Saving Faith

Saving faith is not a vague optimism or a generalized religious spirit, but true and specific faith in the triune God as He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ through His Word; faith is meaningless unless it rests upon truth. Scripture teaches that faith comes by hearing the Word of God, that Christ not the Bible itself is the object of faith, and that saving faith is the work of the Holy Spirit whereby the whole person accepts, receives, and rests upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life. This faith unites us personally to Christ so that His righteousness, life, and victory become ours, and we are never alone in our trials, for our burdens are His and our hope is secured in Him. Because Christ is with us, saving faith is always marked by hope embracing God’s promises for this life and the life to come and therefore produces confidence, perseverance, and assurance, for if God be for us, none can finally be against us.