What is Saving Faith?

[GDL]

All that have come to Christ to be saved by him are sealed with the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13. They will persevere to the end. If they don't, they never did believe in the first place.

So, embrace means come to. I assume it also means believe in, but I never know with you.

 

[fhansen]

What you have said is true.

We have ALREADY been reconciled unto God by Jesus Christ. We are ALREADY complete "In Christ". When God accepted Jesus back into heaven we were accepted in him. The only thing that is required of us is to accept what he has done for us and embrace it as our only means of salvation.

As GDL stated, we have to remain in Him and live like His children. If we're not doing that then any profession of faith is worthless. We'd be thwarting His life in us. And sanctification/holiness is not guaranteed unless we cooperate in that work of His, that work of grace.

 

[TedT]

Saving faith is the acceptance by faith, that is, not by proof but by hope, that YHWH is our creator GOD and the Son is our saviour from the legal and natural consequences of all sin which brought under us under HIS promise of salvation when HE elected us, choosing us to be HIS Bride.

Saving faith must precede election to salvation as all salvation is by faith and once elect, aways elect, ensuing salvation. If we are elect to salvation, (ie, to be conformed to the image of the Son), before faith then salvation is by election, not faith which cannot be as all salvation is by faith as you proved.

 

[d taylor]

What's a "Messiah" & what does believing in the Messiah mean & include?

It's good to see you say "believing" is an act, because some in GES have worked hard to say it's purely passive.



"Believers"? It seems like it based upon his opening, but he's also talking about a lot of division in the congregation. Paul says later in chapter 15 that our faith is worthless if there is no resurrection and if no resurrection, then Jesus is not Messiah/Christ. In Romans 10, Paul also speaks of the importance of belief in the resurrection. Resurrection is one of the signs in John that Jesus is the Messiah/Christ (whatever a Messiah/Christ is). Post crucifixion and resurrection, if they deny the resurrected Messiah/Christ, at some point, are they "believers"?

Believing is an act under this type of passive action, that a person must hear or read the evidence presented in The Bible. Then they can either believe the evidence and trust in The Messiah for Eternal Life or not believe the evidence.

The only other way this may be considered is that many people are exposed to a false worked based gospel that gives no one eternal life salvation. So as Jesus stated they may have to work for the food that endures to everlasting life.
Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

The laboring here is speaking of weeding out the false work based ways that many have been taught, they must do to earn eternal life salvation. So some do have to do more examining of what they have been taught. To see if it is the real truthful way to receive God's free gift of Eternal Life. Sadly many/some people never break away from these false taught ways to receive God's free gift of Eternal Life.

 

[d taylor]

You highlight John 5:24 in your posts page and thus the "has crossed over" statement.

• First, it's a perfect tense verb that speaks of the current condition based upon some past action. Typically, either the past action or the current condition is highlighted. It says nothing about the future. Do you get the assured future from the word "eternal"?

• How do you compare 1 John 3:14 (same writer) that uses the same verb and also brings in the issue re: "abiding"?

• As you know, the warnings that some take as speaking of a loss of salvation have various interpretations. In a simple statement, how do you interpret them - what is their purpose?

Just a sidenote: Since this verse talks about believing in our Father for eternal life, IMO it removes the accuracy of "...in Christ Alone."

Why bring into a discussion a book written about fellowship/discipleship with believers. Into a discussion about unbelievers and the condition God requires to receive Hos free gift of Eternal Life.

 

[AbbaLove]

Saving FAITH is FAITH in the *Son of GOD (*physical manifestation of GOD Incarnate). Immanuel (GOD with us).

The Apostle John (1 John) refers to Jewish Messianic "believers" in Mashiach Yeshuah as "little chidren" (e.g. 1 John 2:12). Possibly a reference to Words spoken by Yeshuah ...

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3)

 

[RobertPate]

As GDL stated, we have to remain in Him and live like His children. If we're not doing that then any profession of faith is worthless. We'd be thwarting His life in us. And sanctification/holiness is not guaranteed unless we cooperate in that work of His, that work of grace.

You don't give much credit to the Holy Spirit.

All that come to Christ as repentant sinners to be saved by him are granted the Holy Spirit. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to conform the believer into the image of Christ. But that is not his salvation. His salvation is grounded in the work and the person of Jesus Christ, his life, his death his resurrection. In Jesus Christ he has been justified, sanctified and redeemed, 1 Corinthians 1:30. And stands before God as perfect and complete "In Christ" Colossians 2:10.

 

[RobertPate]

So, embrace means come to. I assume it also means believe in, but I never know with you.

