Saving faith is a gift of God given ONLY when He causes supernatural regeneration. This distinguishes it from common faith. If someone has common faith in Christ, or what some call "bare faith" in Christ, this is NOT saving faith, since it is not concomitant or consecutional to supernatural regeneration.

Only at supernatural regeneration can a person have saving faith. When modern ministers call belief in God apart from regeneration "saving faith", they ignore James' warning, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble" (James 2:19). They forget, or ignore the Apostle Paul's clear delineation of saving faith as a gift of God from saving grace. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Saving faith is the instrument of salvation. Unless the person is supernaturally regenerated by God, that instrument of salvation DOES NOT EXIST.