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Everyone seems quick to condemn JUST BELIEVING. Here is what
I believe. Is belief easy? YES. It matters not whether you be male or female, young or old, rich or poor, clever or stupid, black or white, strong or weak, healthy or sick; any man on earth is capable of believing. God made the way of salvation such that none need be left out. It is precisely for this reason that many will be left out. They refuse to accept that God could make such an easy way of salvation. It is offensive to their PRIDE that God should make it so easy to be saved. Instead they make it more difficult by adding BAPTISM, WORKS, PRAYER, ENDURING, CHURCH, RELIGION, COMMANDMENTS, LAWS, RULES (the list goes on). And like the Pharisees of old, they are left outside while the publicans and harlots rush in. To be saved is no harder than to walk through an open door, if you believe what Jesus said - "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." John 10 v 9
What does God require of a man to be saved? Now the Scripture clearly says that BELIEF is what is required. We will show that by looking at three verses "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that BELIEVE on his name:" John 1 v 12 The Holy Bible To become a son of God is CONDITIONAL on a man believing on his name. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVETH in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3 v 16 The Holy Bible To be saved from everlasting hell-fire and to have eternal life is CONDITIONAL upon a man BELIEVING in Jesus. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and BELIEVETH on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 5 v 24 The Holy Bible If a man fulfils the CONDITION that God lays down, once he has heard the word, he BELIEVES God then the Bible makes clear that that man HATH (present tense) ETERNAL LIFE, and IS (present tense) passed from death to life. So to have the eternal life is conditional upon BELIEF What is meant by BELIEF? The Bible gives its own definition of belief in Romans where it equates believing our report with obeying the gospel. "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?" Romans 10 v 16 The Holy Bible So if you BELIEVE it also requires that you OBEY the GOSPEL Two questions arise - 1 What is does it mean to OBEY? 2 What is the GOSPEL? What does it mean to OBEY? This is the reason why Paul calls for repentance when he preaches the gospel. "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now COMMANDETH all men every where to REPENT:" Acts 17 v 30 The Holy Bible Simply, it means to do what God told you to do - REPENT. What is the GOSPEL? "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you THE GOSPEL which I preached unto you, which also ye have RECEIVED, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have BELIEVED in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" 1 Corinthians 15 v 1-4 The Holy Bible The Gospel is - that CHRIST (the virgin born sinless only begotten Son of the Father, and no other) that Christ DIED that Christ died FOR OUR SINS (in my place) that Christ died for our sins ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES (as the Bible said he would and did die) that he was BURIED and that he ROSE AGAIN the third day according to the scriptures. And the Gospel is RECEIVED by BELIEVING this from the heart (see Romans 10 v 9) So to BELIEVE (in him, on him, on his name) is to obey the gospel. That is to recognize that you are a condemned sinner, hell bound and without hope, until God came into this world to be your Saviour as Jesus Christ. God requires that you turn from your sins and turn towards God (REPENT) and put your faith in the gospel that Jesus Christ died in your place, bearing your sin, on Calvary's Cross, and God proved that Jesus had no sin of his own by raising him to life the third day, and if you will trust him, and him alone for salvation, he will give you eternal life. Unless you have REPENTED (turning from sin toward God) and exercised FAITH in the finished work of Christ on your behalf, you cannot say that you have OBEYED the gospel, and neither can you say that you have BELIEVED on Jesus Christ. Anything other would be what the Bible speaks of as "believing in vain". Both REPENTANCE and FAITH are required. "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, REPENTANCE toward God, and FAITH toward our Lord Jesus Christ." Acts 20 v 21 The Holy Bible That is BELIEF according to the scriptures. Nothing else is required on mans' part for salvation. God only wants you to turn round and hold out an empty hand to receive his free gift. What could be easier than that? In Christ Gregor Crawford |