[count-your-change]

I simply viewed Herod’s actions as trying to change what was to occur, as though saying prophecy is just a maybe, not certain if he could frustrate it.

And so faith of the non-saving kind and belief are different in what way?

[Jemian]

The faith that is non-saving is a mere acknowledgement of the veracity of something even if you don’t have any proof of it. Saving faith is acting in dependence on that veracity.

Let me offer two examples. There is an oak tree outside my house. I have faith that its limbs can hold me up (to a certain level). But I don’t have “saving” faith because I am not going to climb that tree. The limbs are still strong and are able to hold me up. Herod acknowledged the promises of God. But he wasn’t going to “climb that tree.”

The second example is that I believe that God will supply the needs of missionaries. But until I actually left the secular job and had no other source of income I wasn’t experiencing that faith.

There is a limit to the exactness of examples so perhaps these don’t quite explain the difference. I’m thinking that also perhaps Herod is like many of us who say we believe God is sovereign to keep us safe, but still carry around a rabbit’s foot, “just to cover the bases.” Saving faith doesn’t allow for alternatives.

[Jemian]

Many years ago I began comparing different beliefs. Among the conclusions that I reached is that all people are born, live and die and eventually everything decays. In my ponderings I realized that Christianity provides an eternal forgiveness for my sins. At that point I knew that Jesus was a real person in time and space. I knew that He was born many years ago in a stable, lived and taught us about God, that He was tried, crucified, buried and rose on the third day. All of that was knowledge I had in my head, much like we have knowledge about the life of George Washington.

It was not until I prayed a prayer similar to the one below that I went from belief in the veracity of the Bible to a saving faith resulting in eternal life. The prayer I prayed was this:

Jesus, I need you. I open the door of my heart and receive you as Savior and Lord. Forgive me of my sins. Make me into the kind of person You want me to be.
Amen

It was as simple as that. According to the promises of the Bible, Jesus did enter my heart and I will never be cast away from Him. I went from knowing about God to knowing a Person. Anyone can do it no matter their background, including Jews, Moslems, prostitutes, drug runners and Democrats.

That was a life changing experience! I have not developed in the bent I was following. All things have become new.