Understanding the Depth of Saving Faith

 

Summary

In this sermon, I explored the profound nature of saving faith, emphasizing its distinction from mere intellectual assent or emotional experience. I recounted the story of an old minister who, despite his unwavering belief in the sufficiency of Christ, struggled with assurance of salvation due to personal discipline issues and illness. This narrative illustrates that saving faith can exist even when full assurance is absent. Assurance is not the essence of saving faith, but it should naturally follow as one grows in their relationship with Christ.

I highlighted the importance of understanding saving faith as a holistic experience involving the heart, mind, and confession. The Apostle Paul’s definition in Romans 10:9-10 underscores that true faith engages the whole person, leading to a confession of Jesus as Lord. This confession is not merely verbal but a reflection of a heart transformed by the truth of the Gospel. It is a natural outflow of a heart that believes, demonstrating the inseparable link between belief and action.

Furthermore, I addressed the erroneous teaching that separates accepting Christ as Savior from acknowledging Him as Lord. This division is unscriptural and undermines the comprehensive nature of saving faith. True faith in Christ involves recognizing Him as both Savior and Lord, leading to a life of obedience and transformation. The heart that truly believes will inevitably confess and live out this faith, as evidenced by a desire to turn from sin and serve God wholeheartedly.

In conclusion, I encouraged believers to seek assurance through diligent pursuit of their faith, allowing the Spirit to bear witness with their spirit. This assurance is not based on feelings but on the unchanging truth of God’s Word and His mighty grasp on us. As we grow in our understanding and experience of Christ, may we all come to know the certainty of His presence within us, transforming our lives and leading us to a deeper intimacy with Him.

Key Takeaways:

1. Saving faith can exist without full assurance, as illustrated by the story of the old minister. Assurance is not the essence of saving faith but should naturally follow as one grows in their relationship with Christ. This highlights the importance of seeking assurance through spiritual discipline and reliance on God's promises. [29:08]

2. True saving faith involves the whole person—heart, mind, and confession. It is not merely intellectual assent or emotional experience but a holistic engagement with the truth of the Gospel. This comprehensive nature of faith leads to a life of obedience and transformation. [35:13]

3. The division between accepting Christ as Savior and acknowledging Him as Lord is unscriptural. True faith in Christ involves recognizing Him as both Savior and Lord, leading to a life of obedience and transformation. This understanding prevents a superficial faith that lacks true commitment. [39:49]

4. Confession of faith is a natural outflow of a heart transformed by the Gospel. It is not merely verbal but a reflection of a heart that believes, demonstrating the inseparable link between belief and action. This confession is evidence of true saving faith. [37:33]

5. Assurance of salvation is rooted in the unchanging truth of God's Word and His mighty grasp on us. It is not based on feelings but on the certainty of Christ's presence within us, transforming our lives and leading us to a deeper intimacy with Him. [46:03]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [28:51] - Story of the Old Minister
- [29:24] - Assurance and Saving Faith
- [30:20] - Hymn on Faith and Assurance
- [31:12] - Seeking Assurance in Faith
- [33:28] - Apostle Paul's Definition of Faith
- [34:53] - Confession as Proof of Faith
- [36:14] - Obedience from the Heart
- [37:20] - Heart Belief and Mouth Confession
- [38:06] - True Saving Faith Defined
- [39:49] - Error of Dividing Savior and Lord
- [41:04] - Comprehensive Nature of Faith
- [42:02] - Deliverance from Sin
- [43:02] - Distinction Between True and False Faith
- [45:02] - Prayer for Assurance and Faith

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Romans 10:9-10
2. Romans 6:17
3. Matthew 1:21

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#### Observation Questions
1. What does Romans 10:9-10 say about the relationship between belief in the heart and confession with the mouth?
2. How does the story of the old minister illustrate the concept that saving faith can exist without full assurance? [29:08]
3. According to the sermon, what role does the heart play in the Apostle Paul's definition of saving faith? [34:53]
4. How does Romans 6:17 describe the transformation that occurs in a believer's life?

