What is Faith? {Romans 10}
12:30 AM
What does
Paul say about Faith? There is an
impression that early Christianity was seen as part of Judaism (Acts
15:1-5). As a former Pharisee, how did
this affect the apostle Paul’s understanding of the term “faith”? Let’s begin with the Mosaic Covenant and the
relationship between faith and works.
The Ten Commandments begin with “I
am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the
house of slavery (Exodus 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:6)
Before
any law was given, this preamble revealed God’s intention for the nation of
Israel:
Obedience to the law
was a grateful response by those who were saved.
By grace
alone and by their faith that God would secure their release from Egypt and
hold up the waters of the Red Sea, the nation of Israel was saved from Pharaoh
(Exodus 14:13-31).
Obedience
to the law was an expression of a covenant relationship. What mattered to God was Israel’s faith and
commitment to Him, and only after the
nation of Israel made such a commitment, did God reveal the Law (Exodus
19:7-17).
What
happened to the Jewish people who believed in God but not in Christ? Where was their faith? Rather than living by faith in God, the Jews
established customs and traditions, in addition to God’s law, to try to make
themselves acceptable in God’s sight.
But human effort, no matter how sincere, can ever substitute for the
righteousness God offers us by faith.
The only
way to earn salvation is to be
perfect – and that is impossible. We can
only hold out our empty hands and receive salvation as a gift.
People
can complicate how to become a Christian.
They can make up rules and try to enforce some kind of traditions, but
Paul tells us that salvation is as close as our own mouth and heart.
So, what
is faith? Faith is a gift God gives us
because He is saving us – “For it is by
grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it
is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9. In God’s mercy, when He saves us, He gives us
faith – a relationship with His Son that helps us become like Him. Through the faith He gives, He carries us
from death into life. (John 5:24).
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