a knowledge of the truth
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You cannot have faith in something that you don't know and so obviously one must believe that the testimony and the evidence of God's Word and we've kind of mentioned this earlier when we made the point that One may have a knowledge of the truth without having saving faith, but here's the key
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One may not have saving faith without having a knowledge of the truth.
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And so knowledge Forms or is the cognitive foundation or the basis for saving faith and at the same time we must remember that this knowledge in and of Itself is not saving faith and as we mentioned earlier many
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Christians walk around today with this knowledge and Believe that they're saved because they have the knowledge and they understand these things
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Paul says in second Thessalonians 2 10 that men must love the truth in order to be saved
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They must they must love the truth to be saved and in 2nd Timothy 2 25
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Paul says again repentance leads to the knowledge of the truth
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Yeah, I'd like to add a comment on that that second passage particularly Sean that that Paul is presenting there our hearts are
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In natural rebellion to God's truth. I mean that's just a given man by nature his unregenerate state will naturally reject
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God's truth and in Paul's Plea here is that he was praying that some might be granted repentance
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So that they might not only come to a discovery of the truth But as well a knowledge and acceptance of it
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And so I think that's a key issue in in making sure that we understand what we're talking about here.
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That's right in John The Apostle John explains the reason why he wrote his gospel in John 20 in verse 31
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He says that these things have been written and there's the idea they've been written there's the knowledge aspect that You may believe that Jesus is the
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Christ the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name
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So he says I've given you this truth this body of information this this this These things that you might know that you might become saved
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And so the believer knows the truth and he believes it as such and yet the believer does not stop there
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He experiences a further element of saving faith, which is what we've caught or a census
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Ascent according to the doctor Robert Raymond. He says it refers to the conviction that the knowledge that one has of Christ is true and that the provisions of the gospel correspond exactly to one's spiritual needs
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So we could say based on what what he is saying here that ascent is Cognition passed into conviction.
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Let me say that again Ascent is cognition Passed into conviction the believer knows the truth and he becomes convicted that this truth is most appropriate for him and so saving faith is based upon both a knowledge of the truthfulness of the
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Word of God and a Conviction about those truths that they're most essential for his soul.
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He must have them he becomes exercised about those truths The believer is convinced that the truths he sees in scripture are going to meet his very his deepest spiritual needs and so the believer who has saving faith
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Ultimately embraces the infallibility and the excellency of the scriptures the scriptures become the believers ultimate authority for life and Godliness and now real saving faith not only believes the truth and a sense to it as such
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But it goes further It doesn't just stop there. And this is really the the key that we're striving to in this lesson today
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I think so if I can can kind of throw a comment in here What we're getting to now is the the actual trusting aspect of faith.
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We've dealt with knowledge. We've dealt with a census or the ascent to what has been Demonstrated hence we have dealt with the mind
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We have dealt with the emotions and now the volitional aspect of faith that which actually Exhibits trust and a movement of the wheel.
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I think this is probably the one of the most efficient Aspects of faith present in many circles now you and I were talking that some time ago
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Both of us come from circles where this aspect has been ignored and you know exactly what
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I'm talking about There are many that promote what we call might call decision ism Which merely is an intellectual ascent to the truth in essence what they have done is switch the object of saving faith
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They have switched the object of faith that is present in the gospel message Whereas the
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New Testament presents the object of our faith in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ So the facts of the gospel then becomes the object of the faith instead of the person of Christ himself
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It's not to say that he is not this is not to say that he is the object of our faith in spite of Obviously the knowledge we cannot know who we're trusting unless we know who he is truly
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But it is to say that he is in and of himself The object of our faith and not merely some facts about him now if I can
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Deviate just a second I'd like for for our listeners to perhaps take a look at John chapter 2 verses 23 to 25 where I think this is kind of demonstrated in which a
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Person can have knowledge there can even be some emotion behind that knowledge they can quote -unquote believe
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Some things about Christ But truly not be saved and this is most clearly demonstrated in this passage in verse 23 of John's gospel
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John chapter 2 verse 23 We read now when he that is Christ was in Jerusalem at the Passover During the feast many not some not a few but many it says believed in his name
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Observing his signs which he was doing but Jesus on his part was not entrusting himself to them
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For he knew all men and because he did not need anyone to testify concerning man for he himself
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Knew what was in man? Now I kind of coined a phrase here that I hope doesn't offend too many people
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But I think clearly seen in this passage you have believers Who are still children of the devil?
