I read a short chapter from Preaching the Cross last night. In it, one of the authors (R.C. Sproul) talks about the misunderstanding we have of the idea that faith alone saves us. It is an important misunderstanding to be mindful of, especially in our convenient American Christianity. Sproul points out in this chapter that the theological concept of "faith alone" has its roots in the Reformation of the 15oo's. Martin Luther and others were responding to the Roman Catholic idea that faith + works = justification. The basic Catholic premise is that you are saved by faith, but then if you commit a sin (there are three types according to the Catholic church) then you must offer pennance. Consequently, if you do not do this work of pennance, and then die, you will spend the first bit of eternity (100 years? 1000 years? 10,000 years?) in pergatory, being punished for your sins until you have become purified enough to enter heaven.

Luther argued that it was faith alone that brought justification to the sinner, apart from any works. Without the context of what Luther was responding to in the Catholic church, we can tend to beleive (in the American church) that faith is simply something we profess: "I beleive that I am saved by faith alone, in Christ alone." You can beleive that--you can make that profession. But as R.C. Sproul points out in this chapter, you can't just profess that faith--you must possess it. It's not as simple as raising a hand in a service, or coming forward at an altar call and agreeing that that is the way to be saved. You must possess--own--the faith that saves.

As we get into this study in the book of Romans, what saving faith is will become more clear. There is a context to what Christians believe and we have to be careful to keep that context in view. Faith saves people from what? From a bad life? From the consequences of sin? From running with the wrong crowd? Maybe. But first and foremost, it saves us from the wrath of God. Why is there wrath? What is repentance and where does repentance fit in? What do we need to repent from? What kind of repentance and what kind of faith is saving faith? We'll tackle these questions and more in the coming months. It should be good for shoring up our foudations for joy and ministry.