Saved By Faith — “Just Like Abraham”
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesIn the religious world, a very large number of folks claim to be saved by “faith only.” They believe that salvation is in Christ separate and apart from any act of obedience on the part of the believer. In fact, they pride themselves on being saved by faith “just like Abraham.”
In Romans 4:3 – NKJV, Paul indeed tells us that “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness.” However, it does not say that Abraham was accounted righteous apart from his obedience to the will of God. In Romans 4:12 – NKJV, Paul speaks regarding those “who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had.” If anyone claims to have “Abrahamic faith,” they must be willing to “walk” in the steps of that obedient faith (James 2:20-24; cf. Romans 1:5 – NKJV; Romans 16:25-26 – NKJV).
Note that Abraham’s faith was so strong, that when called upon to offer his son Isaac on an altar, he arose “early in the morning” and made his way to the mountain where God instructed him to go to make the sacrifice of his son (Genesis 22:1-3).
James tells us that Abraham was justified by works when he offered his son upon the altar (James 2:21; cf. Genesis 22:9-10). Thus true faith requires us to place our absolute trust in God. We do not trust in our own devices, but humbly accept and do whatever God says do (James 1:22-25; cf. Hebrews 11:7; Genesis 6:22).
Can we possibly imagine someone claiming to have the kind of faith Abraham had, and yet refuse to do what God commands? Would we dare say, “If God told me to offer my only son on an altar and take his life, I would do it. But if God tells me to be baptized for the remission of my sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38), I’m not going to do that”?
In Acts 10:35 – NKJV, the inspired apostle Peter tells us that “whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.” Since all of God’s commandments “are righteousness” (Psalm 119:172), and since baptism is a command (Acts 10:48), it follows that the only way we can be acceptable to God is to obey God’s command to be baptized. Thus rendering obedience to God in baptism, not only (1) remits our sins (Acts 2:38) (2) places us “into Christ,” i.e. into a right relationship with God (Gal. 3:27), but also (3) makes us “accepted by Him” (Acts 10:35 – NKJV).
Dear reader, do we not want to be acceptable in God’s sight? The only way for that to happen is for us to render obedience to Him this very day (2 Corinthians 6:2) by believing that Jesus is God’s Son (Acts 8:37 – NKJV), confessing our sins before men (Romans 10:9-10) and being “buried with Him through baptism into death” (Romans 6:4 – NKJV). Then like the Ethiopian Eunuch, we too can “go on our way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39). We can then truly “rejoice” knowing that our “names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20; cf. Philippians 4:3; Hebrews 12:23; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 20:12), looking forward to that eternal inheritance (1 Peter 1:4).