Embrace means to hang on to. Example: a drowning man will embrace the lifeguard.

 

[AbbaLove]

"You're good at criticizing and yet in your introduction of "What Is Faith" you make no mention of or give credit to Ruach HaKodesh / Holy Spirit (check it out if you don't believe me) ...

"Saving faith is faith that Jesus Christ has fulfilled all of the promises that God made to Israel in the Old Testament, Acts 13:32-33, Acts 2:39.

Saving faith is faith that Jesus Christ as God's new Adam and humanities representative has fulfilled all of the righteous demands of God's Holy Law for us, Romans 10:4.

Saving faith is faith that Jesus Christ has atoned for our sins and the sins of the whole world, 1 John 4:14.

Saving faith is faith that Jesus Christ has reconciled us and the whole world unto God the Father, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.

Saving faith is faith that Jesus is the "King of Kings and the Lord of Lords" Revelation 19:16.

Saving faith is faith that Jesus Christ has victoriously defeated sin, death and the devil in our name and on our behalf, Colossians 2:15.

Saving faith is faith that God raised Jesus from the dead, Romans 10:9.

Saving faith is faith that believes Jesus has justified, sanctified and redeemed us unto God the Father, 1 Corinthians 1:30.

Saving faith is a faith that believes we are complete in Jesus Christ, Colossians 2:10.

Saving faith is a faith that believes we have ceased from our own works and have entered into his rest, Hebrews 4:10.

Saving faith is a faith that believes we are accepted only in Jesus Christ, Colossians 3:3.

Saving faith is nothing more than simple childlike faith in the work and the person of Jesus Christ. The Bible makes it very clear that because of the work and the person of Jesus Christ we are justified by faith alone. The reason that we are justified by faith alone is because we are justified by Christ alone. All of the work of salvation has already been done. There is nothing left for us to do, but to receive what God has already done for us in Jesus Christ."
_______________________

Perhaps you get some satisfaction critizing a Jewish Believer ... as if your faith as a Protesstant is greater than that of a Messianic Jew (read Galatians 3:28).

We don't disagree on Saving Faith so why the need to find fault? I'll also go so far as to say that the nine Supernatural Gifts are still alive and active today. Yes, some may be abused and some with a Gift(s) may take partial credit instead of giving ALL the credit, praise and glory to the 3-in-1 triune nature of the Godhead.

In Matthew 7:21-23 the LORD is referring to those that glory too much in their Gift as if they were deserving of it; whereby it can go to their head and they think they are something when they are nothing without the guidance of HIS presence.
________________________

I've been away from these CF forums for three years. Your reply does nothing that would encourage me to stay.

 

[fhansen]

You don't give much credit to the Holy Spirit.

God doesn't want it to be all Himself-that's the point, according to His wisdom and will and at His sovereign discretion. Because He's meaning to make something here, something grand and glorius, something like Himself, not just saving some worthless sinners. He could've done that at the beginning but instead He's been patiently guiding and teaching and informing and cultivating humanity since Eden to ultimately turn back to Him, to the willing subjugation to Him that we were created for, and that constitutes the right order of things for man, based on love. This involves struggle, experience, revelation and grace.

To be something we must love (1 Cor 13), and that love is a choice even as it's a gift- or else it's not love at all. Those who agree with Him and follow Him, doing their part in His work as they live by the Spirit, are those who are His.

It's all His work, all grace, but grace that we can resist. To the extent that we don't resist, that we come to Him and remain in Him, our justice, our love, only increase. Thats what He wants. It begins here, today-with faith.

 

[Ligurian]

James 2:21-26 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?[22] Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?[23] And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.[24] Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.[25] Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent [them] out another way?[26] For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Matthew 7:24-27 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon the rock:[25] and the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house: and it fell not, for it was founded upon the rock.[26] And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand:[27] and the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house: and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

Matthew 10:5-42 [22] And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Revelation 3:8-13 [8] I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it, for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My word and hast not denied My name.

Abraham, when God gave him the Promise Covenant, was required to become circumcised. The flesh and blood parts of animals were God's part of this Covenant, but the flesh and blood of Abraham were Abraham's part of the Covenant. Faith without works is dead.

James was a Judaizer. A Judaizer is someone that believes in Jesus, but also believes that you most follow the law of Moses. The book of James was written to law keeping Jews, James 1:1. Not to Gentile believers. James attempted to circumcise Gentile believers, Acts 15:1-21. Paul and Barnabas had to straighten him out. James also sent men to spy on Peter and Barnabas to see if they were eating with Gentiles, Galatians 2:12. Paul had to straighten them out.

