Dr. Dan Hayden •
Faith is not a blind leap in the dark. It is placing your confidence in some thing or someone, because that person or thing has demonstrated trustworthiness.
Contrary to popular Christian opinion, we are not saved by faith – we are saved by grace. Faith is simply the means by which we become connected to the grace of God. So, to be theologically correct, we are saved by grace through faith.
In 2 Timothy 3:15, Paul encourages Timothy concerning his salvation by saying, “And that from a child you have known the scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” The wisdom of the Holy Scriptures with regard to salvation is that salvation is in Christ Jesus through the means of faith.
The word “through” here is the Greek preposition, dia, which truly means “through.” We have it in our English word diameter (the meter that goes through the circle).
Actually, faith is like the clutch on a transmission in your car. The motor is the power that drives the car, like Christ is the power that effects our salvation. The chassis is the actual car (it’s what you see), so the chassis is like us (the sinner). We’re the ones that need the power of Christ to be saved.
Well, what is it that gets the two of these things together? It’s the clutch – or transmission. You see, the transmission allows the power of the motor to engage the chassis so that the car is able to move.
Now we never say, “Wow! What a clutch!” Rather, we say, “Wow! What an engine!” or “Wow! What a car!” The clutch is absolutely necessary, but it’s not the prominent thing. Even so, faith is not the prominent thing. The important thing in salvation is Christ. “Wow! What a Savior!”
So salvation is not by faith – it is through faith.
Say! Are you saved? Have you put your faith in Christ? Salvation is through faith, you know. ■