By Grace Through Faith
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
When you hear the word “faith,” it can have two meanings.
- "Faith A" is your doctrine and your system of beliefs.
- "Faith B" is believing in your heart and acting on the promises and instructions of the Word of God.
So, "Faith A” is “What I believe” and "Faith B” is “What I do.” You need both A and B, because A without B lacks power. The problem with only believing is that sets up a condition in self-deception in people since believing without doing is the basis of religious works and operating in our own strength. This is no better than Israel in Exodus 32:
Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.
If we are not learning about, and believing the Word of God, and then acting in line with God’s word, we are making our own gods to lead us, in some form or fashion.
Again, Ephesians 2:8-9 reads, “For by GRACE you have been saved THROUGH FAITH, and that NOT OF YOURSELVES; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
If we are not operating on the principle of “Grace Through Faith” then we are operating on the principle of “Yourselves.”
This is why living by faith is so important. Believing God’s word and trusting in God’s grace causes us to know "Him Who is true." It also keeps us from making our own gods, or what John called "idols" (An idol is anything which occupies any place belonging to God.)
1 John 5: 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
