Faith and Reason

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith...

Jesus said several times: "Thy faith hath saved thee."

Just what is faith? The Greek word is pistos.  Mr. Strong defines it as trusting, faithful, and believing. It is all those things. The root word is peíthō, meaning persuaded.

Abraham, not "weak in faith",  " ...staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness  (Romans 4:20).

Strong faith, it seems, is being "fully persuaded".  Abraham was of the utmost high standard of faith (Romans 4:16). That same verse refers to Abraham as "the father of us all". Not a genetic "father", but a spiritual one.

I'm sorry, Calvinists, but I differ with you. My belief is that when one is born-again, he is not "saved" but "safe" (See. the first definition of sozos in Strong's Dictionary). This is so very important! Why? If faith is only a one-time event, then the born-again person is saved based on one cross-section in time. The "faith of Abraham" endured to the end, and was followed by performance,  or Paul would not have used it to make a point. One can't have faith, get saved, then lose the faith. Being unsaved is illogical! Faith is the keeper of safety until the day of salvation arrives: "...for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed" (Romans 13:11).

Those born-again are still saved by faith. However, faith is a lifetime event.  Paul said, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:7). The "just" are those "justified". Paul said also that Christians are "justified by faith" (Romans 5:1). In other words, our faith is recompense to Jesus for dying in our place. Having the "hope of salvation" (1 Thessalonians 5:8), and  also, "rejoice in hope of the glory of God". (i.e., have hope that we be glorified - saved.)

Christians are to live by faith. This is referred to as "sanctified by faith" (Acts 26:18). "Sanctification" is being set apart from the world, and living righteously. Those Christians are being a "peculiar people" (1 Peter 2:9), and acting like the royal priest that scripture says they are!

Therein lies the difference between Calvinists and me; the way I understand scripture. "Change" is the difference, and that is being "safe by faith" and "living by faith". Of course, Calvinists can still live by faith, and most do. However, many use that one instance of sorrow as an eternal life insurance policy. Because of that one time "thought", many take eternal security to be a ticket to sin. Others just believe that some sort of "crown" in heaven is lost; that it is the one event that is significant.

The doctrine of eternal security disallows that Christians can fall away. Scripture is very clear on "falling away". Apostasy is when one loses his or her "safety" by not "keeping the faith":

2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith..."

Faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8) but it is our gift to do with as we please. Those born-again are to keep the gift of faith. That entails work and perseverance of which Paul often speaks.

I'm not implying that non-Calvinists are more righteous than Calvinists. I am merely saying that their cross-sectional type faith and eternal security does not encourage righteous living. Those of either doctrine will sin! I believe that those who believe in conditional security are more inclined to repent of sin because they know that although they are protected from evil by their faith (2 Thessalonians 3:3),failing is still possible. Possible by either by neglect of God or denial of his Word (blasphemy) for which there is no restoration.

When most Baptist preachers use so often the word "saved" and fail to call it "born-again", it is misleading; a sort of a ploy of Satan for Christians to forget living righteously. The attitude, "I am already saved" can lead to laxity in living righteously.

Jesus said some profound words: "Jesus answered and said unto Nicodemus, V'erily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God' " (John 3:3). Jesus placed importance on being born-again. He didn't say, "you must be saved" because that comes after the new birth - much later most often since it comes at glorification. The new birth is when one is persuaded and have faith for the first time. What is that "logic": I am not God, and am powerless to save me, but Jesus can and will! From there on out, that's the faith Christians must keep. Sometimes they either take God for granted or lose their reasoning.

Logic is used to be persuaded. Although Paul had miracles available - from God of course, he used persuasion.

Well-known is Paul's use of logic to persuade the philosophers at Athens. (Acts 17). However, Paul used the same logic on the Jewish tetrarch - Herod Agrippa, as Agrippa revealed:

Acts 26:28 "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."

Thus, being born-again results from persuading a non-Christian to be a Christian. The persuasion itself is from God, using us "royal priests" as his instruments of persuasion.  The ability to be persuaded is done using men's reason, and the process is logic. When one concludes that what God says and promises is logical, they see the light, and are born-again.

Persuasion happens at one point in time. That is the "new birth" (aka, second birth; aka born-again experience). Faith is to endure until death. Keeping the faith until death culminates in salvation. At that moment in time, Christians who have enduring faith are grabbed from Satan's hands, and delivered into God's!

Too many people confuse persuasion with salvation! Until we die, if we are faithful, those born-again are children of God. After they are saved from the evil one, they entirely belong to God. That belongingness is being able to face God with no sin. That is called "glorified". That's salvation!

The Devil has his own job assignment. God allows him to exist to test the faithfulness of God's children. The prime example of that is the Book of Job. Please read that book. Job is righteous. He had faith in God. Satan was given limited power by God to tempt Job away. Satan used catastrophes and faulty logic to steal Job from God. His friends used faulty logic in their arguments. Job remained firm in his faith, and was rewarded. Job is a "picture" of Christians, and their maintenance of the faith. Job could have abandoned God in his peril, but he persevered. In the end, God saved him from destruction!

Note that Job is dead. He is now saved from Satan. Before that he was "safe". God put a hedge around him. Death saves Christians from the evil one! We should welcome death because that is the ultimate safety - salvation. Until then, when you say, "I know that I'm saved," implies that you are certain that you will always be faithful enough to be saved. I'm glad you are! However, think on this: one day the anti-Christ will guillotine Christians. To allow oneself to be beheaded requires the faith of Abraham. Do you have that much faith? 

Until you do, you are fine pickings for the wiles of Satan. He tempted perfect Adam, and succeeded because he was man. He tempted Jesus, and failed because He is God! You are not God. Get that into your thick skull right now. Claiming to be beyond falling is just asking to fall. My hope of salvation is more than hoping so. Hope is awaiting with anticipation - not doubting. However, because I am a sinner, my hope sometimes is laced with doubt. That doubt keeps me in close correspondence with God because I don't want to take him for granted.

Without some doubt, there is no need for God's whole armor. We would be foolish to face Satan without God's protection because that's the way he traps. Those with no doubt would merely stand there and face Satan without the sword of God. I propose, that because of doubt, we need that Word.

Claiming to never doubt is vulnerability. Satan will say, "I'll show you!" 

Eternal security is a deception of Satan. Like Alfred E. Neuman, the Calvinists say, "What me worry?" You better worry about Satan, and stand vigilant:

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour...

Christians can be devoured. That is called "apostasy" and results from "blasphemy" - denying Jesus after having accepted his blood sacrifice. The devil is wily. He can use the best logic to confuse. His logic is using God's Own Words poisoned by lies and half-truths. I believe eternal security is illogical based on the Word of God. I just tried using that logic to persuade the reader. Perhaps I failed but that is what I believe to be true.

Pastors, at least start saying "born-again" instead of "saved". Saying the latter is confusing to the listener and may be illogical.