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Monday, January 5, 2015

True Faith Is Not Complicated, Pt 1



OPENING STATEMENT

“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “And My servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and there is no savior besides Me. It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange god among you; so you are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, and I am God. Even from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?” (Isaiah 43:10-13 NASB)

We now live in a politically correct world that that pays little homage to the faith that God requires in His Son. Satan has corrupted the terms “I believe” and “faith” to the point that their true meanings are ignored. Little regard is given to just what it really means by placing our trust (faith) in Jesus Christ to be saved from our sins and being born again spiritually.

Many will utter the words, “I believe,” but what do they believe and to whom or what do they believe in?

Even more politically correct today is the word “faith,” but faith in whom or what? Is it a faith of casual verbiage built upon sand or a faith rested upon the rock that is Jesus Christ? Matthew 7:24-27?

When we put our faith in Jesus Christ to save our soul by His grace alone, what is happening within us?

Some want to concentrate solely on “belief” and exclude everything that is involved for fear of introducing works. While others insist there must be works involved to get it and even to keep it.

When we put our faith in Jesus to save us several things are happening in our minds, whether consciously or subconsciously.

Please read carefully the introductory passage (above) again from Isaiah 43:10-13. Yes, the Lord Jesus is speaking to Israel in this case, but the message is for us all. In these four verses we can see that we are to witness, that we are servants to Him, that we are to know, believe and understand, that there is only one God, that Jesus is the only way to the Father, and we are secure in Him.

On the following pages I will briefly speak of a few points that I believe are a natural “part of the package” when we put our faith in Jesus to save us.  One who actually places their trust in Jesus for their own personal salvation has accepted these truths as part of their statement of belief in Him. They may not be consciously realized at first, but they are there nonetheless.

Anyone can say, “I believe,” but offer no commitment upon what they say they believe, thereby going their way unchanged, with no relationship with the Savior Jesus Christ. Belief requires action.

But the one who has truly believed will be moved to commit to their object of belief; i.e. Jesus Christ, and an eternal relationship with Him will have been born. As this truly saved person grows in that relationship, these truths will become much more obvious. Yet, even so, they were there in the beginning.

JESUS AS LORD

Is it really necessary to submit to Jesus as Lord of our life, and to believe that what He offers (eternal life) is really a permanent gift?

Some criticize “Lordship salvation.” Why? The Bible says, “If you declare with your mouth “Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) Believing in Jesus per Acts 16:31 includes accepting Him as our Lord as well as our Savior. The Scripture is very clear that we accept Him as our Lord.

How can we claim faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior, but back away from any acknowledgment of Him as our Lord?

DEATH, BURIAL & RESURRECTION

Then there are others who go to 1 Corinthians 15:3ff. I’ve gone there often. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but we cannot separate it from the rest of God’s Word. Do we believe Jesus “died for our sins according to the scriptures?” Do we believe He was “buried?” Do we believe He “rose again the third day according to the scriptures?” Do we believe He was seen by all the witnesses that are mentioned in these verses? If so, that’s great! So what was going on in our heart when we believed all that? Trust! Child-like trust! Again, when we truly believe in Jesus, all of this is coming together by our trust we place in Him. It is part of the “I believe” process.

If we say that we believe in the death, burial and resurrection are we not including all that identifies Jesus Christ in His relationship to us and ours to Him?

ADOPTION & HEIRS

In Romans 8:15, 8:23; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5 (and many other Scriptures) we find that we have been adopted by God as adult sons.

In Romans 4:14; 8:17; Galatians 3:29; Titus 3:7; Hebrews 1:14; 6:17 (and many other Scriptures) we find that in Jesus we are heirs with Him. When I put my faith in Jesus, I was assured that I became a permanent heir with Jesus, simply because He said so. Since my heir-ship is permanent, my salvation is also.

I may not have understood all the ramifications of adoption and heir-ship at the time of my salvation, but I knew I was being accepted into the family of God.

NEVER

Jesus says in John 4:14; 6:35 (and other passages) that when we come to Him and are saved we will never thirst or hunger again because He is the bread and water of life. What does the word “never” mean? He says we will “never” thirst or hunger again. It means just what it says, “never.” And again, I believed that my salvation was secure because Jesus said I would “never” thirst again. Not only that, He said it would produce “everlasting life.”

The woman at the well believed Jesus, as did the people from her town that accepted Him as Savior. They understood that He was speaking spiritually of thirst and hunger. As new Christians, we will never thirst or hunger again spiritually because Jesus said “never” again.

I don’t know about you, but to me “never” means I never have to worry about being what I used to be, a lost sinner, because by the grace of God through His Son Jesus Christ, I am a saved sinner bound for Heaven when I leave this world.

Obviously, this is leading to the subject of eternal security (OSAS). I’ll get to it later in this article.

UNWAVERING FAITH

The Bible says concerning faith, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Substance = confidence, the steadfastness of mind, firmness, courage, resolution
Hoped = in a religious sense, to wait for salvation with joy and full confidence
Evidence = a proof, that by which a thing is proved or tested

I don’t see anywhere in that verse a belief that does not assure me that I am saved once and for all, forever securely in God’s hands. I believed it when He saved me, and I still do.

The same writer says, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for he is faithful that promised),” (Hebrews 10:23) When I came to Christ as an unbeliever seeking to be saved, I came unwavering and I have remained so as a long-time Christian because He promised and I believe Him.

Does that mean I have never had doubts? Does it mean I have lived a perfect life since I was saved? No, No, No! Here comes the important fact: God has never doubted Himself and He is absolute holiness. Everything I am is dependent upon God’s power and His holiness, not mine. That makes me secure in every area of my imperfect life.

GRACE

The Word of God, the Bible, is very clear that we are saved by grace and grace alone. We are saved by the works of Jesus Christ and not our own. We will never see Heaven, let alone be a part of the family of God, if we rely one iota upon our own efforts. If we claim 1% credit and give Jesus 99% we miss the boat. It’s 100% His works or none at all. In part two we will continue with eternal security (OSAS).


Grant Phillips
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com