Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
We can all quote that one, but do we all understand it? It is only by the Grace (unmerited favor) of God that any of us are ever saved. We are then saved through the operation of Faith, and even that is not of our own doing, even THAT is a gift from God.
So then what is Faith? What is this gift and how do we get it? Simple!
Faith "is a voluntary and sincere change in the mind of a sinner, causing him to turn to the Saviour." This simply means you change your mind about Sin, and how you see it.
So when we "repent" we turn FROM sin and in Faith we turn TO Christ! In Luke 13:5 Jesus said we MUST repent because unless we do we "shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:5)
Paul emphasized both repentence and faith in Acts 20:21 in his farewell message to the elders at Ephesus.
Acts 20:21: "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
So where do we get Faith? Where does it come from?
Romans 10:17: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." So then Faith comes from hearing the Gospel message and that message comes from someone telling (preaching) the Word of God about Jesus.
Is this how it happened with you? Was there a time when you turned AWAY from sin and turned TO Christ? If not, then you have discovered some new way to be saved that does not come from the Word of God, and if it does not come from the Word of God WHERE does it come from? We KNOW we can TRUST the Word of God, and this is the way it says it must be done.
If you have never done it that way, then why not do it now? Just say something like this:
Jesus, I change my mind about sin. I no longer think it is cute or funny or the way I want to live. I repent and turn FROM my sin, and I now turn TO You in Faith and ask You to forgive ALL my sins and to save me. I acknowledge that You, The Just, both suffered and died for me, The Unjust, that You might redeem me and bring me to God. I gladly accept Your Gift of Salvation, and I thank You for it. Live in my heart and be the Lord of my life forever. Amen.
We can all quote that one, but do we all understand it? It is only by the Grace (unmerited favor) of God that any of us are ever saved. We are then saved through the operation of Faith, and even that is not of our own doing, even THAT is a gift from God.
So then what is Faith? What is this gift and how do we get it? Simple!
Faith "is a voluntary and sincere change in the mind of a sinner, causing him to turn to the Saviour." This simply means you change your mind about Sin, and how you see it.
So when we "repent" we turn FROM sin and in Faith we turn TO Christ! In Luke 13:5 Jesus said we MUST repent because unless we do we "shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:5)
Paul emphasized both repentence and faith in Acts 20:21 in his farewell message to the elders at Ephesus.
Acts 20:21: "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
So where do we get Faith? Where does it come from?
Romans 10:17: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." So then Faith comes from hearing the Gospel message and that message comes from someone telling (preaching) the Word of God about Jesus.
Is this how it happened with you? Was there a time when you turned AWAY from sin and turned TO Christ? If not, then you have discovered some new way to be saved that does not come from the Word of God, and if it does not come from the Word of God WHERE does it come from? We KNOW we can TRUST the Word of God, and this is the way it says it must be done.
If you have never done it that way, then why not do it now? Just say something like this:
Jesus, I change my mind about sin. I no longer think it is cute or funny or the way I want to live. I repent and turn FROM my sin, and I now turn TO You in Faith and ask You to forgive ALL my sins and to save me. I acknowledge that You, The Just, both suffered and died for me, The Unjust, that You might redeem me and bring me to God. I gladly accept Your Gift of Salvation, and I thank You for it. Live in my heart and be the Lord of my life forever. Amen.