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These men had faith they had seen the miracles. They no doubt had heard the objective testimony
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They had heard the Lord minister the public ministry of our Lord Yet all that we can see as demonstrated in their belief is based upon those things
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They had a noticia element of their faith. There was some knowledge their emotions were driven
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But that was all Sad to say Sean if many of these men were attending some of our churches today
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They would have been the first to have walked out on the first course of just as I am They would have been the first to sign the card raise the hand you name it
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They would have been the first to have been led into the prayer room It would have been just a matter of time when they would have been pronounced as true converts, right?
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Do you remember the text? I can't put my finger on it But our Lord says many will come to me that and then that day and say
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Lord Lord If they have the terminology down they have that they have a certain knowledge there Lord Lord Did we not cast out demons in your name do not do many?
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Miracles in your name and he says and I will say unto you depart from me you who? workers of iniquity and This their salvation that these people coming before the
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Lord in the last day is based upon The things that they did this action that they were involved in did we not do these things and he says no
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I'm gonna say depart from me. What a scary thing to realize and these people are there They're trusting and what they've done
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There was no personal relationship either in the account that you're suggesting there and the one that is presented here, right?
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And why does why does the Lord not entrust himself to them? Because theirs was a spurious faith.
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It was something less than saving faith They had not reached the end of themselves in their sin so that they might abandon themselves to Christ The text says he knew
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What was in man? They did not want him theirs was not a desire to take up the cross and follow him
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They were only interested in the miracles in John chapter 6 who had followed the Lord because of the feeding of the five thousand
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They were after the bread. They were after the miracles, but at the end of that passage when Christ Mandates that there must be this belief and a continuance in belief and that ultimately this is the divine act of God It says in John 6 66 that many of his disciples forsook him and followed him no more.
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They did not want him They did not want to take up their cross and follow him So it is this final aspect of faith that abandoned self so as to embrace trust
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Flee and follow Christ no matter the cost I mean, let me finish with this
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Sean the the final aspect of faith, which is most understood When one realizes that this particular kind of aspect of faith that we're talking about Is supernatural and as folk who are part of the reformed circle?
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We recognize that faith is a divine gift And I think this is one of the reasons why this aspect of faith is so ignored and so Misunderstood in any other circles.
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It is a supernatural faith. That is not contrary to reason or knowledge The objective testimony is already there, but it is contrary to experience
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It is not natural to believe something you have not seen or experienced That is what separates this aspect of faith from mere intellectual ascent commonly referred to as decisionism
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One can believe some facts about Christ in his gospel. One can even show some great emotion here's you name it
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But only the supernatural faith which scripture affirms as the divine gift of God is able to embrace
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Christ as Lord and Savior a Lord and Savior they have never seen it is this aspect of faith which abandons self so as to have
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Christ a faith which is empty having Absolutely nothing to commend to God seeking only to grasp and embrace the merciful hands of a loving
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Savior It also is a faith that is committed. There is no such thing as a non -committal saving faith
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Nothing is more important to the sinner than having resting and trusting in his beloved
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Lord and Savior This faith is ready to deny self take up cross and follow the
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Savior. Amen We're coming up to a station break folks. We hope you'll stay with us We'll be right back and we'll be taking your calls the second half of the show
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My name is
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Sean Hahn and I am sitting in the studio here with Simon Escobedo and we are both members board members of Alpha and Omega ministries and James White is out of town in st
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Louis preaching the gospel somewhere to some people and we're glad that you're with us today and we're talking about Saving faith a very important topic and it is definitely related to the
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Christian life and related to apologetics and everything else As we need for Christianity Simon but before the break you had mentioned
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Decisionalism and I wanted to just ask you before we get back to our lesson what that what do you mean by? Decisionalism and maybe our listeners aren't quite familiar with what that means.
