Saving Faith
I know people who only have intellectual knowledge of Jesus. They believe that He suffered God’s wrath over sin while Jesus hung on the cross. These people believe that Jesus was beaten beyond recognition, that Jesus suffered, bled, died on the cross and rose from the grave three days later. Because they believe these facts, they also believe they are saved. They believe that they won’t go to Hell when they die, all because they believe these truths about Jesus. But is believing facts the same thing as saving faith?
Is being saved, having saving faith just believing facts? Please listen to what the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11: Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep (died). Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
Unless They Have Believed In Vain
Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Please notice the apostle Paul mentions the Gospel which he preached and they believed and are being saved…unless they have believed in vain. So it is possible to believe facts and still die in your sins and go to Hell. Just believing facts does not save you.
Salvation is of the Lord. It is the supernatural work of the Lord. A person is truly saved when they hear the Gospel and God convicts them over their sins and reveals His Holiness to them. When the Lord shows you that you are a wretched sinner who cannot save yourself and salvation is found in Christ alone. But it takes the power of the Holy Spirit to convict you over your sins.
Can’t Save Yourself
You cannot lead yourself to salvation. Asking Jesus into your heart won’t save you. A person is saved when they repent from their sins and surrender their life, fully and completely to Jesus. It’s when you are like the prophet Isaiah and you say woe is me. I am a man of unclean lips living among people with unclean lips (Isaiah 6:5).
Again, Isaiah saw his sinfulness and God’s Holiness and he cried out to the Lord. If God reaches you through the power of the Holy Spirit, you will do the same thing. If not, you may merely be agreeing with the historical facts of Jesus, not receiving saving faith. How about you tonight? Do you even agree with the historical facts of Jesus or do reject the Lord outright? If you agree to the historical facts, is that it or have you truly surrendered your life to Jesus?
None of us are righteous. No one seeks after God. as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12). Every single human being has sinned against God. For all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). God’s standard is perfection and none of us measure up to this standard.
Jesus Came To This Earth
That’s why Jesus came to this earth 2,000 years ago. He did what you and I cannot do. Jesus never sinned, not one time. He never lied, stole anything, lusted or coveted. He always obeyed the will of God the Father. Can you say the same? Of course not! None of us can. We’ve all sinned against God. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).
Even though Jesus was sinless, He allowed wicked men to beat him unmercifully. To beat Him beyond recognition. The created beings pummeled the Creator. Yet, Jesus allowed this. The Lord also endured God’s righteous anger over sin. God poured His wrath over sin out upon Jesus, as the sinless Son hung on that cruel cross. Jesus suffered, bled and died on the cross. But praise God, He rose victoriously from the grave three days later. God offers eternal life to each and every person who repents and puts their faith in Jesus.
But you cannot do this on your own. It’s not just knowing and believing these facts. Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9). It is the free gift from God. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Salvation Is Through Faith In Christ Jesus
Salvation is through faith in Christ Jesus and that faith is given to believers from God. It is not of works, lest anyone should boast. My friends and I have nothing to brag about tonight. We are sinners that have been saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. It is all from God; all for His glory.
Saving faith comes from God. We come out here on the streets and share the glorious Gospel because: Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). How can you believe if you don’t know the truth? How does the Holy Spirit do the convicting work if you don’t recognize that you have sinned against our Holy God? Oh, how can you believe unless God opens your spiritually blind eyes, opens your spiritually deaf ears and unhardens your hard heart?
Your own sinful heart is working against you tonight. Satan is working against you. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
The Great Light
For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:3-6). Jesus is the great light that came into the world. He is the only Savior of mankind.
This is why we share the Gospel with you. Unless you repent, you will perish (Luke 13:3). Oh tonight, repent from your sins and surrender your life fully and completely to Jesus Christ the Lord. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.
Do Not Say In Your Heart
But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim).
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.
”For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek (Gentile); for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:4-13).
Call Upon The Name Of The Lord
Call upon the name of Jesus and be saved. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. One day, every knee will bow and everyone will confess that Jesus is Lord. He is Lord of all. Oh, but do this in this life. Recognize that you are a sinner. Cry out for God to have mercy upon you. Repent from your sins and put your faith in the Lord Jesus. Receive saving faith that comes from the Lord.
Then go out and tell others what great things the Lord has done for you. A saved life is a changed life. Jesus saves His people from their sins. He saves us from eternal damnation, from everlasting destruction in Hell. If you are truly a Christian, share your faith in Christ with others.
How Can They Call On Him?
Romans 10:14-17 says: How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Have you heard God calling tonight? Do you have saving faith? Have you repented and believed the Gospel? Are you truly, soundly saved? Are you a child of God? Is Jesus Lord of your life? Is Jesus your Lord and Savior? Are you a follower of Jesus Christ our Lord?
(This message was proclaimed in downtown Springfield, MO on May 31, 2019)