On June 26th, on our YouTube channel, we posted a video by me called “Can Miracle Faith Save?” You can see the 7-minute video here.
One of the comments at the bottom of the video caught my attention. S.P. wrote: “Faith does not save a person. There is no such thing as ‘saving faith.’ Jesus saves. It is what the belief is on that saves a person. I believe on Jesus for everlasting life. In that last sentence, I is the subject, believe is the verb and Jesus is the object of the verb. If the object of the verb is anything other than Jesus, a person won’t be saved. Stop saying ‘saving faith.’”
First, I’m glad that S.P. does not think I was discussing some special type of faith. I use the expression saving faith as shorthand for what S.P. calls, “what the belief is on that saves a person.” In other words, if a person believes the saving message, then he is saved. There is no special kind of faith. All faith is persuasion.
Second, I’m a bit surprised that S.P. says faith doesn’t save a person. He goes on to write, “It is what the belief is on that saves a person.” He says that whoever believes in Jesus for everlasting life is saved. We must believe in Jesus Christ, the Giver, for the gift of God, everlasting life. When we do, we have the gift.
Of course, it is true that Jesus saves. But it is also true that He only saves those who believe in Him for everlasting life.
Is it accurate to say that Jesus saves all who believe in Him for everlasting life? Yes.
Jesus saves. Faith in Jesus saves. There is no conflict there.
Maybe S.P. means that faith, in general, won’t save anyone. It must specifically be faith in Jesus Christ for everlasting life. I’m on board with that. Believing that Jesus lived, died, was buried, and rose again does not result in everlasting life. Believing that God sent Jesus does not produce the New Birth. One must believe in the Giver for the Gift (John 3:16; 4:10-14; Eph 2:8-9; Rev 22:17).
One of the replies to S.P. in the comments section mentioned a particular preacher. I looked the preacher up and found that he is criticized because he says that we are saved by grace through faith apart from works and that we are not saved by praying some prayer or by crying out to God. I saw two sermons by preachers who criticized him. They were adamant that in order to be saved, one must call on the name of the Lord and pray the sinner’s prayer, which they say includes repentance and commitment.
Though I can’t quite figure out why S.P. adamantly commands, “Stop saying ‘saving faith,’” I think it’s probably because that expression does not mention the Lord Jesus Christ and everlasting life–the Giver and the Gift. If so, please understand that when I write saving faith, that is what I mean. Here is a longer way to say that: “Whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Giver, for the Gift of God, everlasting life that cannot be lost, has that gift once and for all.”
Jesus saves. Check.
Jesus saves all who believe in Him for everlasting life. Check.
All who believe in Jesus for everlasting life are saved. Check.
Faith in the Right Object, the Lord Jesus Christ—and the everlasting life He promises—saves. Check.
