The points contained in this sermon are taken from “The Way of Faith,” which was written by Dr. Phil A. Newton, the senior pastor of South Woods Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Those points are given in one chapter of his book, “The Way of Faith” (Founders Press, Cape Coral, Florida, 2002, pp. 21-25).

Dr. Newton points out that there are, what he calls, four kinds of “faith.” Dr. Newton explains that three of the four kinds of faith do not lead to salvation. The first three lead to Hell. Saving faith is too often misunderstood and therefore does not lead to a real conversion in Christ Jesus.

I. The first kind of false faith is what Dr. Newton calls “historical faith.”

This refers to a person who believes the historical facts of the Bible,

and that’s all.

A person who goes no farther than believing what the Bible says about faith in Christ falls short of real faith and real conversion. The person who merely believes the Bible has the kind of faith called historical faith; it is rooted in a belief in the Bible, but it goes no farther than that. The weakness of historical faith is that it cannot save you. The fallen demons have this kind of faith – but they are not saved. The Bible says,

“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils [demons] also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19; p. 1308).

So, a person whose faith rests only on what the Bible says has what Dr. Newton calls “historical faith,” faith that is only based on the historical documents of the Bible. They may say things like “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.” But they are wrong because believing the promises and pronouncements in the Bible saves no one! Jesus rebuked the Pharisees because, although they had faith in the Bible, “historical faith,” they had no saving faith in Christ Himself. Christ gave a scathing rebuke to the Pharisees when He said,

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (John 5:39-40; p. 1121).

The Pharisees believed the Bible, but that was as far as it went. They clung to an “historical faith” in the Bible, but they refused to go further, to personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. People like this in our churches never move beyond faith in the Bible to saving faith in Christ. They give proof texts to attempt to show that belief in the Bible, or belief in the “plan of salvation,” is a substitute for living faith in Christ Himself. Thousands of evangelicals never go beyond their belief in the Bible to a knowledge of Christ Himself. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones called this error “Sandemanianism.” He has a whole chapter on it in The Puritans: Their Origins and Successors (Banner of Truth, 1996, pp. 170-190). Dr. Lloyd-Jones called it a “major problem today” (p. 190). Thus people stumble at the “rock of offence” and never experience real conversion. Knowing things about Christ is not a substitute for knowing Christ Himself! It is mere faith in the history and words of the Bible without any knowledge of Christ Himself. The Bible says, on the contrary,

“This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3; p. 1139).

Eternal life and full salvation come only through a personal experience with Jesus Christ, and in no other way. You cannot be saved by reading and studying the Bible, and believing it. The purpose of the Bible is to move you beyond a mere belief in its words. The true purpose of the Bible is to bring you to a face-to-face encounter with the author of the Bible, Christ Himself. You can know a great deal of the Bible and not know Christ Himself. This was the error of the Pharisees and it is the same error many thousands of evangelicals commit today. “Historical faith,” faith in the Bible alone, never saved anyone. Christ Himself is the Saviour, not the words of the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul made this very clear when he said,

“The holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus”
     (II Timothy 3:15; p. 1281).

The purpose of studying the Bible is not simply an end in itself. The purpose of the Bible is to point you to “faith which is in Christ Jesus.” He is the Saviour. The Bible points you to Him for salvation. He who stops short at merely believing the Bible is a lost soul. At the Last Judgment, such people will find that their “historical faith” is worthless when Christ says to them that they were,

“Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” – in Christ (II Timothy 3:7; p. 1281).

“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment”
     (Matthew 25:46; p. 1036).

Every one of you will meet people who say they believe the Bible. But can they say anything about Jesus saving them? Can they say that their love of Christ compels them to be in church every Sunday without fail? Can they say that they have a real prayer life? Can they honestly say that they love Christ wholeheartedly? There are millions of Baptists and new-evangelicals who do not. All they have is Sandemanianism – not Christ! So, the first kind of false faith is just believing the Bible, or the plan of salvation in the Bible. There are those who think they are really good Christians because they believe in the King James Bible. But they will be surprised when they find themselves in the eternal fire of Hell! Such faith will not save anyone. The Bible says that you must believe on Christ Himself!

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”
     (Acts 16:31).

II. The second kind of false faith is what Dr. Newton calls “miraculous faith.”

This describes those who have miracles performed, or have had prayer answered, and because of this they believe that they are saved. Jesus warned against this false faith in Matthew 7:21-23, when He said,

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23; p. 1004).

Dr. Newton said,

Judas Iscariot followed Jesus Christ for three years and was even involved in doing miraculous works. Yet he perished in hell! Pharaoh’s magicians imitated the miracles of Moses for a time, yet they were by no means believers! Jesus warned against this kind of false faith in Matthew 7:21-23 (ibid.).

