To be saved one needs, by grace, a saving faith. I have a couple of things up here with me. In the same way, saving faith is a tool or an instrument the only tool or instrument by which we are saved. Faith is the tool or instrument by which we receive God's goodness into our lives. A First of all, true faith is belief.
Christian belief is the acceptance of the truth of the gospel.
It is important that God's people realize that true faith is not a matter of agreeing with whatever the minister teaches or the Synod concludes. In this sin-filled world no minister and no Synod is always absolutely right. Rather, true faith is a matter of believing God's Word. B Assumed here, but not stated, is that those with true faith, as far as they are able, have a personal knowledge of God's Word. It makes little sense to claim belief in Scripture if one does not know what Scripture teaches.