A lesson on the nature of God’s Word, and what it means to have true saving faith in Christ. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. With physical ears, myriads of people around the world have heard the words which Christ has spoken. There is no shortage of Bible scholars and even laypeople well-versed in the Scriptures. That was true back in Jesus’ day, and it remains true today as well. Yet few have received His words into their heart. That is because apart from God giving grace for them to believe, it is impossible for them to discern or heed the live-giving truth contained in those precious utterances. The Word of God goes forth in power, and does not fail to accomplish its intended purposes, which is chiefly, to draw sinners Christ, who is the giver of life to all who believe, and the chief subject to which God's Word points. Yet it is not in our power to exercise that belief, for the faith which we have in Christ, though truly in our possession, does not originate from us – it is the gift of God.

It is important to understand that saving faith is not a blind, mindless faith; it exists in correlation to the object or person upon which the faith is placed. In other words, it does not depend on an individual’s perception of who Christ is, but on the reality of who He is. It is a faith that has substance and veracity, and can be broken down into three sub-categories: the first is a factual knowledge. Before we can believe in something, we must know things about it, so as to set a foundation for understanding the subject. The second is conviction – the surety that those facts matter, such that it brings about the volitional response based on those facts. If we know Christ is truly God, became a man, lived a perfect sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, and yet remain unconvinced in our heart that He is indeed our only hope for salvation, then at best, knowing the reality of who He is can only serve to condemn us. The third is called “fiducia” – this is a personal trust or commitment. It is a confident acceptance and reliance upon Christ alone as our Savior. This is the mark of a reborn person; the reality of Christ flows through the seat of their intentions and emotions into the outward actions of their lives. This is no flimsy profession of faith, nor is it behavioral modification. It is a change resulting from being spiritually raised to life, such that the life we live now is in Christ and for Christ, in stark contrast to our old sinful, self-serving one. It is knowledge and conviction effectually applied to our souls; our thoughts, attitudes, emotions, and actions are fundamentally governed as a result of seeing Christ, and living attuned to the reality of Him as our Lord and Savior. It reaches to the point where one’s life is completely characterized by that overwhelming, all-conquering truth of who Christ is, and what He has done for us. Does that describe your faith?