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#### Interpretation Questions
1. In what ways does the sermon suggest that assurance of salvation is not the essence of saving faith, but something that should naturally follow? [29:41]
2. How does the sermon address the erroneous teaching that separates accepting Christ as Savior from acknowledging Him as Lord? [39:49]
3. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between belief and action in the life of a believer? [37:33]
4. How does the sermon explain the importance of confession as a natural outflow of a heart transformed by the Gospel? [35:13]

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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you struggled with assurance of your salvation. What steps can you take to seek assurance through spiritual discipline and reliance on God's promises? [29:08]
2. How can you engage your heart, mind, and confession in a holistic way to deepen your faith in Christ? What practical steps can you take this week to live out this comprehensive faith? [35:13]
3. Have you ever found yourself separating the roles of Christ as Savior and Lord in your life? How can you work towards recognizing Him as both, leading to a life of obedience and transformation? [39:49]
4. In what ways can you ensure that your confession of faith is not merely verbal but a true reflection of a heart transformed by the Gospel? [37:33]
5. How can you cultivate a deeper intimacy with Christ to experience the certainty of His presence within you, transforming your life? [46:03]
6. Identify one area in your life where you feel the need for God's mighty grasp. How can you actively seek His strength and assurance in that area this week? [31:12]
7. Consider the people around you who may be struggling with assurance of their faith. How can you support and encourage them in their spiritual journey? [46:20]

Devotional

Day 1: Assurance Beyond Feelings
Saving faith can exist without full assurance, as illustrated by the story of the old minister. Assurance is not the essence of saving faith but should naturally follow as one grows in their relationship with Christ. This highlights the importance of seeking assurance through spiritual discipline and reliance on God's promises. [29:08]

"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." (2 Timothy 1:7, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you cultivate spiritual disciplines this week to deepen your assurance in Christ's promises?


Day 2: Holistic Faith Engagement
True saving faith involves the whole person—heart, mind, and confession. It is not merely intellectual assent or emotional experience but a holistic engagement with the truth of the Gospel. This comprehensive nature of faith leads to a life of obedience and transformation. [35:13]

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:5, ESV)

Reflection: How can you engage your heart, mind, and actions more fully in your faith journey today?


Day 3: Unified Recognition of Christ
The division between accepting Christ as Savior and acknowledging Him as Lord is unscriptural. True faith in Christ involves recognizing Him as both Savior and Lord, leading to a life of obedience and transformation. This understanding prevents a superficial faith that lacks true commitment. [39:49]

"Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?" (Luke 6:46, ESV)

Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you acknowledge Christ as Savior but struggle to submit to Him as Lord? What steps can you take to align this area with His Lordship?


Day 4: Confession as a Reflection of Belief
Confession of faith is a natural outflow of a heart transformed by the Gospel. It is not merely verbal but a reflection of a heart that believes, demonstrating the inseparable link between belief and action. This confession is evidence of true saving faith. [37:33]

"For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." (Romans 10:10, ESV)

Reflection: Consider how your daily words and actions reflect your faith. What changes can you make to ensure they align with your beliefs?


Day 5: Assurance Rooted in God's Truth
Assurance of salvation is rooted in the unchanging truth of God's Word and His mighty grasp on us. It is not based on feelings but on the certainty of Christ's presence within us, transforming our lives and leading us to a deeper intimacy with Him. [46:03]

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6, ESV)

Reflection: How can you remind yourself of God's unchanging truth and His work in your life when doubts about your salvation arise?