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And so can you elaborate on that just for a second? Yes, basically Sean some have even coined the phrase decisional regeneration
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It is the idea that basically a person has been presented the facts of the gospel
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And then as a result of that They're able now to make a decision and that in and of itself is what is sufficient and what they would call
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All that is necessary for saving faith. In fact, if I can give be a little anecdotal here some years ago
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I was out at the Mormon conference and we were witnessing to an individual out there and This individual had stayed long after many of the other
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Mormons had left She had sat in on all the conversations and finally she had her opportunity now to present some questions to us and we spent quite a bit of time with her went through all the various issues and By the time it was through I was
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I was just heartbroken as you have had this the same experience to have been able to Not only expose some of the the errors within her own system, but accurately present.
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Hopefully the truth of God Well as I was relaying this story To a co -worker who is a believer
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I remember he was just sitting on my every word so excited and and so forth and finally when
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I Concluded it. This is what he told me. It was it was humorous, but also sad at the same time and you know, what's coming?
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He said well Simon. Did you get her to make a decision? You're right, right and I just looked at him and I said
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You know salvation is of the Lord. Amen All I can do is present the truth of the gospel and here he was and he was ignorant of the issues
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I'm sure he didn't by that mean something that was Heretical in and of itself without actually examining the issues, but that basically is the idea
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Sean you presented some facts You know a person goes into a restroom. He's got his little For spiritual laws present something to the guy in the bathroom and comes out shouting.
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Yeah, I just let somebody to the Lord, you know That's basically behind decision and their their assurance of salvation would be based in the fact that they made a decision or that They walked an aisle or they checked the box or raised their hand or prayed a prayer based
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Their their salvation would be based in that thing that they did rather than the person in the work of Jesus Christ Absolutely, they're not resting primarily in something that Christ has done or in him himself
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Right, but on something they have done and if you were to question them perhaps Let's say you're dealing with an individual who like James to or first John to has a said faith
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But doesn't really have a real faith and their lives are inconsistent with their profession and you confront them about that and you expose the fact that the nature of saving faith is demonstrative
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Basically what you're going to get in response to that Well, I remember because I've had this many of the loved ones in my circle have said this well
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I remember when I was Seven years old and I cried my eyeballs out on the knees of my grandma who just had shared with me that and I Remember trusting in Jesus as my savior and don't how dare you right try to insinuate that that was less than sincere, right?
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Well before we forget I'd like to give our phone numbers out at area code 602 2 7 4 1360 or if you're calling long -distance, it's 1 8 8 8 5 5 0 1360 by the way,
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Sean, let me let me just say this at the break Our president of Alpha Omega ministries. Mr Richard Pierce came in and informed us that our beloved
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Marty Minto had been listening to the program Marty Who Marty Minto, you know the name great theologian?
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Oh, yeah the faith. That's right and Marty had said that I guess I had inadvertently
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Cited his the show incorrectly and I guess I called it straight live. It must have been there
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I guess so nervous or something, but Marty I apologize. It is straight talk live
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The the it what is it the informative informative voice right Christian, right?
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All right. Well back to our discussion we were trying to drive the point home that real saving faith is not just a matter of believing the truth and Ascending to it, but it goes further and it receives real saving faith receives and rests in Christ This is the crucial element of saving faith that we call fiduciary trust
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And this is what it is to truly believe in Christ a Jerome Zanke yes, he's an old dead theologian he says in saving faith, there is an active receiving of the truth of God and the
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God of truth He says faith embraces Christ And he similarly maintains that the act of faith embraces not only the revealed truth concerning Christ But and here's the key
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Christ together with all his benefits so real saving faith
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Embraces not just the facts of Christ, but the person of Christ and may I say Sean the whole
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Person of Christ not a divided Christ simply embracing Christ as Savior, but not as Lord No receiving and resting in Christ is resting in the biblical and undivided
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Christ and his work in our behalf That's right. The true believer goes to the fountain of living waters and by faith this individual he turns to Christ He desires
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Christ. He receives Christ. He relies upon Christ. He surrenders himself to Christ.
