Doctrine of What Faith Is
William Brodie
THEO 202
May 13, 2016
Doctrine of What Faith Is
“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith.”1 Faith is a necessary requirement for eternal salvation. People are not saved because of anything that they have done, but because God has given them the gift of salvation. Salvation is the gift of grace given from God. Salvation is completely by grace because it has to be.2 Salvation is the work of God that delivers us from sin and its penalty, restores us to a right relationship with him, and imparts to us eternal life.3 The question of who Jesus is and the question of what faith means cannot be answered apart from each other, only in conjunction with one another.4 Once a person …show more content…
The Ancient Church believed that once received grace by partaking of the ordinance of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.12 It was during this time, the Augustinian view felt that salvation was by grace, and did not believe that faith was the only condition to receive redemption. They saw love as the most important requirement for salvation. During the time of the medieval era the Catholic theology solidified the view that the church was the repository of the saving merit of Christ and that one received salvation by obediently receiving the sacraments of the church.13 The Medieval Church believed in sacramentalism and praying to the saints on behalf of the dead. Salvation is a lifelong progression of being holy and was not done before a person died. During the medieval era the Catholic Church believed in gracious salvation, which was salvation by works. The Reformative era adopted the doctrine of salvation by grace alone which came from Martin Luther. Luther saw faith as the light of the face of God.14. Justification is what a person receives as a gift from God for those who receive it by faith. John Calvin, the most influential theologian during the Reformer era, distinguished between justification and sanctification in our understanding of what salvation is. The Counter Reformation brought about the doctrine that Theodore Beza believed after replacing Calvin. His reformed theology moved away from …show more content…
The Modern Church brought about a division among the churches. It was during this era that the age of reason was brought about and religious beliefs were viewed as superstitions and embarked on a journey to be free from church traditions or the authority of the Bible.15
Theological Formulation
Salvation as a work of God is the grace through faith. Salvation by faith lets the believer declare that he or she is complete in Christ and therefore is blessed. Salvation by faith in Christ is coming to Christ for the source of salvation from all sin by trusting in the works of Christ. Throughout the Old Testament there is witness to salvation by faith in Christ. “The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe; for there is no distinction.”16
Practical Application The power of faith cannot be underestimated. I believe that faith is one of the things that separates Christians from those of other faiths. As a Christian being saved is through the grace of God through faith. Faith is thing that helps people including myself weather the storms of life. For me my constant faith is another way that god blesses me with the promises of his word according to the Bible. Our faith in God is showing him that we are thankful for all of his greatness. When faith is used according to God’s word then it can be very powerful. Grace is the beginning of faith because we cannot have faith without grace. God is the object of my faith and he provides for me and for everyone
William Brodie
THEO 202
May 13, 2016
Doctrine of What Faith Is
“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith.”1 Faith is a necessary requirement for eternal salvation. People are not saved because of anything that they have done, but because God has given them the gift of salvation. Salvation is the gift of grace given from God. Salvation is completely by grace because it has to be.2 Salvation is the work of God that delivers us from sin and its penalty, restores us to a right relationship with him, and imparts to us eternal life.3 The question of who Jesus is and the question of what faith means cannot be answered apart from each other, only in conjunction with one another.4 Once a person …show more content…
The Ancient Church believed that once received grace by partaking of the ordinance of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.12 It was during this time, the Augustinian view felt that salvation was by grace, and did not believe that faith was the only condition to receive redemption. They saw love as the most important requirement for salvation. During the time of the medieval era the Catholic theology solidified the view that the church was the repository of the saving merit of Christ and that one received salvation by obediently receiving the sacraments of the church.13 The Medieval Church believed in sacramentalism and praying to the saints on behalf of the dead. Salvation is a lifelong progression of being holy and was not done before a person died. During the medieval era the Catholic Church believed in gracious salvation, which was salvation by works. The Reformative era adopted the doctrine of salvation by grace alone which came from Martin Luther. Luther saw faith as the light of the face of God.14. Justification is what a person receives as a gift from God for those who receive it by faith. John Calvin, the most influential theologian during the Reformer era, distinguished between justification and sanctification in our understanding of what salvation is. The Counter Reformation brought about the doctrine that Theodore Beza believed after replacing Calvin. His reformed theology moved away from …show more content…
The Modern Church brought about a division among the churches. It was during this era that the age of reason was brought about and religious beliefs were viewed as superstitions and embarked on a journey to be free from church traditions or the authority of the Bible.15
Theological Formulation
Salvation as a work of God is the grace through faith. Salvation by faith lets the believer declare that he or she is complete in Christ and therefore is blessed. Salvation by faith in Christ is coming to Christ for the source of salvation from all sin by trusting in the works of Christ. Throughout the Old Testament there is witness to salvation by faith in Christ. “The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe; for there is no distinction.”16
Practical Application The power of faith cannot be underestimated. I believe that faith is one of the things that separates Christians from those of other faiths. As a Christian being saved is through the grace of God through faith. Faith is thing that helps people including myself weather the storms of life. For me my constant faith is another way that god blesses me with the promises of his word according to the Bible. Our faith in God is showing him that we are thankful for all of his greatness. When faith is used according to God’s word then it can be very powerful. Grace is the beginning of faith because we cannot have faith without grace. God is the object of my faith and he provides for me and for everyone