Quotes

"I remember an old Minister, a man who preached the gospel in all its Purity, not only Faithfully but with great power and indeed a man who passed through experiences of Revival. I remember that man on his death bed in a very lingering painful illness which weakened him very much, and he was in trouble. He wasn't happy about his soul salvation, and he put it to a friend of mine on one occasion like this: he said, 'I have no difficulty, I have no doubt about the way itself. I have no difficulty, I have no doubts about the Savior and his all sufficiency and his fullness and that he has done everything that is necessary. There is no trouble about that,' he said. 'I'm troubled about this, about its registration here.'" [00:28:37]

"Twix gleams of joy and clouds of Doubt our feelings come and go. Our best estate is tossed about with ceaseless ebb and flow. No mood of feeling, form of thought is constant for a day, but thou, oh Lord, thou changest not, the same art thou always. I grasp thy strength, make it my own, my heart with peace is blessed. I lose my hold and then comes down darkness and cold unrest. Let me no more my comfort draw from my frail hold of thee. In this alone rejoice with all thy Mighty grasp of me." [00:30:20]

"Speak, I pray thee, gentle Jesus, oh how passing Sweet thy words breathing over my troubled Spirit peace which never Earth affords. All the world's distracting voices, all its enticing turns of ill, at thine accents mild melodious are subdued and all is still. Tell me thou art my or savior, grant me and assure Assurance clear, banish all my dark misgivings. Now that's the prayer of a saving Faith man for full assurance and certainty of Salvation." [00:32:24]

"The emphasis upon the heart, to what extent then is that involved? Does it mean that I must have a full Assurance in my heart? It doesn't. It does mean this though, that you've been so convicted by the truth that you felt and seen that you're a sinner, that you're alarmed and troubled, that you see the truth about Christ and his salvation and eagerly grasp at it and cast yourself upon it and leave yourself there. That's saving faith. It hasn't got Assurance at that point, but it can have assurance." [00:33:17]

"If Thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, Thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Now then, confession with the mouth, this is the third element in Saving faith, and I think in the light of what we've already been considering, it is inevitable. It needs no demonstration. It follows as the night the day." [00:34:47]

"The moment you put the emphasis that the Apostle puts upon the heart, this arises inevitably. The moment you see the whole man is engaged, the moment you emphasize his understanding of his own position and of God and of the way of Salvation, this then, I say, is something that must of necessity happen. The heart cannot be engaged with without it leading on to this." [00:35:20]

"Faith is a whole, and that these three elements are always involved and are always there together, and that if any one of them is absent, there's something wrong. It isn't true saving Faith. Now that becomes important, you see, for this reason: you may have come across a teaching that puts itself to you in some such terms as these. It draws a sharp distinction between an Evangelistic service and a teaching service." [00:37:56]

"Saving faith is one. You cannot take him only as your savior. Who are you taking? Well, you take the one who is Lord. If Thou shalt confess with thy mouth what Jesus is, Lord, and He is the lord of the whole of the universe, he the lord of the whole of your life. You can't take him in bits and parts and portions." [00:40:00]

"It is impossible for a man to believe in a saving Sense on the Lord Jesus Christ Our Savior only. It's impossible because you can't believe in him as Savior without, I say, all the rest being involved. Of course, there are degrees in this. Again, you can grow in your understanding, but if a man tells me that he's believed in Christ and tells me at the same time that he feels exactly as he was before and he's got no desire which is different from what he had before, and that he's no longer anxious not to sin and no new sense anxious to serve God and the Lord Jesus Christ, I say that man's not saved." [00:41:04]

"This distinction, this division between accepting Christ as Savior and taking him as Lord is utterly unscriptural. He of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and Redemption. You can't divide him. He's one, and looking at it from the experimental side or the subjective side, a man who has believed in him from the heart is a man who will confess him with the mouth. It's quite inevitable." [00:42:02]

"This is how you draw the distinction between the True Believer and the false Professor. This is how you draw the distinction between saving faith and intellectual assent. But if you make that other division, that wrong division, you've got no test at all. You've got to grant that the man who says I believe in Jesus, I believe he truly saved. No, no, but these things the Apostle takes the trouble to bring in the heart and the confession. Why? Well, because it is a vital part of Saving faith." [00:43:02]

"Grant that all thy people, thy dear Children Here gathered, may know as they've never known before the spirit bearing witness with their spirits that they are the children of God. Grant that they may know during this coming season that the one who was born of old in Bethlehem of Judea has also been born in their hearts and in their souls. Grant that we all may know of assurity a Christ within, a living Christ dwelling within us, taking up his abode within us and never leaving us." [00:46:03]

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Transcript
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