We often use the word “faith” to describe the core of someone’s beliefs—but people of differing religions use the term in very different ways. This has challenged me to more carefully probe the distinctive features of the word “faith” from the perspective of historical Christianity. Faith is much more profound than simply recounting our personal conversion story. Rather, Christian faith entails at least five parts, each building on top of the next.

Level 1: Christian faith is based on historical events.

At its foundation, Christianity is based on evidence. First Corinthians 15 recounts the critical core of Christianity: the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Without Jesus’ resurrection (a historical event), there is no Christianity and no hope for a future in heaven (a theological assertion). If Jesus is nothing more than an embellished legend, then the hope of heaven is little more than a wish. In order for Christianity to be true, it must include a belief in certain historical facts and a belief that the Bible preserves an accurate account of those events. This establishes the identity of Jesus as the resurrected Savior. In this sense, theology can’t be separated from history. Rather, theologydepends on history.

Level 2: Christian faith is personal.

Believing “in” Jesus is very different than believing “that” Jesus existed. Someone can believe that the historical events surrounding the life, burial, and resurrection of Jesus are true, but as it says in James 2:19, “Even the demons believe that [God exists]—and shudder.” Saving faith takes that belief to the next level. It means believing in the reality that Jesus’ work on the cross actually applies to you. It’s believing that your sins are forgiven as a result of Jesus’ historic work.

A critical component to this aspect of faith is that each person must put their personal trust in Jesus. In Jesus’ day, the pervading belief among the Jews was that they were saved because of their genetic (physical) connection to Abraham (Matthew 3:9; Luke 3:8). In other words, they thought they were saved primarily because of their ethnic identity. However, Jesus makes it quite clear that faith must be personally applied. This is at the heart of what it means to follow Jesus. As He says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). Just as the ancient Jews could not be saved through their genetic connection to Abraham, neither can a parent’s faith save their child today. Every person must make their own profession of faith based on their own personal decision and connection to Jesus.

Level 3: Christian faith is verbal.

Christianity arose in an oral culture. People processed information primarily through the ear gate (aural) and repeated it through the mouth gate (oral). In contrast, ours is primarily a visual culture. We tend to ingest information through what we see and watch.

The ancient world’s oral tradition provides an important backdrop for our understanding of Scripture. This is why Paul admonishes Timothy not to neglect the public reading of the Scriptures (1 Timothy 4:13). This is also why Paul says in Romans 10:9–10, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Except in unusual circumstances, a true disciple of Jesus must be ready to tell others about Jesus and make a public profession of faith through baptism (Matthew 28:19–20).

Level 4: Christian faith is practical.

According to James 2:17, faith that isn’t accompanied by actions is dead—it is not saving faith. True faith is not merely believing in the Bible; it’s acting on the words of the Bible. In this sense, faith includes at least two critical components: risk and action.

Most Christians in the West don’t need active faith in order to survive. We have doctors, grocery stores, and housing readily accessible. Unlike Christians in developing or impoverished nations, we don’t need to believe in Jesus on a daily basis for His provision of these basic necessities. The Book of Acts is replete with descriptions of the apostles. They didn’t merely believe in Jesus or proclaim their belief verbally. They followed up those statements by doing the things Jesus did: healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead, and baptizing new disciples.

The example of the apostles’ faith is challenging. When was the last time you took a risk so big you’d fall on your face if Jesus didn’t come through?

Level 5: Christian faith is continual.

As Protestants, we tend to hinge our faith on a moment in time of salvation, the date when we placed our personal trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. But to end the conversation there would be to stop short of the biblical understanding of faith. Saving faith finishes the race (Acts 20:24; 2 Timothy 4:7). It overcomes the world (Revelation 3:5). It trusts and goes on trusting. It believes and goes on believing (John 3:16).

It’s not merely a moment of faith that saves, although it would certainly be enough to do so for someone on their death bed (like the thief on the cross). Saving faith involves a lifetime of action that displays the faith. The New Testament contains many warnings about those who do not persevere to the end. Saying the sinner’s prayer is not a magical incantation. It is the doorway to entering a lifetime of obedience and living as a new person (Romans 6–8).

