Chapter 14 - OF SAVING FAITH

1 Faith, which allows God's chosen people to believe and be saved, is a gift of grace. This faith is a work of the Holy Spirit in their hearts and is typically received through the preaching of God's Word. The same Word, along with baptism, the Lord's Supper, prayer, and other God-ordained means, also helps this faith grow stronger.

2 This kind of faith leads a Christian to believe everything in the Bible is true because it comes directly from God. A Christian with this faith also sees a superior value in the Bible over all other writings and things in the world. This is because the Bible reveals God's glorious attributes, the unique excellence of Christ's nature and roles, and the power and completeness of the Holy Spirit's work. As a result, a believer can confidently entrust their soul to these truths. This faith also prompts them to respond appropriately to each specific part of Scripture—obeying its commands, being humbled by its warnings, and holding onto God's promises for both this life and the next. However, the most crucial actions of saving faith are directed specifically toward Christ. This means accepting, receiving, and depending on him alone for our justification, sanctification, and eternal life, all of which are secured through the covenant of grace.

3 This faith, though it may be in different stages of development and can be weak or strong, is nevertheless fundamentally different from the temporary faith and common grace of non-believers, even in its smallest degree. As is the case with all saving grace, it is distinct in its very nature. Therefore, although this faith may often be attacked and weakened, it ultimately triumphs. Through Christ, who is the author and perfecter of our faith, it grows in many believers until they achieve full assurance.

4 Saving faith, as revealed in Holy Scripture, transcends a mere intellectual as sent to theological propositions or historical facts concerning Christ. Such intellectual acknowledgement, often termed "creedalism," is insufficient for salvation. Rather, saving faith is characterized by a profound, wholehearted trust, an unwavering reliance upon, and an unreserved commitment to Jesus Christ alone as the sole ground for salvation. It is not merely believing about Christ, but truly believing in Him, entrusting one's entire being and eternal destiny to His person and atoning work.

5 True saving faith is perpetually and inseparably conjoined with genuine repentance. Repentance is not a meritorious work performed to earn salvation, but rather a divinely-imparted change of mind, heart, and will, culminating in a decisive turning away from sin and a resolute turning toward God. It is an integral and indispensable component of saving faith, evidencing the Holy Spirit's effectual call and the new birth.

6 While salvation is unilaterally by grace through faith alone, apart from any human works (Ephesians 2:8-9), it is imperative to emphasize that true saving faith will invariably and inevitably produce a transformed life marked by good works and the spiritual fruit of the Holy Spirit. These spiritual out workings serve as compelling evidence of genuine conversion and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, not as a means of meriting salvation. As the Apostle James declares, "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:17). A faith that does not manifest itself in a life of obedience and righteousness is a spurious faith.

7 The notion that one can genuinely profess faith in Christ yet persist in a lifestyle characterized by unrepentant sin—often termed "carnal Christian" theology—is directly contrary to the explicit teachings of Scripture. True conversion effects a profound and comprehensive transformation of the individual. The
indwelling Holy Spirit invariably initiates a process of sanctification, leading the believer into increasing conformity to the image of Christ and a genuine desire to walk in holiness. A persistent and unrepentant embrace of sin indicates a lack of genuine saving faith, regardless of any outward profession.

8 The Holy Scriptures do not prescribe or endorse a mechanical recitation of a specific formulaic prayer as the definitive or sole means by which an individual is declared saved, having "accepted" Christ as Lord and Savior. While it is undeniably true that genuine converts, constrained by the Holy Spirit, will indeed pray and call upon the name of the Lord in repentance and faith, the practice of instructing individuals to parrot a prescribed set of words, often without sufficient understanding or genuine contrition, and subsequently providing them with an immediate and unqualified assurance of salvation, constitutes an act of grave presumption and can lead to profound spiritual deception. Such an approach risks fostering a false assurance rooted in human performance rather than in the sovereign work of God and the evidential fruit of regeneration. True conversion is a work of the Spirit, not a mere verbal exercise.

9 While we earnestly and boldly proclaim the gospel to all humanity, we reject any practice that suggests salvation is a result of human will or a mere public performance. The Holy Scriptures neither prescribe nor model the use of the "altar call" as a means of evangelism. We believe this practice is prone to manipulating emotions, offering a false assurance of salvation based on a physical act rather than a genuine, Spirit-wrought change of heart. True conversion is a supernatural work of God's sovereign grace, which is inwardly confirmed by the Holy Spirit and publicly manifested by repentance, faith, and obedience to Christ's command to be baptized into the fellowship of the church. We therefore exhort all who hear the gospel to respond in the privacy of their hearts with a faith that saves, and to publicly confess that faith through the biblical ordinance of believer's baptism.

10 While salvation is a gratuitous gift of God's grace, freely bestowed upon the believer, the path of discipleship to Christ inherently involves a profound cost. True saving faith embraces not only Christ's role as Savior from the penalty of sin and the wrath of God, but also His absolute Lordship over every facet of
one's life. Following Christ necessitates self-denial, a willingness to forsake all for His sake, and a commitment to obediently follow His commands, even when such obedience entails personal sacrifice or suffering. To embrace Christ as Savior yet reject His Lordship is to misunderstand the very nature of saving
faith.