Faith Is All You Need
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What if someone were to ask you the following question:
“Are you saved?”
How would you answer that? There are many different responses, besides “I don’t believe in God.” The responses we will be focusing on here are those from people who do in fact believe in God.
“I was baptized.”
“I’ve been in church my whole life.”
“I’m doing the best I can.”
These are not real answers. There is no confidence in these responses, or those like them. That’s a real shame, because being saved is nothing you want to be unsure about. How would you like to live your whole life not knowing where you are going to go when you die? Will it be Heaven? Will it be Hell? This choice isn’t like picking out curtains, where you are having trouble selecting between the brown curtains or the orange curtains. We’re talking about Heaven and Hell here. A place of everlasting paradise, or a place of eternal, burning torment. You won’t be taking a vacation to Hell if you go there. If you go there, it’s a one way ticket. And once you arrive there, it is too late to change your mind and get on that other bus.
So what will it be? Heaven or Hell? I doubt that most people find the idea of burning in fire for all eternity a desirable thing. And if we only have two choices on where we will go, we had better be sure to pick the good one. You better make that reservation. You better be sure that your name is on that VIP list.
Now here is where people get lost. How does a person become saved? Remember, getting saved is like having a seat reserved for you on that bus that takes you to the good place. But how do you make that reservation? Surely it must require some real effort on your part. Why would God grant salvation to just anyone? There must be some kind of work, or challenge, or test that you must pass.
There is one time, and one time only, where the question of how to be saved was recorded in the Bible. The question was asked by the jailer who was guarding the prison which held the apostle Paul and his partner Silas. There was an earthquake and all of the cell doors were opened. The jailer had seen the power of God, and he was terrified. He had a very important question for Paul and Silas.
Acts 16:30: “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Are you ready for the answer? Remember, this is the big moment, the one time in Scripture where the question of how to be saved was asked. What is the official answer given?
Acts 16:31: “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
Hold it right there. That’s it…? Where is the work? Where is the challenge? Where is the test? There must be more to it. Perhaps we should go straight to the source and see what Jesus Christ Himself said.
John 6:47: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
That’s interesting. Jesus Christ taught the exact same doctrine that Paul and Silas taught. Believing on Jesus Christ is the same thing as having faith in Him. The Bible talks a lot about faith.
Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Faith involves things you hope for, the things you cannot see. Whether you are believing in something that happened that you did not see, or you are believing in something that will one day occur, it requires faith.
Hebrews 11:6: “But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Three important lessons are taught in the preceding verse. You can’t please God without faith, you must truly believe in God if you want to go to Him, and you must believe that God will reward those who seek Him. Let’s take a look at a few more verses that illustrate how important faith is to God.
Galatians 3:8: “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.”
Romans 3:22: “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:”
1st Peter 1:5: “Who (believers) are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
That was just a sample of what the Bible says about faith, but it is enough to see that faith is crucial. God requires faith from anyone who wants to be saved. But faith in what? What should a person have faith in, or belief in, or trust in? Their good works? Their baptism? Their confessions? Their church attendance? Take a look in Acts chapter 8 for a small story about a man who became saved.
Acts 8:26-39: “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.”
An angel directed Philip to go to a place where he would meet a man who was reading Scripture. The man did not understand what he was reading, and so Philip explained that the Scripture was teaching about Jesus Christ. The man soon saw a body of water. He knew that people who were saved had been getting baptized to symbolize their newfound salvation. The man wanted this same thing for himself, so he asked what was preventing him from being baptized. Philip answered with the following: “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.” It was time for the man to believe, or put his faith, in the proper thing. Here is what the man said next: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” And then what happened? Philip took the man down to the water and baptized him, which symbolized that the man had been saved. The key to all of this is to fully understand what the man put his faith in. He put his faith in Jesus Christ, and because of that, he was saved. We never meet up with this man again in Scripture. The last thing we know about him is that he “went on his way rejoicing.” Did he turn from his sins after that day? Did he begin attending church? Did he get a haircut and start tucking his shirt in? We don’t know what became of the man, but none of that matters to us, because what we do know is that the man was saved. This occurred because the man had put his faith in the correct place. Do you see how important faith is?
2nd Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
The apostle Paul warns that those claiming to be saved must examine themselves to see if they truly have faith. Are you just professing to have faith, or is the faith real? Do you have faith that God will save you if you live the right kind of life? Or do you have faith that God will save you because you believed on His Son, Jesus Christ?
Ephesians 2:8-9: “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.”
