Misconceptions About Salvation
#12 "Faith is the FOUNDATION of salvation or salvation is FOUNDED on faith."
In Biblical theology, accurate usage of a word is very important. One slight misuse of a word, especially in the area of salvation, changes everything. And so in this area, we have to be very meticulous.
The cause of this misconception is the failure to keep in mind that salvation is Christo-centric. It is Christ-centered. And by "Christ", we mean the Christ who died on the cross for our sins and resurrected again. You see, a Cross without Christ is useless and worthless. But a Christ without a cross, saves no one.
The word "basis" means foundation. It refers to anything on which something rests upon.
To say that salvation is "based" on faith is to put salvation on a very unstable foundation. For even the greatest of God's saints in the Bible never had perfect faith. Sometimes their faith wavered (though it never completely died out).
Even if you have the strongest faith in the world, if Christ did not die on the cross for our sins, then no sinner will be saved. Faith never saved anyone. It is faith in Christ and His work on the cross that saves. When the Lord Jesus said: "Your faith has saved you", it is speaking elliptically, you must read between the lines: "Your faith IN ME has saved you."
Faith in the Bible is not the foundation or basis of salvation. Rather it is the CONDITION and the MEANS of salvation: "For by grace you have been saved THROUGH faith..."
Salvation does not rest on faith. Rather, salvation is founded or based on the cross of Calvary. In other words, salvation hangs on Calvary. Salvation is founded or based on the work of Christ on the cross.
Faith is merely the means, the instrument or the "conduit pipe" to receive salvation based on the cross.