I see that you are a Nazarene. Nazarenes practice Old Covenant religion of works and law. Under the New Covenant God's people are justified by faith, Romans 4:5 and not by the works of the law. Paul said, "By the deeds of the law (what you do) no flesh will be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" Romans 3:20.

Christians are justified by faith alone, because they are justified by Christ alone. Jesus justifies the ungodly, Romans 4:5 and reconciles them unto God, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19. No laws, rules or religion was needed. It was all of God.

Only rookies call all the 12 tribes the Jews... as though Solomon's kingdom isn't still divided and they never heard that the name Jews means Judah.

Paul is the apostle to the gentiles. I don't follow Paul.

Jesus' Disciples were sent into all the world immediately after the Return... they didn't hang around in Jerusalem. But James the Lord's brother did, Galatians 1:18-19. So maybe Simon and Judas and Joses did, too. Joses is Barnabas' first name, and Judas is called the brother of James in Acts.


=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
I follow the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven for the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel, to whom the Father sent His Son, Matthew 15:24, and to whom the Son sent His Disciples, Matthew 10:5-7.

Nazarene

Matthew 2:23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Isaiah 7:14-15 Butter and honey shall He eat, before He knows either to prefer evil or choose the good.LXX
Lamentations 4:7 Her (Ναζιραίον) Nazarites were made purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were purified as with fire, their polishing was superior to sapphire stone.LXX
Judges 13:2-5 And there was a man of Saraa, of the family of the kindred of Dan, and his name was Manoe, and his wife was barren, and bore not.[3] And an angel of the Lord appeared to the woman, and said to her, Behold, thou art barren and hast not born; yet thou shalt conceive a son.[4] And now be very cautious, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat no unclean thing;[5] for behold, thou art with child, and shalt bring forth a son; and there shall come no razor upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Phylistines.LXX

Another Way

Jeremiah 32:37-41 Behold, I will gather them out of every land where I have scattered them in My anger, and My wrath, and great fury, and I will bring them back into this place and will cause them to dwell safely;[38] and they shall be to Me a people and I will be to them a God.[39] And I will give them another way and another heart, to fear Me continually, and that for good to them and their children after them.[40] And I will make with them an Everlasting Covenant, which I will by no means turn away from them, and I will put My fear into their heart, that they may not depart from Me.[41] And I will visit them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, and with all My heart, and with all My soul.LXX

 

[RobertPate]

Only rookies call all the 12 tribes the Jews... as though Solomon's kingdom isn't still divided and they never heard that the name Jews means Judah.

Paul is the apostle to the gentiles. I don't follow Paul.

Jesus' Disciples were sent into all the world immediately after the Return... they didn't hang around in Jerusalem. But James the Lord's brother did, Galatians 1:18-19. So maybe Simon and Judas and Joses did, too. Joses is Barnabas' first name, and Judas is called the brother of James in Acts.


=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
I follow the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven for the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel, to whom the Father sent His Son, Matthew 15:24, and to whom the Son sent His Disciples, Matthew 10:5-7.

Nazarene

Matthew 2:23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Isaiah 7:14-15 Butter and honey shall He eat, before He knows either to prefer evil or choose the good.LXX
Lamentations 4:7 Her (Ναζιραίον) Nazarites were made purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were purified as with fire, their polishing was superior to sapphire stone.LXX
Judges 13:2-5 And there was a man of Saraa, of the family of the kindred of Dan, and his name was Manoe, and his wife was barren, and bore not.[3] And an angel of the Lord appeared to the woman, and said to her, Behold, thou art barren and hast not born; yet thou shalt conceive a son.[4] And now be very cautious, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat no unclean thing;[5] for behold, thou art with child, and shalt bring forth a son; and there shall come no razor upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Phylistines.LXX

Another Way

Jeremiah 32:37-41 Behold, I will gather them out of every land where I have scattered them in My anger, and My wrath, and great fury, and I will bring them back into this place and will cause them to dwell safely;[38] and they shall be to Me a people and I will be to them a God.[39] And I will give them another way and another heart, to fear Me continually, and that for good to them and their children after them.[40] And I will make with them an Everlasting Covenant, which I will by no means turn away from them, and I will put My fear into their heart, that they may not depart from Me.[41] And I will visit them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, and with all My heart, and with all My soul.LXX

A Messianic Christian is one that believes in Jesus, but rejects Paul's New Covenant Gospel and justification by faith.