Salvation is made possible through faith in Jesus Christ. Having faith in your own works or good lifestyle is simply an issue of pride, and pride leads to boasting. God does not like pride (Proverbs 8:13). God made salvation a gift in order to eliminate the chance for people to have pride. If you cannot earn your salvation, you can not be prideful of having it, because you did nothing to earn it. Salvation comes from faith in what God has done, not in what you can do.
Look at the following verse again:
2nd Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
Perhaps you were saved, but have since felt your faith diminish. How can you have any victory in this life? Faith is very important. For the unbeliever, faith will lead to salvation. But what about the person who is already saved? It is a done deal. They have been sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), bought with the blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28, 1st Corinthians 6:20), adopted into God’s family (Galatians 3:26), and given a free gift (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 5:15-18). What is the next step? Let’s find out from Scripture.
Jude 20: “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,”
1st Thessalonians 3:10: “Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?”
Colossians 2:5: “For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.”
1st Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
A believer on Jesus Christ should work to keep themselves in the faith. The Bible calls this being “stedfast.” Why is it important to have an unshakable faith?
Ephesians 4:13-14: “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;”
2nd Peter 3:15-17: “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.”
There are people out there who desire to ruin the faith of those who have believed on Jesus Christ. They do so by creating false doctrines which lead believers away from their own steadfastness. For instance, anyone who teaches that you must turn from sin and live a good life to be saved is taking your faith out of Jesus Christ and forcing you to put your faith in yourself. Then, at any given time, your answer to whether or not you are saved will depend on your own actions. Folks, you don’t want to place your faith in your own actions.
Philippians 3:3: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh (human nature).”
It’s not what we do. It’s what God did through Jesus Christ. Put your faith where it belongs and leave it there.
Romans 5:1-2: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
I don’t trust religious people. Religious people think their religion will save them. Religious people try to complicate salvation by adding unnecessary steps and making salvation a process. This has been going on ever since Jesus returned to Heaven and the Gospel was put into full effect.
Acts 15:1: “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.”
Acts 15:5: “But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them (Gentiles, non Jews), and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
The apostles and elders met to discuss this issue, and here was the conclusion:
Acts 15:7-11: “And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles (non Jews) by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.”
The same basic thing occurred in the book of Galatians.
Galatians 2:4: “And that because of false brethren (fake Christians) unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage (to the law of Moses):”
Galatians 3:2: “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”
Paul had much to say about faith to these confused Galatians. Here are two very clear verses he wrote to them in order to correct them:
Galatians 2:16: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
Galatians 3:11: “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”
Because of religious people and their systems of bondage, whether they require works, tithes, church attendance, etc., it is important for a believer on Jesus Christ to be strong in the faith so that they will not be fooled into accepting the traditions of men over the promises of God.
2nd Corinthians 2:5: “That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
The “power of God” is the Gospel.
Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Here is Paul’s definition of the Gospel:
1st Corinthians 15:1-4: “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:”
Notice again what Paul said concerning the Gospel:
“By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.”
This brings to mind a verse we looked at earlier:
2nd Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
True faith in Jesus Christ results in salvation. Some people have believed in vain. They have believed that Jesus will save them if they live a worthy life, or if they obey the law of Moses, or if they obey the commandments of their religious leaders. These people don’t truly believe on Jesus, because they haven’t placed their faith fully on Jesus. They don’t believe that Jesus is able to do what He says He can.
1st John 5:4-5: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
Why do we need to overcome this world?
2nd Corinthians 4:4: “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
The “god of this world” is Satan, and he has made it his mission to prevent people from believing on Jesus Christ. Satan uses all of the tools in his arsenal to accomplish this. The lies of science. The distractions of Hollywood. The pride of humanity. The religions of the world. Whatever it takes, Satan throws it all into the face of each and every person he can in order to keep them from believing on the truth, which is Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Satan doesn’t care if you have faith. Satan only desires that your faith not be in Jesus Christ. You can have faith that there is no God. You can have faith that works will save you. You can have faith that religion will save you. These are traps, and they keep you from believing on Jesus Christ. Did you know that every person in the world has faith?
Romans 12:3: “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
Everyone has faith. If someone says they do not have faith because they don’t believe in God, then they have demonstrated that they do indeed have faith. No one can prove there is no God, which means it takes faith to believe that He doesn’t exist. Evolution is an absurd theory. Yes, I said theory, because it cannot now, nor will it ever, be proved. Believing in evolution is quite similar to believing in God. You are placing your faith into something you cannot see. Evolution is another one of Satan’s tricks, spread by proud men who don’t like the idea of God and would rather cling to an obvious lie. These men, who call themselves “scientists,” have great faith, because it takes much faith to believe in the ridiculous theory of evolution. We all have faith. It’s where we put our faith that makes the difference between Heaven and Hell.
