Beyond Faith: The Second Step in God's Plan of Salvation
	By Dr. Paul L. Engstrom, Th.D., Guest Writer

Peter makes it clear in his second epistle that God requires much more than faith from His people. In fact, those who have accepted God’s gift of eternal life, granted exclusively through His Son, are under obligation to do more than believe in Jesus Christ as Savior. Those who have faith, and nothing more than faith, are no more impressive than demons, for even servants of Satan believe in Christ---“and shudder.” (James 2:19)

According to Peter, Christians have “escaped the corruption that is in this world” and have become “partakers of the divine nature.” (1 Peter 1:4) In other words, there is an escape from evil that accompanies an association with God. And the appropriate and expected response is an exertion of human effort that supplements the divine effort already accomplished through Christ. According to Peter, human effort is necessary if a person is to move beyond initial faith, becoming personally involved in the ongoing process of salvation.

For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. (2 Peter 1:5-7)

It seems Christians sometimes have difficulty when it comes to understanding they must participate in the salvation process, that without human effort the process of salvation is incomplete. Many Christians are not comfortable with this. They do not like to hear that the work of Jesus Christ is not enough, that human effort is required as well. Is it because some Christians believe this teaching waters-down or belittles Christ’s work? Or is it perhaps because they feel the divine effort displaces any need concerning human effort? Whatever the reason, it is difficult, if not impossible, to deny the clarity of Peter’s words concerning the transfer of effort that must occur from Christ to His followers.

Is this instruction optional? Peter does not think so. After listing the virtues which must be added to faith, Peter writes:

For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:8-11)

According to these three verses, adding the aforementioned virtues to faith provides a Christian with at least four things:

Adding to our faith the virtues of which Peter speaks requires personal, ongoing effort. And it is not easy to achieve such additions to our faith, especially when Peter says these virtues must not only be ours, but be ours “in abundance.” God provides the tools necessary to achieve the desired results, but does not hand us all He desires for us simply because we believe His Son is the Savior. What would be the point of making it that simple? If it was that uncomplicated, we would have no opportunity to be stretched or to improve ourselves, for growth and maturity come largely through struggle, discomfort and even failure.

Peter does not stand alone in his appraisal of Christian responsibility regarding human effort. James makes even stronger comments concerning the necessary association of faith and works.

What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but has not works? Can his faith save him? ... So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead … You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone … For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead. (James 2:14, 17, 24, 26)

Jesus’ declarations in John’s gospel are perhaps even more striking:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me … if a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown in to the fire and burned … by this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. (John 15:1-8)

These declarations illuminate the divine expectation concerning human participation beyond the point of initial belief. While the moment of conversion testifies of the finished work of Christ on the cross, this moment is also meant to stimulate, even provoke the new convert into action. If no activity is forthcoming, this demonstrates a willingness to be a believer, but not a disciple; this passive attitude exhibits an acceptance of Jesus as Savior, but not Lord. Jesus tells us in John 15 that the “bearing of fruit” is directly related to an ongoing association with Him. If there is no fruit, the relationship is terminated. Consequently, “he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.” (John 15:6)

Jesus Christ came to effect real change in the lives of His people. And we do His work a tremendous disservice if we speak of Christ, but not commitment; if we speak of religion, but not lifestyle; if we dare to promote Christ, but avoid, disguise or water-down the necessity of a heartfelt change which issues forth in transformation reflective of God’s own image.

Christianity has nothing to do with standing in the right place on Sunday morning, saying the right words with the right group of people. Christianity has everything to do with the very fabric of one’s soul being gripped, not only by the power and majesty of God, but with the need to occupy this world in such a way as to do at least three things: 1) daily be the light and salt of the earth, illuminating others as to the reality of God and acting as moral disinfectants in the midst of ubiquitous perversion, 2) bring the lost into the kingdom of God, and 3) nurture those who have already arrived.

Jesus Christ exerted tremendous effort prior to and during His experience on the cross of Calvary. He endured and sacrificed His all on behalf of His people — now it is His people’s turn. To complete and solidify the salvation Christ provided and have the doors of heaven opened, the followers of Jesus Christ must become acquainted, in some measure, with what comprised Christ’s humiliation. Relying upon the efforts of Jesus Christ is not enough; we must exert effort of our own. And the question that remains is this: How will we respond to the challenge
offered us?

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