Is Your Faith Real or Counterfeit?
As I was
exiting the parking lot of a church one day, there was a large sign that read,
“You are now entering the mission field.” Though I understand the intent, I can’t
help but think that the same sign needs to be posted at the entrance of
many “churches,” because, ironically, the Church is one of the biggest mission
fields today. Why? Sadly, many in the Church are self-deceived about their spiritual
condition. In other words, they think that they are saved, when, in reality,
they are not. Part of the reason is that they have either been fed a legalistic
version of the gospel, based on works instead of on grace, or a watered-down
gospel (e.g., easy-believism, cheap grace, etc.) that lacks substance and is
missing many essential elements (e.g., sin, repentance, eternal judgment, etc.)
- in essence, a false gospel. And they have been assured by modern evangelism
that their salvation is genuine and that they should never question it, because
that would supposedly demonstrate a lack of faith in God’s Word. But that’s
just a clever device of the devil, who wants to discourage people from knowing
the truth. Scripture tells us clearly to examine our faith to make certain we are
saved. “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test
yourselves” (2 Cor. 13:5). What many people do not realize is that it is actually
possible to have a “counterfeit” faith - one that is superficial or shallow and
based merely on feelings, religious experiences, past decisions, or a mental
assent to the facts, instead of on Christ alone. This is not true saving faith.
What is true saving faith then? And how can you determine if you have the right
kind of faith? To help you identify what kind of faith you have, ask yourself
the following questions:
True Faith vs. False Faith
First, are
you trusting in your feelings alone to tell you whether you are saved or not?
Just
because you "feel" certain that you are saved does not necessarily
mean that you are. Feelings can be very deceptive and are not always
dependable. People can actually have seared consciences and live very immoral
lives and yet still "feel" good about themselves, though they are
clearly deceived. Others, misguided by false teaching, "feel" quite
certain that they are secure and on their way to Heaven, though they are headed
in the opposite direction. Thus, feelings alone are not good indicators of the
truth. Nor should they be relied on to determine your spiritual state (i.e.,
whether you are saved or not). Something more is needed than just feelings to
evidence true saving faith.
Second, is
your confidence resting in some miraculous experience as proof of your
salvation (e.g., a vision, bright light, angelic appearance, or other supernatural
phenomena)?
Though God
may certainly use miracles if He wishes, miracles themselves cannot save anyone.
Only God’s Word can, when attended by His Spirit convicting the soul. Israel
witnessed many great miracles with the ten plagues, in the parting of the Red
Sea, and during their wilderness trek, and yet thousands of them perished
without knowing God. Similarly, many witnessed Jesus' great miracles, even the
raising of the dead; yet this did not save them (John 11:43-48). Though they
had a kind of superficial faith (i.e., intellectual belief), it was not genuine
saving faith that leads to repentance (John 2:23-25). Another prime example was
Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' own disciples, who personally witnessed many, if
not most, of Jesus' miracles firsthand. Despite all the miracles Judas saw, his
heart was never changed, evidenced by the fact that he betrayed Jesus to His
enemies, never truly repented, and perished in his sins (Luke 22:3-5; Acts
1:16-18). Still another proof that miracles do not save is Simon Magus, the
sorcerer who witnessed many of Philip's miracles in
Third, are
you depending merely on some past "decision" made years ago at a
crusade, revival meeting, or church service as proof of your conversion?
In other words,
do you believe that you are saved simply because you raised your hand, walked
the aisle, or said the sinner's prayer in response to a gospel invitation, even
though there was never any genuine and observable change in your life? Though
God is certainly not limited in His means and may sometimes save people through
"decisions" made at evangelistic meetings, this, again, is no
guarantee or certain proof of genuine salvation, unless it is also accompanied
by an inward change of heart, evidenced by a radically transformed life. Sadly,
many have bought into the lie of “decisional regeneration,” promulgated by
modern evangelism, believing that the actual “act” (or ritual) of raising their
hand, walking the aisle, saying the sinner’s prayer, etc., saves them instead
of Christ Himself. Though it’s subtle, many place their faith in their
“performance” (which, in essence, is trusting in their works) rather than in
God’s “grace” alone to save them. They are convinced that they are saved simply
because they can recall the exact time and place of their “supposed”
conversion, even though there is no proof of a transformed life (i.e., the new
birth). Even if your “decision” was attended by great emotion and tears, this
is still no guarantee that you were truly saved. The important thing to ask
yourself is, “Are you truly born again, the proof of which is a radically
transformed life? Are you still enslaved to sin, or do you still habitually
practice sin as a lifestyle? Is there spiritual fruit in your life evidencing true
salvation?”
Fourth, are
you depending on mere head knowledge or intellectual faith to save you?
The right
kind of faith is that which comes from the heart and not just the head. Though
certainly the mind must be actively engaged in comprehending and believing the
gospel before God's Word can pierce the heart in true conviction, a mere mental
assent to Biblical truths without an internal heart change is not true saving
faith. The heart must also be actively involved in receiving the gospel before
you can be saved. By the power of the Holy Spirit, God's Word must penetrate
the deepest part of your heart, working to convict you of sin and bring about
humble contrition and repentance.
