We are looking at the 6 elementary principles found in Hebrews 6:1-3. These principles are foundational to our growth as Christians.
The first principle was “Repentance from Dead Works the second is closely connected. The second principle is “The faith by which you turned to God”. In other words, you must repent or turn-around in your thinking about God first. Then you must decide to put your trust or FAITH in the one who saved you, Jesus Christ. Show More
So, what is faith?
The word faith in the original Greek is “Pistis”. In general, the word faith means to have a moral conviction of the truthfulness of God and the Scriptures. In reference to our topic “the faith by which you turned to God” it means you believe Jesus is the Savior. Faith in this sense means that you have an assurance, a confidence, a belief that you are Born-again.
There are three types of faith in Christianity:
1. Saving Faith- by which you turned to God or your salvation, as in Hebrews 6:1-3.
2. Word of Faith– faith in the promises of the Word of God – Christian Living. Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
3. Gift of Faith– One of the nine spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12. A supernatural release of faith to see the miraculous take place.
Now let’s examine the first type of faith that must happen before any other area of faith in God can take place. Faith in God for your salvation!
You must constantly remind yourself, that God loves you and that His love is Agape love. That is, it is unconditional love. Most of us, if not all of us, grew up learning that if you were “good” you got love, and if you were “bad” love was withheld. That is conditional love and frankly quite natural. However, God’s love is supernatural. I heard someone define Agape love this way, “Love is living your life for someone else’s good”! God’s greatest joy is to bless you His creation. Of course, His blessings are contingent upon your obedience.
The amazing thing about God’s love is that it is never changing! Even when you are disobedient and sinning against God, His love doesn’t change. That is an amazing truth to comprehend. Here are some verses to support that truth.
1. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”, Romans 5:8.
2. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever”, Hebrews 13:8.
3. God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent…”, Numbers 23:19a.
Here is the point of this post; you are Born-again once! You can’t lose your salvation as in losing a set of keys or by accident. You will make mistakes in your walk with God. No one is perfect in actions and thoughts, it takes time to mature as a Christian. That is why it is so important to settle the issue once and for all. You are saved!
The struggle to do right and be right indicates that you are on the right road. You see, a person who is not Born-again would not even want to try and become better in Christ! Here is a promise to hold on to, “… being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you (the Holy Spirit) will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” Philippians 1:6.
You do have an enemy who will try to create doubt in your mind about God’s love for you and the certainty of your salvation! 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober (clearheaded), be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”. Don’t fall for the Devil’s lies and don’t become entrapped in the emotional rollercoaster he can create. Here are some truths to fall back on:
1. “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”, John 14:6.
2. Hebrews 13:5b says, “For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”.
I can remember very clearly my own struggle to become established in my salvation. In the very early days there were times I felt “saved” and then the very next day felt “unsaved” or that I had lost it. It was only when I learned not to rely on feelings, but to hold onto what God said in His Word. Jesus said, “And I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; neither will anyone snatch them out of My hand, John 10:28.
Let me close with this final verse from Hebrews 6:1, “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God”.
