ten, "But the righteous man shall live by faith." (NAS)

  • 1. Plain statement -- the righteous shall live by faith
  • 2. The righteous do not live by their own righteousness
  • 3. Paul made it very clear that faith relates to the gospel of Jesus and that faith and the gospel go together to produce salvation

  • C. Rom 3:20, 28
because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. (NAS)
  • 1. Justification before God relates directly to faith
  • 2. No one is justified by works of merit

  • D. Point: faith is essential
  • 1. We must have faith to please God
  • 2. We must have faith to be saved
  • 3. We must have faith to be justified
  • 4. There is no relationship with God apart from faith


II. THE BIBLICAL CONCEPT OF FAITH

  • A. Why we need a biblical concept of faith
  • 1. Because the most popular concept of faith is one that defines the term by an unbiblical definition
  • 2. Most people think that faith simply means to believe, to give mental assent to something
  • a. this is the basic denominational concept
  • b. it is at the root of the belief-only doctrine of salvation

  • B. Faith defined
  • 1. W.E. Vine (PISTIS) primarily, firm persuasion, a conviction . . . . trust . . . . an assurance
  • 2. The Bible can also define its own terms
  • a. Heb 11:6
  • b. one of the best practical definitions of faith
  • 3. Faith is composed of two vital elements
  • a. a belief that God exists
  • b. the action of seeking after him
  • c. one element or the other may be the emphasis in different verses, but the two never contradict one another