The document discusses salvation by grace through faith using Abraham as an illustration. It states that Abraham was not saved by his own righteousness or works, but was justified by having faith in God and His promises. Abraham believed God would fulfill what He said, even though Abraham never saw the fulfillment himself. This saving faith includes believing facts about God, agreeing with them, internalizing them personally, fully trusting in God, and placing one's hope and destiny in Him. Salvation is solely by God's grace through faith, not human works or merit, so that all glory goes to God alone.

1. Charles e. Whisnant, November 21, 2010 45.53<br />If the Devil can fowl us up on how to be saved, he can damn our souls. So it is essential that we understand clearly this truth.<br />1A“SALVATION IS BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH.”<br />Abraham becomes the illustration that Paul uses to illustrate this principle of salvation.2AA BRIEF BIO OF ABRAHAM\<br />Genesis 11:26. 2165 B.C. Abram was born. Genesis 11 to 253AGod promised Abraham three things<br />Land, (2)Seed Nation, (3) Blessings.Through Abraham God said there would be the hope of salvation to the world, so all those who are saved are blessed with Abraham the believer. Galatians 3:9<br />4AGOD CALLED ABRAHAM AND SO WHAT WAS ABRAHAM RESPONSE: <br />He certainly was not perfect, while he believed, he did not believe God perfectly. Yet he was a model of believing God even with his imperfection.5AWHAT KIND OF FAITH THEN DID ABRAHAM HAVE?<br />He never saw the fulfillment, never saw the land, never saw the nation, and never saw the blessing. He died. But he died believing that God would keep His word. That is what faith is all about.

2. He never landed very hard in this world. He always remained a stranger, a wanderer, a sojourner, and never returned to UR, the land of his home.

3. He sought for a city whose builder and maker was who? God.

4. He had a divine perspective.

5. He was a blessed man.

6. He overcame his human weakness.

7. He overcame those periods of doubt.

8. He overcame his acts of stupidity.

9. He maintained a life of faith

10. He lived Hebrews 11:1: he believed but never saw.

11. He believed what he couldn’t see, and he died not seeing but believing it nevertheless.6A THE FAITH OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED BY GOD:<br />A belief in a salvation which we cannot see.

12. A Savior we cannot see.

13. A heaven we cannot see

14. Live in a land that we are not putting our whole life into living in.7ATHE ARGUMENT THAT PAUL IS HAVING WITH THE JEWS: ROMANS 4:1-3<br />Abraham was going to Heaven not by works but by faith in 4:1-3; by faith and not law in 4:9-17; and by Divine Power and not human effort in 4:18-25.<br />THE QUESTION THAT PAUL ASKED THEM WAS THIS: WHAT DID ABRAHAM GAIN WITH GOD BY HIS OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS? His righteousness was nothing but a waste pile before God.<br />8AWHAT WAS THE BASIC DOCTRINE OF SALVATION THAT ABRAHAM LIVED OUT IN HIS LIFE?<br />Abraham’s greatness was that he believed God. He took God at His word. Packed up his stuff and left. Lived a life trusting God. Abraham put his faith in God.9ATHIS JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH<br />The term is “regenerated” i.e. genesis or birth. “One has been made new.” Ezekiel 36:25-27. John 3:1-17.<br />2 Corinthians 5:17 “If any man be in Christ….he is a new creature… creation.” Titus 3:5.<br />10AJohn MacArthur writes that...<br />\"
Even though Abraham’s repeated disobedience was sinful and brought harm to himself and others, God even used that disobedience to glorify Himself. Those acts of disobedience testify that, contrary to rabbinical teaching, Abraham was sovereignly chosen by God for His own divine reasons and purposes, not because of Abraham’s faithfulness or righteousness. Abraham was chosen by God’s sovereign, elective grace, not because of his works or even because of his faith. His faith was acceptable to God only because God graciously reckoned, or counted, it as righteousness. It was not the greatness of Abraham’s faith that saved him but the greatness of the gracious Lord in whom he placed his faith. Faith is never the basis or the reason for justification, but only the channel through which God works His redeeming grace. Faith is simply a convicted heart reaching out to receive God’s free and unmerited gift of salvation<br />ROMANS 4:1-3 45.54<br />1What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? <br /> 2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. <br /> 3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. <br />11AJUSTIFICATION BY FAITH:<br />1Bmeans we have been declared righteous and made righteous. We have been made new, we have been regenerated. <br />Ezekiel 36:25-27. John 3. 2 Corinthians 5:19. Titus 3:15.12AWHAT DO WE MEAN BY FAITH TO BE SAVED?<br />1BSaving faith is never the basis of justification. It’s only the channel by which justification is received. Even our faith is not ours. Saving faith is simply the hand that reaches out to take the gift that is sovereignty offered.<br />James 1:181BWhat FAITH does is to accept it. <br />God does not justify the believing person because of the worthiness of his faith, but because of the worthiness of the One who is believed in – JESUS.<br />Acts 13:39: It’s not the amount of faith you have that causes God to save.<br />13ASO WHAT THEN IS SAVING FAITH?<br />1BFAITH INCLUDES: FACTS F.A.I.T.H. <br /> It is not just saying “I believe” and not knowing what you believe.<br />But what FACTS do you believe about God?<br />1 Corinthians 15:1-3 tells us: Christ died; that is, was buried; and that He rose again the third day. 1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;<br />2BA FAITH THAT STANDS FOR AGREEMENT:<br />It is one thing to know the facts; it is another thing to believe the facts. But you agree with them.<br />3BA FAITH THAT INTERNALIZES THE FACTS AND WHAT YOU BELIEVE.<br />You desire to make what you believe personal. You appropriate them for yourself. John 1:11-12. Facts and belief do not get you saved, but there must be a personal appropriating, a taking for oneself. <br />4BA FAITH THAT TRUSTS. <br />Here there is a total commitment to all you know, belief, have faith in, and you have personalized it. It’s the Matthew 13 parable. He sold all he had for the pearl of great price. <br />WHEN YOU HAVE SAVING FAITH, YOU EXCHANGE ALL THAT YOU ARE FOR ALL THAT HE IS. That is you turn from your sin and affirm His Lordship and give Him your life. 1 Peter 2:25. It’s the 1 Thessalonians 1:9 “Turning from idols.”<br />5BA FAITH THAT HAS HOPE.<br />When you are saved you were saved in HOPE, you know why? Because you have not seen the ultimate provision of your salvation. Right? You believe in all your heart you are going to heaven, but you haven’t seen heaven. <br />Salvation is not some moment kind of idea, but a commitment of my eternal destiny to God.<br />It is giving Him my forever.<br />TRUE SALVATION IS NOT A ‘FOXHOLE CONVERSION.”<br />SAVING FAITH NOT ONLY GIVES GOD THE MOMENT BUT GIVES GOD THE DESTINY.<br />NOT A MOMENTARY ESCAPISM, BUT MY PLACING MY ENTIRE DESTINY IN THE CONTROL OF GOD, TO BE REVEALED IN GLORY.<br />11 THESSALONIANS 2:13-16; 5:8<br />14ALet me ask you:<br />Do you really know all the FACTS about Jesus Christ, the Lord?

15. Do you really believe in what the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ?

16. Have you really personalized the facts, and believed them, and made them your own?

17. And then have you fully repented from your sin and turned from your old life to a new life in Christ the Lord?

18. And have you appropriated all you know about Jesus Christ and have you trusted Him for your future?Romans 4:5-9 45.55<br />15AWhat Abraham Believed<br />He believed God for a new country.

19. He believed God for a child