Saving Faith
When the scriptures speak of believing unto salvation it is defined as the will of the heart moving in response to hearing/understanding the gospel and conviction of the Spirit. It is a union of our will with God’s will. A submitting of our will to God’s will. Notice that the heart believes after one is persuaded in their mind to repent:
Matt.21:32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
2 Cor.7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of:
Act.20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Act.3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out…
2 Tim.2:25-6 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil…
Jer.26:13 Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you. 35:15 Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods...
(*Notice God grants the ability and opportunity to repent, to which we must respond. We recover ourselves by believing the promises of God. Yet we don’t decide to come to God when we have a convenient season {Act.24:25}: 2 Pet.3:15 "the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation" Romans 2:4 "the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance" Rev.2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Heb.12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. Isa.55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Prv.1:24, 28 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:)
In figure or in type, John the Baptist preceded Jesus Christ just like repentance precedes faith:
Acts 19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
Notice persuasion is in the mind- and repenting is being persuaded:
Rom.14:5 Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Luke 16:30-1 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Act 19:26 …Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
Ezek.14:6 …Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
Ezek.18:30 …Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.v27 "when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed", v28 "he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die." v31 "Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed"
Faith is with the heart:
Rom 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath 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.
Act 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Luk 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
Mar 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe…
The heart is the real you, the ‘I’ as in ‘I am’ or the ‘ego’, the final will:
Exo. 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
Exo.35:29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.
1 Samuel 16:7 …the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
Jeremiah 17:10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Rev.2:23…all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works
Daniel 1:8 … Daniel purposed in his heart…
1 Cor. 7:37 …he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart…
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God …is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Romans 6:17 …ye have obeyed from the heart…
Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
The heart is the real you, the ‘I am’, the final will of man:
Exodus 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
Exodus 35:5 Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord; gold, and silver, and brass,
Exo 35:29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.
1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:
Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Acts 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Romans 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
1 Cor. 7:37 Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart…
Faith is an act of the will; although not an act independent of God:
Lk.22:67 Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:
Isa.7:9 …If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.
Mt.21:25 …And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
Mt.15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt.
Mt.27:42 …If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
Jn.4:48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
1 Jn.3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ…
Jn.14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Jn 8:24, 45-6 …if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
Jn.5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
Mk.16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
Lk.24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
(see also- Mt.6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8, 17:17, Mk.4:40, Lk.8:25, 12:28)
Faith is our will in response to and in union with Gods will; a marriage of wills:
Rom.10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Lk.5:15…and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
Jn. 4:50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.
Matt.13:15 …lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Jude 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost Rom.8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Eph.6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…1 Cor.6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
Acts 18:27...believed through grace:
Col.1:9-10 For this cause we also…do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Heb.11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him:
Matt.9:28-9…Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. Matt.8:2-3 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean…Matt.15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt…
Mark 5:27, 34 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
Gal.5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is …faith…1 Cor.12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; Rom.12:3 …to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
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