Believing God

[H. Richard]

There is no salvation without believing God. When Adam and Eve were in the garden, their sin was not believing God when He said not to eat of the tree. Satan told them that it was to their benefit to eat of the tree. Who did they believe, God or Satan?

When the Jews got to the gateway city of the promised land EX. 23:20-28, God told them to go into the city and He would drive the people there out with Hornets. Did they believe God and go in? No they sent in spies to check it out and they said they could not go in. Who did they believe, man or God? God made them wander in the wilderness for 40 years.

Jesus came into Israel with signs and wonders showing He was sent from God. Did the nation of Israel believe Him or did they believe the men of religion? Those of religion killed Him.

Jesus gave Paul a hidden message of salvation by what He (GOD) accomplished on the cross. His work paid for the sins of all mankind and that it is a gift to mankind. But is seems that those who claim to be Christians don’t really believe salvation can be free. They believe it has to be by their works. In other words they don’t really believe that a person can be saved by faith in what God has accomplished on the cross but a person has to stop sinning by their efforts to not sin in the flesh. They claim that they have been given the power to stop sin in the flesh but they do not say much, if any thing, about the work God accomplished on the cross to save them.

But what about believing in what God did on the cross? Do they believe the message that Jesus gave Paul about a hidden gospel that saves the ungodly or do they believe the message of sinless perfection in the flesh?

I am completely convinced that Satan wants to make people believe in their own works and religions for salvation rather than place their belief, faith, trust, and confidence in the work of God (Jesus) on the cross. If I am to boast it will be boasting about the work of Jesus on the cross for mankind.

 

[justbyfaith]

We most certainly become born again by believing in the Cross.

I would say that we live our lives as Christians, once we are born, by taking up our own crosses and following Jesus.

It should be clear from the following scripture that living by the flesh will produce spiritual death in us:

Rom 8:12, Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
Rom 8:13, For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Rom 8:14, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

That being said, there is an often-missed truth that the way that we live by the Spirit is to stay focused on the finished work of Christ, to be thankful for that work, to love Him as the result, and then to live the way that we really want to live.

Because if we truly are focused on the finished work of the Cross and are truly thankful for it, I believe that we will desire to live holy.

God has given us a free gift of forgiveness; and I think that to take that for granted is to do despite to the Spirit of grace. Therefore will there be any more sacrifice for sins, to the one who sins willfully after coming to the knowledge of the truth?

There is an answer for this question in the holy scripture.