Transparent Freedom

Here is one conclusion: Seek God.

I went to the Word looking for God this morning and here’s what He showed me:

“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”  (Acts 16:30-31)

To Jesus all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His Name.  (Acts 10:43)

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.  (Romans 1:16)

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.  (Romans 10:9)

Going now to yesterday’s list:

1. Belief in Jesus is the only path to salvation–absolutely clear in Scripture.
2. That salvation comes through belief, not works or the law, teaches us about God’s grace, which is essential to His character.
3. This is the essence of the Gospel, isn’t it?  That Jesus did what was impossible for me to do and attributed His righteousness to a sinful, undeserving people.
4. ‘Belief in Jesus’ may be the most frequently occurring doctrine in Scripture and is one of the most significant doctrines in the Book.
5. If we remove ‘Belief in Jesus as Lord,’ then the other doctrines lose their meaning.
6. Christians past and present take the title ‘Christian’ on account of a universal belief that Christ is Lord.
7. This Truth transforms us in the present world and invites us into eternity.

7 for 7.  Believe in Jesus as Lord.  He gives salvation.  That gets to be an absolute.  In a world of relativity, is that not the most empowering conviction imaginable?  To know something with absolute certainty.  To know that you believe in Jesus, you honor Him as Lord, you rely on His grace for salvation–and so you have a promise of eternal life with God.  For me, that absolute and unshakeable Truth makes me love Jesus so much.  And it helps me to love His disciples because they too are recipients of His grace, brothers and sisters united under a Single Head, fellow citizens of Paradise.  The world is confusing, and satan is the deceiver.  But to know an absolute!  That is a Rock upon which I can stand no matter how mighty the enemy.

So try it.  You may be thinking, “That was an easy one.  Everybody knows we’re supposed to believe in Jesus.”  Yes! But seek God to support it; don’t rely any longer on what man supposes to be true.  Look to God’s Word and know for certain that it is True.  And don’t take the simple ones for granted.  Test them as well, your faith will only be strengthened if you are doing so to know God better.  Praise God!  Salvation is given by God through belief in Jesus.