 

[RobertPate]

Only rookies call all the 12 tribes the Jews... as though Solomon's kingdom isn't still divided and they never heard that the name Jews means Judah.

Paul is the apostle to the gentiles. I don't follow Paul.

Jesus' Disciples were sent into all the world immediately after the Return... they didn't hang around in Jerusalem. But James the Lord's brother did, Galatians 1:18-19. So maybe Simon and Judas and Joses did, too. Joses is Barnabas' first name, and Judas is called the brother of James in Acts.


=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
I follow the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven for the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel, to whom the Father sent His Son, Matthew 15:24, and to whom the Son sent His Disciples, Matthew 10:5-7.

Nazarene

Matthew 2:23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Isaiah 7:14-15 Butter and honey shall He eat, before He knows either to prefer evil or choose the good.LXX
Lamentations 4:7 Her (Ναζιραίον) Nazarites were made purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were purified as with fire, their polishing was superior to sapphire stone.LXX
Judges 13:2-5 And there was a man of Saraa, of the family of the kindred of Dan, and his name was Manoe, and his wife was barren, and bore not.[3] And an angel of the Lord appeared to the woman, and said to her, Behold, thou art barren and hast not born; yet thou shalt conceive a son.[4] And now be very cautious, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat no unclean thing;[5] for behold, thou art with child, and shalt bring forth a son; and there shall come no razor upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Phylistines.LXX

Another Way

Jeremiah 32:37-41 Behold, I will gather them out of every land where I have scattered them in My anger, and My wrath, and great fury, and I will bring them back into this place and will cause them to dwell safely;[38] and they shall be to Me a people and I will be to them a God.[39] And I will give them another way and another heart, to fear Me continually, and that for good to them and their children after them.[40] And I will make with them an Everlasting Covenant, which I will by no means turn away from them, and I will put My fear into their heart, that they may not depart from Me.[41] And I will visit them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, and with all My heart, and with all My soul.LXX

You are practicing Old Covenant law and religion that has been abolished and is under the judgment of God.

 

[disciple Clint]

A very clear promise from God, that all who trust in The Messiah has crossed over from death to life.

Unless you have as clear of a statement from God that a person who has trusted in The Messiah can cross back over to death from life. Them there really is noting further to discuss.

Just for clarity are you saying that if someone accepts Jesus and then later renounces Him and the faith and intentionally commits unlimited sins that he is still saved?

 

[GDL]

Believing is an act under this type of passive action, that a person must hear or read the evidence presented in The Bible. Then they can either believe the evidence and trust in The Messiah for Eternal Life or not believe the evidence.

The only other way this may be considered is that many people are exposed to a false worked based gospel that gives no one eternal life salvation. So as Jesus stated they may have to work for the food that endures to everlasting life.
Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

The laboring here is speaking of weeding out the false work based ways that many have been taught, they must do to earn eternal life salvation. So some do have to do more examining of what they have been taught. To see if it is the real truthful way to receive God's free gift of Eternal Life. Sadly many/some people never break away from these false taught ways to receive God's free gift of Eternal Life.

The reason I asked you about "Messiah" is that the "Gospel" you suggest does not explain what a Messiah/Christ is. Since you rest so heavily on GJohn, do you at least establish more of what John does about Jesus - His deity for instance? Do you establish anything about the authority of this "Christ"? Are we left to believe in titles we do not understand?

You've also not responded about the importance of resurrection. Do you have no opinions as to whether or not "believers" must believe in resurrection - the resurrected Christ? It's a part of GJohn. Actually, it's one of the signs the document says establishes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Although there is some warrant to consider an active passive concept in some places in the Text, this is taken too far in an attempt to strip everything from the word "believe" in order to avoid supposed "works" in salvation.

I used to go along with that even though it seemed it was stressing the language and forcing it where it shouldn't go. The fact is that "belief" is an active concept, as is hearing and learning. What's also apparent from the Text is that "faith is never alone" as the counterargument goes. For one thing Biblical Faith is parallel to obedience to God. There is also reason and decision involved in Biblical Faith. The camp you agree with leaves "faith" essentially undefined as it strips away most everything the explains what Biblical Faith includes and involves.

From your point of view, what you're saying about John 6 might make sense. On the other hand, to me it now just looks like more forcing of the Text to say what the FG Soteriology needs it to say.

