How Much Faith Do I Have to Have to Be Saved?

How much faith do I have to have to be saved?

12and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

13For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

14For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect,

“faith is made void”
If it’s of law then faith isn’t the issue
Just do good and you will get it
“the promise made of no effect”
If it’s of law then what’s the use of a promise
The law is based on obedience. Why
Galatians 2:21 (NKJV) 21I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
The promise Paul is talking about is not exclusively about the Messiah
It’s the LAND
Not by works
This is why God keeps restoring Israel.
In spite of the nation backsliding multiple times

15because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

This is a puzzling verse to some…
How does the law bring about wrath?
Josiah – The Jew that knows the OT should know this

2 Kings 22:10–13 (NKJV) 10Then Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king. 11Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes. 12Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Michaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying, 13“Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”

The rules expose me as a rule-breaker
How can you look into it and not see your sin?
Jesus’ sermon on the mount was doing this to the 1st century people

To some who think the law makes them righteous…
They misunderstand it’s function
1 Timothy 1:8–11 (NKJV) 8But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, 9knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, 11according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.
A potential serious problem!
Does this verse mean Romans is teaching that without the law people are not condemned? That they have no sin?
Romans 2:14–15 (NKJV) 14for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
We are moral agents, there is always an OUGHT
“where there is no OUGHT there is not wrath”

16Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

A few important points in this
1- what faith means for not only how I am saved but for my assurance
2- Am I, a non-Jew a child of Abraham?
It is of faith because faith means grace
Salvation doesn’t INCLUDE faith it is OF faith
Because faith isn’t a work
A note to some of my Calvinist friends
One other thing too
“so that the promise might be sure”
The certainty of salvation by faith
“blessed assurance, Jesus is mine”
Assurance is….
Philippians 1:6 (NKJV) 6being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
This is the ONLY way you can be sure
Works = boasting
Works also = insecurity
These are the two things I see works people waffle between
Big idea – Abraham’s seed?
“father Abraham”
Is Abraham MY father?
In faith!
Not replacement theology
Importing all the promises
GRAFTING theology
God will do all He says for Israel, by grace!
Grafting is about addition not replacement
Though Israel still has specific promises
More on that later (9-11)

17(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”)

This is how he grounds this “father of us all” in the OT
Gen 17:5
Christianity is far more OT faithful than modern rabbinic Judaism

in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

A preacher’s detour
God gives life to the dead
Abraham’s line
Salvation
Paul had experienced this
He was passionate because He knows salvation
“and calls those things which do not exist as though they did”
Light be
Gen 1 – foundation for all miracles
But, the context is Abraham
You will have a son
Your descendants WILL get this land
There are other promises like this
Rom 8:28
Matt 6:33
1 Cor 10:13
John 14:1–3 (NKJV) 1“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
You should have more confidence in God
Unflinching faith in His promises
For salvation
Or any other promise

18who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”

How did he believe in hope contrary to hope
That is, he couldn’t see any way it could happen
But believed
This is faith
Not “blind” as in “without reason”
I hate blind faith
This is “God said it, I believe it, that settles it”
God can not lie
“but that’s blind faith, Mike!”
No, not seeing the fulfillment YET doesn’t mean I have no promise!
And it’s a promise from God!
It’s entirely reasonable faith
Doubting God is blindness
This impacts our witnessing
God give life to the dead

19And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.

Didn’t consider it!
It doesn’t matter!!
How many things that hinder us are like this?
Do you consider the deadness of the person?
Or do you know the power of God!

20He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

21and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

22And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Wavering through unbelief
Unbelief is a wavering
It’s not rational
It’s not reasonable
It’s not justified
“he who doubts is like a wave of the see driven and tossed by the wind”
My heart goes out to the wavering person
I’ve been there
But, in the end, it’s about choosing to trust in God
Choose to trust God
We have just been given an example of saving faith
It is strong!
It is strengthening!
“oh you of little faith”

23Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him,

24but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,

25who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

Saving faith is NOT mere intellectual agreement
James 2
It results in actions
A later result of faith, not part of what grants salvation
A faith that moves mountains and a faith that moves YOU
Faith ultimately in WHO God is
Raised Jesus
Who was delivered because of our sin
Raised because of our justification
The resurrection is a statement – you are justified!
Let’s be strengthened in faith!
Promises in His word
Promises to you personally
Romans 5 asks us to apply this faith to our daily struggles and trials