Intellectual faith in the bare facts of the gospel is not enough to save
you. Even the devils know the Scriptures
and the gospel, and yet they are definitely not saved (James. 2:19). What is
lacking is a transformed heart - a heart that willingly obeys and submits to Christ
out of love and gratitude and not merely out of duty or a slavish fear of
punishment. Believe it or not, it is quite possible to be an expert in the
Bible or have the whole Bible memorized and yet still not be saved. Even
graduating from seminary with several degrees in theology is no proof that you're
truly saved. Thus, having a lot of head knowledge or merely affirming the facts
of the gospel intellectually, without an internal heart change, does not
constitute true saving faith.
True Saving Faith
So, what is
true saving faith? True saving faith is a gift of God that stems from a renewed
or regenerate heart and is evidenced by a radically transformed life marked by
spiritual fruit. That is, possessing true saving faith is only possible for someone
who has been regenerated or given a new heart by God. If someone is not
"born again" spiritually, it is impossible for him to exercise true
faith. True saving faith is not inherent
to the natural (unsaved) man. It's not something he is born with and can muster
up on his own. According to God's sovereign will, He must grant us the gift of
faith at the time of regeneration. That is, He needs to first give us new
hearts before we can truly believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Contrary to
what many believe today, the new birth (granted to certain individuals, based
on God’s election of them in eternity past) precedes faith (and repentance),
not the other way around (Acts 11:18, 13:48). Before regeneration, it's
possible to have a counterfeit faith that is shallow and based merely on
feelings, religious experiences, past decisions, or a mental assent to facts.
But this is not true saving faith.
How can you
discern between true and false belief and know whether you have the right kind
of faith? The object of true saving faith is Christ and Him alone –
specifically, in His person (i.e., that He is both God and man, Lord and
Savior, Prophet, Priest, and King) and in His works (e.g., His perfect life, His
atonement on the cross for our sins, His resurrection, etc.). It is trusting
that we are saved by grace alone, and not by our works. Moreover, it is not a
shallow type of faith based merely on feelings, miracles, "decisions"
for Christ, or even a head full of Biblical knowledge, devoid of any true love
for Christ. Even if you "feel" absolutely certain that you are saved,
witness the most extraordinary miracles, are emotionally stirred to tears at an
evangelistic meeting, or are the president of a seminary, all this makes no
difference if your life has not truly changed and you are still enslaved to
sin. Don't be fooled. This is not genuine salvation. Satan has deceived so many
people into thinking that they are saved simply because of feelings,
supernatural experiences, past "decisions," or mere head knowledge,
even though their hearts and lives are not changed and are still steeped in sin
and spiritual darkness. Don't believe Satan's lies. It’s critical to evaluate
your heart and life to see if you are truly saved.
Signs of True Saving Faith
One way to
know if you're truly saved is if you manifest spiritual fruit in your life
(i.e., love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility,
self-control, honesty, etc.). "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know
them" (Matt. 7:20). If you claim to be saved, has your life really
improved or changed for the better so that it is noticeable not only to
yourself but also to all those around you? Though not perfect, is your overall
life characterized by holiness (i.e., striving to be more like Christ than the
world), consistent and earnest prayer, a growing delight in spiritual things, a
hunger for God's Word, honesty/integrity, love for God and others,
self-sacrifice, mercy/forgiveness, self-control (e.g., over anger, lust,
gluttony, covetousness, etc.), God-honoring speech, and humility? Or are you
still the same person? If you claim to be saved but continue to live in
habitual sin with no observable change in your lifestyle, this is not true
saving faith. "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth
righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin [as
a habit] is of the devil" (1 John 3:7-8). True saving faith always leads
to a radical change in heart and life
(2 Cor. 5:17). True saving faith does not leave you in your sin, but delivers
you from bondage to sin. It is not a
dead faith that has no effect on your life, but an active, living faith that
transforms you from within so that it is visible from without. "For as the
body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works [righteousness,
holiness] is dead also" (James. 2:26). Thus, one of the surest signs that
you have true saving faith is a transformed life marked by the fruit of
repentance. "Bring forth therefore fruits meet [fitting, suitable] for
repentance" (Matt. 3:8).
Final Thoughts
In
conclusion, Scripture tells us we are to examine ourselves to see if we are
truly in the faith. Thus, let me ask you this critical question once more: “Do
you have true saving faith?” That is, are you truly saved? This may be the most
important question you will ever be asked. Sadly, thousands, if not millions,
of professing Christians will be shocked when they do not end up in Heaven as
they expected. Don't be one of those who dies and discovers too late that you
were mistaken about your soul. This is one area you do not want to gamble with.
Just as Heaven lasts forever, so does hell. And forever is a very LONG time! Please,
I appeal to you. Make certain you are on the right path!
With love
in Christ,
Elizabeth
Daniels
Note: If you
would like to read more about true saving faith, see the link below for an
excellent discourse on this subject written by William Plumer. He defines and
explains what genuine faith is – its origin, description, effects, and
benefits. Here is his definition of genuine faith:
“Justifying
faith is a saving grace wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and word
of God, whereby he, being convinced of his sin and misery, and of the
disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost
condition, not only assenteth to the truth of the promise of the Gospel, but
receiveth and resteth upon Christ and his righteousness therein held forth for
the pardon of sin, and for the accepting and accounting his person righteous in
the sight of God for salvation.”
https://www.apuritansmind.com/tulip/faith-and-conversion-by-dr-william-s-plumer/
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