Let’s take a look at more Scripture dealing with the subject of faith.
Romans 9:31-32: “But Israel (the Jewish nation), which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;”
This is where the Jews failed. They sought to attain righteousness by doing the works of the law, instead of getting it by faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 4:5: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
2nd Thessalonians 2:13: “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:”
1st Timothy 1:16: “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”
In the following verse, Paul demonstrates his own faith:
2nd Timothy 1:12: “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
What has been committed? What day is Paul referring to?
Ephesians 4:30: “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
The Holy Spirit seals certain people until the day of redemption (deliverance). How does the Holy Spirit seal a person?
Ephesians 1:13: “In whom (Jesus Christ) ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”
You don’t get saved by religion or works. You get saved by faith in Jesus Christ.
1st Peter 1:8-9: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom (Jesus Christ), though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”
Hebrews 10:38-39: “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”
The preceding passage speaks of those who are made aware of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but who stop short of believing it. If you draw back, or turn away from believing on Jesus, then you have turned towards perdition, or damnation. Once you believe on Jesus, your soul is secure.
So what if someone were to ask you the following question:
“Are you saved?”
If you answer no, then simply put your faith in Jesus. If you answer yes, check to make sure that your faith is in Jesus alone.
1st Corinthians 15:14: “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”
1st Corinthians 15:17: “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”
If Jesus Christ never rose from the dead, then all of this talk of faith is of no use. Good news! Jesus Christ did indeed rise from the dead.
Romans 4:25: “Who (Jesus) was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”
1st Thessalonians 1:10: “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he (God) raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”
Jesus Christ was raised from the dead in order to justify and deliver those who believe on Him. What do you get from placing your faith in Jesus Christ?
Romans 3:21-28: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
Faith in Jesus will get you the righteousness of God, the remission of sins, and justification. In a word: Salvation.
Romans 10:9: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
In closing: If you’re not saved, understand that faith in Jesus Christ will save your soul. If you are saved, make your faith steadfast so that you will not become prone to false doctrines.
Philippians 3:8-9: “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
“Are you saved?”
How would you answer that? There are many different responses, besides “I don’t believe in God.” The responses we will be focusing on here are those from people who do in fact believe in God.
“I was baptized.”
“I’ve been in church my whole life.”
“I’m doing the best I can.”
These are not real answers. There is no confidence in these responses, or those like them. That’s a real shame, because being saved is nothing you want to be unsure about. How would you like to live your whole life not knowing where you are going to go when you die? Will it be Heaven? Will it be Hell? This choice isn’t like picking out curtains, where you are having trouble selecting between the brown curtains or the orange curtains. We’re talking about Heaven and Hell here. A place of everlasting paradise, or a place of eternal, burning torment. You won’t be taking a vacation to Hell if you go there. If you go there, it’s a one way ticket. And once you arrive there, it is too late to change your mind and get on that other bus.
So what will it be? Heaven or Hell? I doubt that most people find the idea of burning in fire for all eternity a desirable thing. And if we only have two choices on where we will go, we had better be sure to pick the good one. You better make that reservation. You better be sure that your name is on that VIP list.
Now here is where people get lost. How does a person become saved? Remember, getting saved is like having a seat reserved for you on that bus that takes you to the good place. But how do you make that reservation? Surely it must require some real effort on your part. Why would God grant salvation to just anyone? There must be some kind of work, or challenge, or test that you must pass.
There is one time, and one time only, where the question of how to be saved was recorded in the Bible. The question was asked by the jailer who was guarding the prison which held the apostle Paul and his partner Silas. There was an earthquake and all of the cell doors were opened. The jailer had seen the power of God, and he was terrified. He had a very important question for Paul and Silas.
Acts 16:30: “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Are you ready for the answer? Remember, this is the big moment, the one time in Scripture where the question of how to be saved was asked. What is the official answer given?
Acts 16:31: “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
Hold it right there. That’s it…? Where is the work? Where is the challenge? Where is the test? There must be more to it. Perhaps we should go straight to the source and see what Jesus Christ Himself said.
John 6:47: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
That’s interesting. Jesus Christ taught the exact same doctrine that Paul and Silas taught. Believing on Jesus Christ is the same thing as having faith in Him. The Bible talks a lot about faith.
Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Faith involves things you hope for, the things you cannot see. Whether you are believing in something that happened that you did not see, or you are believing in something that will one day occur, it requires faith.
Hebrews 11:6: “But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Three important lessons are taught in the preceding verse. You can’t please God without faith, you must truly believe in God if you want to go to Him, and you must believe that God will reward those who seek Him. Let’s take a look at a few more verses that illustrate how important faith is to God.
Galatians 3:8: “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.”
Romans 3:22: “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:”
1st Peter 1:5: “Who (believers) are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
That was just a sample of what the Bible says about faith, but it is enough to see that faith is crucial. God requires faith from anyone who wants to be saved. But faith in what? What should a person have faith in, or belief in, or trust in? Their good works? Their baptism? Their confessions? Their church attendance? Take a look in Acts chapter 8 for a small story about a man who became saved.
Acts 8:26-39: “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.”
An angel directed Philip to go to a place where he would meet a man who was reading Scripture. The man did not understand what he was reading, and so Philip explained that the Scripture was teaching about Jesus Christ. The man soon saw a body of water. He knew that people who were saved had been getting baptized to symbolize their newfound salvation. The man wanted this same thing for himself, so he asked what was preventing him from being baptized. Philip answered with the following: “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.” It was time for the man to believe, or put his faith, in the proper thing. Here is what the man said next: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” And then what happened? Philip took the man down to the water and baptized him, which symbolized that the man had been saved. The key to all of this is to fully understand what the man put his faith in. He put his faith in Jesus Christ, and because of that, he was saved. We never meet up with this man again in Scripture. The last thing we know about him is that he “went on his way rejoicing.” Did he turn from his sins after that day? Did he begin attending church? Did he get a haircut and start tucking his shirt in? We don’t know what became of the man, but none of that matters to us, because what we do know is that the man was saved. This occurred because the man had put his faith in the correct place. Do you see how important faith is?
2nd Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
The apostle Paul warns that those claiming to be saved must examine themselves to see if they truly have faith. Are you just professing to have faith, or is the faith real? Do you have faith that God will save you if you live the right kind of life? Or do you have faith that God will save you because you believed on His Son, Jesus Christ?
Ephesians 2:8-9: “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.”
Salvation is made possible through faith in Jesus Christ. Having faith in your own works or good lifestyle is simply an issue of pride, and pride leads to boasting. God does not like pride (Proverbs 8:13). God made salvation a gift in order to eliminate the chance for people to have pride. If you cannot earn your salvation, you can not be prideful of having it, because you did nothing to earn it. Salvation comes from faith in what God has done, not in what you can do.
Look at the following verse again:
2nd Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
Perhaps you were saved, but have since felt your faith diminish. How can you have any victory in this life? Faith is very important. For the unbeliever, faith will lead to salvation. But what about the person who is already saved? It is a done deal. They have been sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), bought with the blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28, 1st Corinthians 6:20), adopted into God’s family (Galatians 3:26), and given a free gift (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 5:15-18). What is the next step? Let’s find out from Scripture.
Jude 20: “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,”
1st Thessalonians 3:10: “Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?”
Colossians 2:5: “For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.”
1st Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
A believer on Jesus Christ should work to keep themselves in the faith. The Bible calls this being “stedfast.” Why is it important to have an unshakable faith?
Ephesians 4:13-14: “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;”
2nd Peter 3:15-17: “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.”
There are people out there who desire to ruin the faith of those who have believed on Jesus Christ. They do so by creating false doctrines which lead believers away from their own steadfastness. For instance, anyone who teaches that you must turn from sin and live a good life to be saved is taking your faith out of Jesus Christ and forcing you to put your faith in yourself. Then, at any given time, your answer to whether or not you are saved will depend on your own actions. Folks, you don’t want to place your faith in your own actions.
Philippians 3:3: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh (human nature).”
It’s not what we do. It’s what God did through Jesus Christ. Put your faith where it belongs and leave it there.
Romans 5:1-2: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
I don’t trust religious people. Religious people think their religion will save them. Religious people try to complicate salvation by adding unnecessary steps and making salvation a process. This has been going on ever since Jesus returned to Heaven and the Gospel was put into full effect.
Acts 15:1: “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.”
Acts 15:5: “But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them (Gentiles, non Jews), and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
The apostles and elders met to discuss this issue, and here was the conclusion:
Acts 15:7-11: “And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles (non Jews) by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.”
The same basic thing occurred in the book of Galatians.