When Jesus commands unbelievers to work to receive the gift He gives that remains for eternal life, I think He means what He says. He's commanding people who are working to follow Him around for free food, to redirect their efforts, their work, to "hear & learn" what the Father is teaching (John 6:45) through Him and come to Him for who He is. The food is spirit - spiritual food - and the Spirit gives life (John 6:63). Jesus also redirects their misunderstanding of "works" and does not allow them to take their efforts too far: He explains that God is drawing them to Jesus by teaching them and that their belief is God's work (John 6:29 & 44).

The soteriology you follow does not allow the Text to simply say what it says. There is an interplay between the work of God and the work of man. God's work is primary and foundational as John 6 makes clear and God determines what is to be compensated and what is not deserving of merit or compensation. He knows what part He plays and what part He requires men to play. He really doesn't need us pushing the pendulum to extremes to stand against a view of Romanism.

 

[d taylor]

Just for clarity are you saying that if someone accepts Jesus and then later renounces Him and the faith and intentionally commits unlimited sins that he is still saved?

That is what the parable of the soil states the 1st of three believer soils. falls away and there is no mention of this soil losing their eternal life salvation.

 

[GDL]

Why bring into a discussion a book written about fellowship/discipleship with believers. Into a discussion about unbelievers and the condition God requires to receive Hos free gift of Eternal Life.

John's Gospel is hardly for unbelievers only. It contains substantial and extensive teaching and commands for the believer also. The purpose of the signs written about is stated in John 20:30-31, but the content of the document goes much further in its instruction.

1 John is seen by some, me included, in some sense as a commentary & elaboration on some of the content of John's Gospel wherein Jesus deals with discipleship and abiding relationship with Him. Your suggested separation of the 2 documents seems more forced effort to not deal with any elaboration on the soteriological themes.

Here are the 2 verses I asked that we compare because they both are written by John and they both contain this "crossed from death to life" language you suggest being proof of a momentary belief in Christ for eternal life that one cannot lose:

NKJ John 5:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.​

NKJ 1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.

So, we have a few statements about this passing or crossing from death to life:

• The one who hears Jesus' word and believes in God the Father who sent Him has passed from death into life
• We know we have passed from death into life [if] we love our Christian siblings
• If we do not love our Christian siblings, we remain/abide in death

I'm going to add another verse from 1 John that comes to mind immediately:

NET 1 John 3:23 Now this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he gave us the commandment.

So, John in essence tells us that God commands that we:

• believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ
• love one another as Jesus commanded (IOW obey God's Son Jesus Christ)

Unless we see "abide in death" to be something we do in [eternal] life, for this [eternal] life:

• We must hear Jesus' word (lexically & in context of who Jesus is, "hear" can trend into "obey")
• We must believe in God the Father who sent Jesus
• We must love our Christian siblings (unless we can have life but not know we have life and not love our Christian siblings)

A few other observations:

• This "abide in death" ties back at minimum to Jesus' instruction and command in John to abide in Him.
• Abiding in Jesus infers a continuous belief in Jesus the resurrected Christ
• To believe in the name of God's Son is to obey God's command to believe in the name of God's Son
• To love our Christian siblings is to obey Jesus Christ's command to love our Christian siblings which is to obey God the Father's command to obey Jesus' command to love our Christian siblings
• Abiding Faith and its correlated obedience to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ permeates all of the NC Scripture. This is the reason I asked you to explain what the word "Messiah" means and includes. Your silence is understood but discouraging.

The end of the very basic analysis is that John 5:24 is not a stand-alone verse to build an entire soteriology upon. Even John 5:24 is in the context of honoring the Son as honoring the Father. Willing submission to the authority of God the Father and God's Son permeates this verse and its context. It also includes belief in the Father for eternal life, which the slogan "faith alone in Christ alone" does not include on its face.

If you've got a different take on all of this, my eyes are open to read it. If you will only stand on GJohn being written for unbelievers and 1 John for believers, then we can leave it at disagreement. But, just to be clear, my disagreement at this time is that the gospel you're presenting is not the accurate Gospel.

 

[DaveM]

saving faith changes a person into a new being

 

[GDL]

That is what the parable of the soil states the 1st of three believer soils. falls away and there is no mention of this soil losing their eternal life salvation.

There is no mention of any of the soils having or retaining eternal life.

The 4th soil is the only one that produces fruit "in/by endurance." There is a play between the wording of the 3rd and 4th soils. The 3rd produces no fruit to completion and the inference is that it does not endure as the 4th soil does.

This endurance is related to abiding which is commanded of Christians. Bringing fruit to completion is part of the abiding in Christ Christian life walking in Spirit.

This parable supports a Biblical Abiding Faith for Salvation.

 

[GDL]

saving faith changes a person into a new being

Will this new being be evidenced by anything in time?