Misunderstanding Faith
Salvation comes through faith in Christ. Jesus took our sins upon Himself, and carried them to the cross. He atoned for our sins, and won forgiveness and salvation for us. We receive this forgiveness and salvation through faith in Christ. This is the foundational teaching of Christianity, the teaching on which the church stands or falls.
We should be aware, though, that there can be misunderstandings about this doctrine and about faith itself. One misunderstanding is to turn faith into a work in which we perform to earn salvation. In other words, salvation becomes conditional, and our part of the deal is to have faith in Christ, as if faith itself earns salvation for us. Faith doesn’t earn salvation, it receives salvation. Salvation has been achieved by Christ on the cross, and faith receives this salvation; it doesn’t earn salvation. Salvation isn’t a bargain that God strikes with us, where He does His part and we do ours. Salvation is God’s work, in which He placed the sins of the world upon Jesus. Christ atoned for the sins of the world on the cross, and now God gives this salvation to us as a free gift through faith in Christ.
Another related misunderstanding is to turn faith into something that is accomplished through man’s decision alone. Many believe that humans have the ability in and of themselves to decide for Christ, to make a decision for Christ. But the Bible describes faith as a gift from God which He works in us through the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 2:8-9 says “for by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” John 1:12-13 says “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” And Ephesians 2:1 describes us as being “dead in our trespasses and sins” prior to faith being created by God. Faith is a gift from God, which comes to us through the work of the Holy Spirit. This is a comforting fact actually, because it means that salvation is completely in the hands of God. It is completely God’s work from first to last, and it depends solely on the grace of God, not on our work or contribution.
In Christ,
Rev. David L. Putz, Pastor
Holy Cross Lutheran Church (LCMS)
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Good things are happening at Holy Cross! Praise God for that. When we keep Word and Sacrament ministry at the heart of what we do, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is sown. As we share the Word, God gives the growth and we rejoice as humble stewards of the God who changes lives and hearts. Help us always, Lord, to keep Your Word at the center of our life together under your Holy Cross!
Please continue to pray for our congregation and each other. Don’t forget to visit our church website www.holycross-crawfordsville.org to find links for all our services on YouTube.