Galatians 2:4: “And that because of false brethren (fake Christians) unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage (to the law of Moses):”
Galatians 3:2: “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”
Paul had much to say about faith to these confused Galatians. Here are two very clear verses he wrote to them in order to correct them:
Galatians 2:16: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
Galatians 3:11: “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”
Because of religious people and their systems of bondage, whether they require works, tithes, church attendance, etc., it is important for a believer on Jesus Christ to be strong in the faith so that they will not be fooled into accepting the traditions of men over the promises of God.
2nd Corinthians 2:5: “That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
The “power of God” is the Gospel.
Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Here is Paul’s definition of the Gospel:
1st Corinthians 15:1-4: “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:”
Notice again what Paul said concerning the Gospel:
“By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.”
This brings to mind a verse we looked at earlier:
2nd Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
True faith in Jesus Christ results in salvation. Some people have believed in vain. They have believed that Jesus will save them if they live a worthy life, or if they obey the law of Moses, or if they obey the commandments of their religious leaders. These people don’t truly believe on Jesus, because they haven’t placed their faith fully on Jesus. They don’t believe that Jesus is able to do what He says He can.
1st John 5:4-5: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
Why do we need to overcome this world?
2nd Corinthians 4:4: “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
The “god of this world” is Satan, and he has made it his mission to prevent people from believing on Jesus Christ. Satan uses all of the tools in his arsenal to accomplish this. The lies of science. The distractions of Hollywood. The pride of humanity. The religions of the world. Whatever it takes, Satan throws it all into the face of each and every person he can in order to keep them from believing on the truth, which is Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Satan doesn’t care if you have faith. Satan only desires that your faith not be in Jesus Christ. You can have faith that there is no God. You can have faith that works will save you. You can have faith that religion will save you. These are traps, and they keep you from believing on Jesus Christ. Did you know that every person in the world has faith?
Romans 12:3: “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
Everyone has faith. If someone says they do not have faith because they don’t believe in God, then they have demonstrated that they do indeed have faith. No one can prove there is no God, which means it takes faith to believe that He doesn’t exist. Evolution is an absurd theory. Yes, I said theory, because it cannot now, nor will it ever, be proved. Believing in evolution is quite similar to believing in God. You are placing your faith into something you cannot see. Evolution is another one of Satan’s tricks, spread by proud men who don’t like the idea of God and would rather cling to an obvious lie. These men, who call themselves “scientists,” have great faith, because it takes much faith to believe in the ridiculous theory of evolution. We all have faith. It’s where we put our faith that makes the difference between Heaven and Hell.
Let’s take a look at more Scripture dealing with the subject of faith.
Romans 9:31-32: “But Israel (the Jewish nation), which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;”
This is where the Jews failed. They sought to attain righteousness by doing the works of the law, instead of getting it by faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 4:5: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
2nd Thessalonians 2:13: “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:”
1st Timothy 1:16: “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”
In the following verse, Paul demonstrates his own faith:
2nd Timothy 1:12: “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
What has been committed? What day is Paul referring to?
Ephesians 4:30: “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
The Holy Spirit seals certain people until the day of redemption (deliverance). How does the Holy Spirit seal a person?
Ephesians 1:13: “In whom (Jesus Christ) ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”
You don’t get saved by religion or works. You get saved by faith in Jesus Christ.
1st Peter 1:8-9: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom (Jesus Christ), though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”
Hebrews 10:38-39: “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”
The preceding passage speaks of those who are made aware of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but who stop short of believing it. If you draw back, or turn away from believing on Jesus, then you have turned towards perdition, or damnation. Once you believe on Jesus, your soul is secure.
So what if someone were to ask you the following question:
“Are you saved?”
If you answer no, then simply put your faith in Jesus. If you answer yes, check to make sure that your faith is in Jesus alone.
1st Corinthians 15:14: “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”
1st Corinthians 15:17: “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”
If Jesus Christ never rose from the dead, then all of this talk of faith is of no use. Good news! Jesus Christ did indeed rise from the dead.
Romans 4:25: “Who (Jesus) was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”
1st Thessalonians 1:10: “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he (God) raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”
Jesus Christ was raised from the dead in order to justify and deliver those who believe on Him. What do you get from placing your faith in Jesus Christ?
Romans 3:21-28: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
Faith in Jesus will get you the righteousness of God, the remission of sins, and justification. In a word: Salvation.
Romans 10:9: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
In closing: If you’re not saved, understand that faith in Jesus Christ will save your soul. If you are saved, make your faith steadfast so that you will not become prone to false doctrines.
Philippians 3:8-9: “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”