The Apostle Paul compared this people to the magicians in Pharaoh’s court in the time of Moses.

“Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith” (II Timothy 3:8; p. 1281).

Dr. J. Vernon McGee gave this comment on that verse,

The account in Exodus [of Jannes and Jambres] reveals that Satan has power, supernatural power, and also that he is a great imitator – he imitates the things that God does. Jannes and Jambres were able to perform miracles by the power of Satan. Moses did them by the power of God. This is, I believe, the reason reference is made to them here. We need to understand in our day that Satan can imitate the power of God…In our day I’m afraid that in many places a manifestation of power is misunderstood as coming from God when it really comes from Satan (J. Vernon McGee, Th.D., Thru the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983, volume 5, page 471; note on II Timothy 3:5).

Thus, false faith that rests on signs, miracles and answered prayers is not saving faith. Salvation comes only by trusting Christ Himself. The Bible says,

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”
     (Acts 16:31).

III. The third kind of false faith is what Dr. Newton calls “temporary faith.”

In Matthew 13:20-21 Christ said,

“But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended” (Matthew 13:20-21; p. 1015).

In Luke 8:13 Christ said,

“They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away” (Luke 8:13; p. 1083).

Dr. Rienecker gives this comment on “fall away” – “To go away, withdraw” from the local New Testament church and the true gospel it preaches (Fritz Rienecker, Ph.D., Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, Zondervan Publishing House, 1980 edition, p. 161; note on Luke 8:13). Dr. Newton said,

There is temporary faith, that lasts for a while, and then fades away because it does not have any roots…Some people have a religious experience or great excitement about the Christian life, possibly even making a public profession of faith. But if [Christ Himself] does not take firm root in his life…this kind of person quickly fades away when the demands of the Christian life confront him. This kind of faith cannot save (ibid.).

Temporary “faith” has no root in Christ. Christ is not at the center. Temporary “faith” is based on an emotional feeling, or a friendship in the church, or some other physical or emotional reason. Christ is not at the center, so it is not saving faith. It is only temporary “faith.”

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”
     (Acts 16:31).

All of these are false “faiths.” False “faith” will not save you. “Faith” that is based only on Bible verses and not centered in Christ will not save you. “Faith” that is based on a miracle, or an answered prayer, will not save you. “Faith” that is only temporary will not save you. But the fourth kind of faith is true, saving faith.

IV. The fourth kind of faith Dr. Newton calls “justifying – saving faith.”

He said that justifying, saving faith is trust in Christ Himself! Only grace can lead you to Christ Himself. And only Christ Himself can save you!

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9; p. 1251).

Dr. Newton said,

Saving faith is not a mere acknowledgement of the historical facts of Jesus Christ. Most people will acknowledge this yet remain lost…Saving faith is not simply an acknowledgement that Jesus is a Savior or that Jesus can save. Neither is saving faith simply faith in faith nor faith in a decision nor faith in a prayer nor faith in a profession [decision] nor faith in [the] plan of salvation…True faith…is when the sinner humbly trusts in Jesus Christ alone…justifying faith involves a total reliance upon Jesus Christ…That’s what faith or believing means, a total reliance or trust [in Jesus Christ]. When the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved, they replied [“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,” Acts 16:31]…When a person comes to Jesus Christ by faith, he…knows Christ in a different fashion…now he enters into a living, dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus has redeemed him from the power of sin, so Jesus is now his Redeemer. Jesus has applied His blood and righteousness to his life and declared him righteous before God, so Jesus is now his Justifier. Jesus has saved him from the wrath to come, so Jesus is now His Savior. Jesus has laid claim to his life for eternity by His sacrificial death and mighty resurrection, so Jesus is now his Lord (ibid.).

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”
     (Acts 16:31).

May the words of this hymn become a reality in your life:

I hear Thy welcome voice
     That calls me, Lord, to Thee,
For cleansing in Thy precious blood
     That flowed on Calvary.
I am coming, Lord!
     Coming now to Thee!
Wash me, cleanse me in the blood
     That flowed on Calvary.
(“I Am Coming, Lord” by Lewis Hartsough, 1828-1919).

The person who has real saving faith will not easily miss church services. Those who miss these Christ-honoring services lightly usually have only what Dr. Newton calls “temporary faith,” and “in time of temptation,” when “something comes up,” they “fall away” from their local church. We pray that you will not be among them, but that you will be “rooted and built up in [Christ], and stablished in the faith” (Colossians 2:7). May God answer our prayers for you. May you trust the risen Christ. May Christ be your Saviour and the Lord of your life. In His name, Amen.