02.15. Faith - 04 - What Must We Believe to be Saved?

Faith – 04 – What Must We Believe to be Saved?

It may seem strange to leave so important a question to the last. But in our lesson on Confession it will be shown that there is a divine confession of faith, in which we must express our belief. We have already seen that we must believe in God (Hebrews 11:6); in or on Christ (Acts 16:31), in the gospel (Mark 16:15-16), which includes the great facts of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). God is not the justifier of all, but of "him that hath faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:27). It was to bring men to faith in him that John wrote (John 20:31). The fundamental proposition is, as we shall see later, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16-18). As we close this study, it should be with the desire and determination to be "full of faith" (Acts 6:5), to "fight the god fight of faith" (1 Timothy 6:12). To this end, it may be our appropriate prayer, "Lord, increase our faith" (Luke 17:5).

QUESTIONS.

1. What is faith? 2. How are men to obtain faith? 3. What possibility is there of salvation apart from faith? 4. Have men ability to believe? 5. In what sense may faith be called the gift of God? 6. Wherein lies the efficacy of our faith? 7. How would you show that faith alone will not save? 8. What do you mean by a "dead" faith? 9. How was Abraham justified? 10. Name three promises conditioned by faith. 11. Is faith always used in the same sense in the Bible’ 12. What is the great central truth of the Christian system presented to us as an object of faith?