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He takes Refuge in Christ and he desires to be United to Christ forever all of which all of these things are this turning desire and receiving relying all of these things are characteristic of believing and Trusting and resting in Christ this is the third element of saving faith known as trust or in the
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Latin fiducia and Robert Raymond again, we've quoted him earlier. He said this is where the sinner cognitively effectively and volitionally transfers all reliance for pardon
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Righteousness and cleansing away from himself and his own resources Incomplete and total abandonment to Christ whom he joyfully receives and upon whom alone he rests entirely for his salvation and so it is this receiving and resting act of faith that is the justifying and Saving act of faith.
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We must receive and take hold of him by faith now It looks like we might have a caller online
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Is that true? Yes, we do. Let's um, let's take
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Line one if you will Hello, this is this bill. Yes, it is bill.
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How can we? What kind of questions do you have for us today bill? My question is What is the relationship of predestination and saving faith?
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Okay. Thank you for your question. What is the relationship between predestination and faith? well predestination has to do with something that God did in eternity past and Faith has to do with something
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God does in time It is the it is the bringing about of what is
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God has eternally decreed Yeah, it's the means that God uses to bring him to himself.
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I'm not sure if I'm answering your question, but How are they related one is eternal one is one is
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Is something that's eternal and the other one is something that occurs in time if I may say to the caller
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I think that faith As we've been presenting is the inevitable result of predestination
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Nowhere is this more clearly stated than in John's gospel chapter 6 verses 37 through 44
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Verse 37 says all that the father gives me will come to me
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Hence, there are a group of people that have been given by the father to the son And what does the son say about those people they will come to me now obviously in this passage?
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Becoming is being used metaphorically there to believing and in verse 44 He makes it very clear that no one can come
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Unless the father who sent him has drawn him So the connection between faith and predestination is just that that God has chosen a people and they will
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Inevitably come the faith that they exercise is the result of them being chosen before the foundations of the world
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It is the gift of God according to Ephesians 2 8 9 and hence that is the relationship that they bear with each other
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Does that answer your question? Okay, Bill, well, thanks for calling today we have
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Jennifer Jennifer are you are you with us? What kind of questions do you have
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Jennifer? I have a question for Simon for Simon. Okay. Are you putting me on the spot Jennifer?
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Yeah, that's good to hear you. Hi Are you trying to say that faith goes from a mental ascent to a reality?
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That was just saying well I don't understand your question if you're suggesting that it might then are we stating that faith is a
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Mental ascent isn't enough. It has to be more than that. Well, exactly I think we demonstrated that from the passage in James where you have the demons who also believe there is a
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There is an orthodox belief that is evident among the demons They are monotheist and as a my brother stated here, they know the
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Bible even better than we do They are better Calvinist if you will but that mental understanding of the truth is insufficient in and of itself to deliver them from their peril and and many men today even in our
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Reformed circles love the truth. They love the doctrine. They love to debate
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They love to to flesh this stuff out without loving the person of the doctrine who is
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Jesus Christ Right, you can't divorce the person of Christ from the message about Christ But as I stated earlier
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The object of our faith is not the gospel message The the object of our faith is the person of Jesus Christ within the gospel message.
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Do you understand what I'm saying? Mm -hmm So a person can believe the facts of the gospel message and hence place their faith in those facts
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But that in and of itself will not save them. There is a personal object to our faith It is abandoning ourselves in the person of Jesus Christ Jennifer many people today are caught up in the notion of faith and and and having faith and talking about faith and speaking of faith as if it were some sort of a
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God in and of itself and what they're missing. Jennifer is the object of faith faiths object is
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Christ and what he has done. That's where our faith must go to the object Of itself, which is
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Christ Well, we thank you for calling Jennifer. Thank you for being with us today.
