Those in the religious circles of our land and abroad continue, as they have for centuries, to view faith as a predominately passive activity. People who have deep religious conviction believe they are saved simply because they have faith in God. They do not believe God expects them to do anything but believe. One denomination's creed states: "The fact that we are saved by faith alone, is a most wholesome and comforting thought." I would agree with this quote--if it were true. However, the opposite is true.

The Bible is silent about passive faith. Rather, Bible faith is an active, assertive faith that requires action on the part of the believer. Let me give you a simple illustration. If you are among those who advocate passive faith, notice how the view changes in the secular realm.

For example: When a person is laid off from his job, he searches the classified section of the newspaper and/or the internet for a job. Low and behold, he finds what appears to be the perfect job. If this person practices what he preaches, all he has to do is believe he is going to get the job he found in the classified section or on the internet. Right? If a person can be saved by faith only, without performing any action, why should he be required to act in order to find employment? All the person has to do is claim this job by faith, and it's his. This eliminates resume filing, a job interview, etc. All the person has to do is show up at the office and report for work. Wouldn't it be grand if it worked that way? But these folks know and understand the proper process for gaining employment. They know they have to meet the employer's requirements. They know they have to take action in order to obtain employment.

Bible faith also requires action. Since Abel, and until the Lord returns, God has required, and will continue to require, faithful obedience. The Bible contains numerous examples of those whom God rewarded for their obedient faith and not one example of anyone whom He rewarded for inactive, passive faith.

Since we are commanded to "speak the oracles of God" (1 Peter 4:11), let's observe some of those oracles to establish the fact that we must combine our faith with the works that God has commanded.

Let's begin by examining what Hebrews 11:6 says about faith: "But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." This verse tells us a number of things that are vital to our salvation.

• First, the author informs us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Surely we see the necessity of pleasing God, and that He is pleased when we have faith.
  
  
• Second, our faith causes us to come to God because we believe that He is God.
  
  
• Next, we see that God is a rewarder.
  
  

Hopefully we see the importance of what the writer is stressing, and that is that God rewards those who diligently (emp.jdl) seek Him. Again, let's not miss the point here, and that point is, God is not going to reward those who seek Him passively, sporadically, or when it's convenient for them.

Notice that the text speaks specifically about God being a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. He will reward those who seek after Him with genuine love and respect for who He is.

Thus, if we love and respect God, we will do what He wants us to do. We might begin by reading and observing Hebrews 11 to gain a proper understanding of obedient faith. In every example given in the chapter, we see a combination of faith and works (not men's works, but God's works). Noah is a splendid example. The Bible says, "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." Notice what the text says. Noah's faith caused him to move with fear. We might ask what that fear caused Noah to do. It caused him to put his faith into action; thus, Noah "prepared an ark to the saving of his house..." (Hebrews 11:7)

Once again, we address the passive-faith question. What if Noah believed God's warning regarding a coming flood but never acted on his belief? What if Noah's attitude was: "God, I have faith that you will save me and my family, and I really don't see the need to build this ark you told me to build. After all, that would be work on my part, and I know man is not saved by works." Folks, anyone with an ounce of understanding knows that Noah and his family would have also perished in the flood, and that this same kind of passive faith would also cause us to perish. Noah's example speaks to us today, instructing us to have faith that moves us to fear God and what will happen if we do not obey His word. So we see from Noah's example that genuine faith in God produces obedient action on our part.

Perhaps the greatest irony about the "saved by faith only" (passive) position, is that the Bible specifically states that man is not saved by faith only. The only verse in the entire Bible that has the two words-faith and only-in the same phrase is James 2:24: "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."

The Apostle James could not have made the necessity for works to accompany faith any clearer than he did: "But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2:20-26) What can we say to make it any clearer? Our faith pleases God only when we demonstrate it through obedience to His commands!

Remember, "Faith is the victory that overcomes the world." (1 John 5:4) The passive type of faith--sometimes referred to as mental assent--that some people have can not possibly be the saving faith about which we read in God's word. Bible faith is active, obedient faith that achieves victory and overcomes the world.

Many good people believe that God exists--that He created the world, sent His Son to die on the cross, and will send Him again to redeem His own on the last day. It's good to believe these facts, but just believing these (and many others we could add) does not mean that the believers have Bible faith-the obedient faith that the Bible says we must have in order to be saved. After studying God's word, it is clear to me that ACTIVE, living, obedient faith is the only kind of faith that will save us!