Confronting the Confusion About Salvation
In Chapter 7, Larry Stirlen takes us into one of the most important theological debates in modern Christianity: What is saving faith? Some teach that belief in Jesus as Savior is enough, while others argue that accepting Jesus as both Savior and Lord is required. Stirlen settles this by pointing us back to Scripture: true saving faith results in a changed life.
It’s not about earning salvation—it’s about recognizing that grace, when rightly received, transforms us. “Faith without works is dead,” James writes. Stirlen echoes this, warning against a gospel that leaves people thinking they’re saved when they’re not.
The evidence of saving faith isn’t perfection—it’s fruit. A desire to obey. A growing love for Christ. A break from sin. Stirlen calls this “faith that works”—not works-based salvation, but salvation that works itself out in daily life.