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Let's continue Simon Let me add a footnote to what Jennifer had just asked There's a classic text that we have already mentioned, of course
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Acts 16 31 Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ there and there definitely is is presented here
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The personal object to where our belief and faith rests in a person And so this again this this receiving and resting part of faith is the is what we're driving at.
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This is the key this is the justifying and the saving action of faith where it takes hold of Christ and we must take hold of Christ by faith as John 1 12 says as many as received him to them
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He gave the right to become children of God even to those who believe in his name
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And there's another passage that I think is excellent. In fact, if you were to ask most Christian give me a definition of faith
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Immediately most people in fact when I was going through this yesterday with my family my daughter Abigail who had
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Learned this verse and learned it Well gave me the definition before I could work through it and that's from Hebrews chapter 11 verses 1 through 3
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And let me just make some casual comments there We have in verse 1 now faith is the substance of things hoped for Things not seen in verse 3 says by faith
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We understand that the world's were framed by the Word of God and I think this is a an excellent passage
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Sean that clearly Underscores for us those three elements of faith that we've been discussing that is notitia
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You can see that in verse 3 by faith We understand there's the knowledge aspect that the world's were framed by the
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Word of God There is the a census or the ascent to what has been demonstrated now Faith is the substance of things hoped for and then there is the evidence or the confidence the trust
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That we were talking about of those things not seen so this text not only tells us what faith is But the subsequent passage that we have in the
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Hall of Faith demonstrate what faith does that's right. Let's take a quick break We'll be back in a moment folks. Hang on Oh Welcome back to the dividing line again
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My name is Sean Han and I am in the studio here with Simon Escobedo and we are filling in the large chair of James White doctor white.
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Yeah Anyhow today we're talking about saving faith a very important topic for for Christianity and for apologetics and Simon you were just commenting there before the break on Hebrews the
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The passage there in front you will well I think that in verse 1 through 3 we have an excellent definition of faith as I as I went through that Before the break and as I was mentioning as we went to the break the text
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Specifically that passage not only tells us what faith is but then provides for us an absolutely incredible Demonstration of what faith does you have all of the various characters that are set before us there which?
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Underscores the fact that this faith again. We're talking about a supernatural faith here a divine gift given by God is
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Demonstrative and nowhere is that more clearly seen than all the great heroes of the faith by faith
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So -and -so did by faith so -and -so did all throughout that there is the clear evidence that that faith was indeed genuine, right?
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So by the grace of God, we would say that the believer he's enabled to see that he's a guilty law -condemned sinner having nothing to offer in his defense and Simultaneously, he's a he's unable to see
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Christ or in Christ. He's able to see that in Christ a Perfect righteousness exists for the cleansing and for the justification of his soul
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Jesus Christ he becomes to us that pearl of great price in 1st
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Corinthians 130 Apostle Paul says Christ Jesus becomes to us listen to these phrases
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Christ becomes to us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption and Before I forget
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I will mention that dr. White will be back in the studios next week with us. So he's he's off Galavanting this week.
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He'll be back with us next week. I had to get that out. So I didn't forget So anyhow the sinner who has this genuine saving faith?
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He not only has a knowledge of the truth and notitia and he's not only convicted about the truth that it's appropriate for him
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But he also goes further and here's the key he receives and he rests in Christ for his complete and total
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Salvation he trusts in him alone for his justification and for a sanctification and ultimately for his glorification
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The whole the sinner wholly leans upon Christ and all his promises that are offered to him in the gospel
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And because in Christ he sees an all -sufficient suitable and able Savior and hence we would say that we are saved by grace alone
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Through faith alone and because of Christ alone and therefore to God alone be the glory
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Amen, and so another aspect of this that that it's you know, it's hard when we when we work through a lesson like this to to mention
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Everything about it, but there's another aspect of this that in receiving Christ It's not something that you and I do just one time in our life
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In other words, there's this notion out there that well I walked down an aisle back in 74 and I received
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Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and I received him just that one time in my life, but it's it's not something that we do just once in our life
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It's something that we do Often daily when your feet hit the floor in the morning, you should be
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Entering in back into Christ and with your mind and you're you're receiving him again and you're renewing your faith
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That's something that goes on constantly, right? It's not simply a decision of the moment that though that is involved.