Bringing someone to faith sometimes means helping them weigh the evidence and come to believein Jesus. Other times, it means helping them learn how to practice their faith. Still others need help building their faith so that it will last. Wherever we are in our journey of faith, the Father truly wants us to abide with Him—to have a personal relationship with Him, for now and for eternity.

Reflections: Your Turn

Where are you in each of these faith “levels”? What does “saving faith” mean to you? VisitReflections on WordPress to comment with your response.

Subjects: Christian Life

In the last decade a slew of Narnia movies were released in theaters and, though C. S. Lewis has been gone more than 50 years, his books are still as popular as ever. He’s the famous atheist-turned-Christian, but what exactly did he believe and what did he contribute to Christianity? Here’s your crash course on the life and accomplishments of C. S. Lewis—and why he still matters today.

Who Was C. S. Lewis?

C. S. Lewis (1898–1963) was an Irish-born Anglican thinker and author who taught English literature at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Lewis served in the English Army during World War I and converted from atheism to Christianity when he was in his early 30s. During World War II, Lewis presented talks on the BBC radio station titled “The Case for Christianity.” Lewis was a member of the famous Inklings literary discussion group at Oxford University that also included such distinguished authors as Charles Williams, Owen Barfield, and J. R. R. Tolkien. He was married late in life to Joy Davidman Gresham whose death from cancer led Lewis to write the book A Grief Observed. Lewis died on November 22, 1963, the same day as the deaths of President John F. Kennedy and author Aldous Huxley.

What Did C. S. Lewis Write?

Lewis is well known for his extremely popular fictional writings, like the children’s series The Chronicles of Narnia as well as his science fiction series The Space Trilogy. But perhaps his two most important apologetics-related books are Mere Christianity and The Problem of Pain. In the first he explains and defends the basic (or common) truths of Christianity whereas in the second he tackles the monumental challenge of pain, suffering, and evil.

What Did C. S. Lewis Believe?

C. S. Lewis was an orthodox Anglican, yet he was well known for emphasizing the common ground that all Christians share. Arguably, Lewis’s three most important ideas or arguments for the God of Christian theism are the following:

1. Argument from desire: A man’s longing for meaning and transcendence in life is best explained as a pointer to God and to the reality of an unseen world.
2. Argument from reason: The source and foundation of reason cannot be explained through atheistic naturalism; reason instead points to God as the Source.
3. Moral argument: The human conscience and the existence of objective moral laws reveal a moral Lawgiver.

These three apologetics arguments are part of Lewis’ overall cumulative case in attempting to show that Christianity is the best explanation of reality.

Why Does C. S. Lewis Matter Today?

Some conservative evangelicals criticize Lewis for viewing Scripture as less than biblically inerrant, and for embracing a view of creation that was something similar to theistic evolution. And, yes, there is some merit to these criticisms. However, Lewis is widely considered the most popular Christian writer and apologist of the twentieth century. His book Mere Christianity was voted the most important Christian book of that century, and his Chronicles of Narnia series is among the bestselling fictional books in history. Maybe Lewis’ greatest legacy, however, is the large number of people who have been attracted to Christianity because of his writings—as well as the many Christians who have taken up the role of Christian thinker and apologist because of him.

Other articles in the Christian Thinkers 101 series: St. Augustine

Reflections: Your Turn

Lewis said that he believed in Christianity because of the faith’s great scope of explanation concerning reality. What does Christianity explain about life and human beings that other belief systems struggle to match? Visit Reflections on WordPress to comment with your response.

Resources

• My former podcast, Straight Thinking, contains four episodes that discuss C. S. Lewis: “C. S. Lewis: Life and Conversion,” “C. S. Lewis: Christian Apologist,” “C. S. Lewis: Christian Writer,” and “C. S. Lewis: Strengths and Weaknesses.”

• These are two recommended books about C. S. Lewis and his apologetics ideas: Between Heaven & Hell: A Dialog Somewhere Beyond Death with John F. Kennedy, C. S. Lewis & Aldous Huxley by Peter Kreeft and C. S. Lewis’ Case for the Christian Faith by Richard Purtill.

• While Lewis wrote an autobiography titled Surprised by Joy, another recent biography is found inC. S. Lewis: A Life—Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet by Alister McGrath.

Subjects: People of Faith