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There is this immediate Expression of faith that justifies the sinner, but the faith itself the nature of which is
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The pattern of a life shot right that Paul says that just shall live by faith
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It is it is a way of life and it's a continual process of of renewing our faith.
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You had given me a Quote here from a Brackle that I thought was absolutely excellent.
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If I may indulge our listeners by reading this I think it would certainly drive home What we're trying to communicate he he notes here
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He says this receiving of him that is Christ is there that is the believers daily food and therefore they repeat it over And over again not so much with the objective to be included in the covenant of grace
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But with the objective to be more and more Intimately united with Christ.
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They are motivated by their daily failures to do So as they perceive that without him they cannot approach unto
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God the desire for rest and inner peace Continually drives them out to him who alone is their peace all this however is superseded by love
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Which also continually drives them out to him They are also subject to many periods of darkness spiritual desertion strife and infirmities of faith since there is no restoration outside of Christ a time and again return and cleave to him repeatedly renewing the exercise of faith since the believer spiritual life is dependent upon continually receiving
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Christ who is his life and Just as a person will succumb when he is not able to breathe
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So the believer will succumb if by faith he is not able to bring Christ Into his heart or his heart to Christ this constant repetition of believing and receiving
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May be observed especially in the Psalms and in the Song of Solomon now he concludes by saying behold such is the clear distinction between a
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Temporal and a true believer the one functions outside the realm of his heart and does not move beyond speculating about these matters
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He proceeds in an external fashion having experienced only an imaginary change
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The true believer however engages himself with his heart He has dealings with Jesus and finds strength and life in the continual receiving of him
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Yeah, and that's a great point to emphasize is this continual Receiving him it is it is a pattern of life
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It is something that we must think about often, you know, Sean if I can can add a footnote to that I found it interesting that you know, there are many dictionaries obviously they have various definitions of faith
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But check out this definition provided by the Oxford English Dictionary This is under their theological definition of faith.
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Now. This is the Oxford English Dictionary know what it says that Kind of faith. This is specifically talking about saving faith is distinct distinctively called saving or justifying faith by which in the teaching of the
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New Testament a Sinner is justified in the sight of God. This is variously defined by theologians
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But there is general agreement in regard to it as a conviction Practically operative on the character and the will and thus opposed to the mere intellectual assent of religious truth sometimes called
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Speculative faith now, I don't know about you Sean But I think there are a lot of theologians that need to get Oxford English Dictionary and check out that definition of excellent
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Yeah, very good. Yeah, it is something that as a brackle said it is the true believer engages himself with his heart and As as the
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Apostle Paul in the book of Philippians talks about all of those things in which he could have entrusted himself
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To he lays out in Philippians 3 and verse starting at about verse 3 where he says
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I put no confidence in the flesh Although he might have a right to do this and then he lists out all of his
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Self -righteous things that he could trust in all the things that he's accomplished and done in his life and then in verse 7 he said
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But whatever things were gained to me those things I've counted as loss for the sake of Christ More than that He says
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I count them all to be lost in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord For whom
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I have suffered the loss of all things and count them, but rubbish So that I may gain
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Christ and may be found in him not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law
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But that which is through faith in Christ the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith that's the key and I and Cannot say enough about saving faith something that Most Christians today are not very well versed in and it's a sad case.
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It's a sad tale in the church today Absolutely time excellent opportunity Sean to be here with you this afternoon
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I trust that we have been a blessing to our listeners and the truth that we've shared with them Well, we'll challenge them into further study.
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Yeah, and I would pray that That you will be back with us again next week when dr. White is with us and may your prayer be
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Lord I believe but help my unbelief. Have a great week and God bless The dividing line has been brought to you by Alpha and Omega ministries
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