What Is A Believer?
Acts. 5:14.
A. Each term in the New Testament which designates the people
of Jesus Christ is heavily
weighted with meaning and significance. Nowhere is this more true
than with the term
believers. The essential quality that identifies the disciples
of Jesus as such is their authentic
belief. Faith is the defining characteristic
of the Christian. Acts 5:14, And
believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both
men and women.
Faith is important in the New Testament. Rom. 1:16-17, illustrates
the importance of faith in the gospel plan. That states three
truths: The gospel saves those who believe. Gods righteousness
is revealed from faith to faith. The just shall live
by faith.
a. The righteousness God, that saves man, is the righteousness
of faith, Rom. 10:6.
Obedience to the gospel constitutes the obedience to the
faith, Rom. 1:5; 16:26. The
gospel itself is called the faith Jude 3. It is hardly
coincidental, then, that we find
Christians in the New Testament referred to simply as the
believers 1 Tim. 4:12. And at the most fundamental level,
that is what they are.
(A) Faith is not Faith Only. To say that we are saved
by (through) faith as stated in Eph. 2:8 does not mean that
reconciliation to God is enjoyed on the basis of faith only.
We often hear that salvation is at the point when one mentally
accepts Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. Its
true, We cannot earn our salvation. But, that does not remove
the fact that there are conditions to be met before the forgiveness
of sins can be a reality Jesus, and later His apostles,
spelled these out clearly:
Repentance: Lk. 13:3, Jesus said, ...unless you repent
you will all likewise perish. Acts 2:38, Peter commanded,
Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission o f sins; and you shall receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Confession: Matt. 10:32-33 Jesus tells us, Whoever confesses
Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is
in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny
before My Father who is in heaven. And Paul teaches all
Christians That if you confess with your mouth the Lord
Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the
dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness,
and with the mouth
confession is made to salvation Rom. 10:9-10.
Baptism: In Mk. 16:16, Our Lord said, He who believes and
is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be
condemned. And Peter restates that imperative and its
recorded for all generations to hear, Repent, and let every
one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,
Acts 2:38. These conditions are essential. But, they Must be motivated
by and fulfilled in faith to bring one to salvation.
Saving faith involves the obedience of faith. The important
expression obedience of (to the) states, indicates, reveals
the close connection between believing and obeying, Rom. 1:5;
6:26. The Bible says that one who says he has faith
but refused to follow Gods instructions cannot expect Gods
favor. That fact becomes obvious with a reading of Jas. 2:14-26.
And it is equally obvious that when one does obey Gods instructions
it must spring from, be motivated by, genuine faith. Just as faith
without obedience is dead, even so, obedience with out faith is
equally dead.
Heb. 11:6, states that, ...without faith it is impossible
to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is,
and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
If obedience is not motivated by genuine faith you might as well
live in open rebellion to God, for all the good your faithless
obedience will do. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination
to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight,
so states Prov. 15:8.
To render to God the obedience of faith means that
one responds dutifully whenever God says do something and
that response must be sincerely motivated by faith.
2. The key elements in faith is trust that motivates commitment
and dependability. We begin by hearing the reasonable evidence
for Gods existence and truthfulness that historical witnesses
give to God by their experiences with Him.
(1) That comes by reading the historical evidence of the written
Word. This leads us to accept, as truth, everything God says,
trusting the accuracy of His words this is called credence.
Credence is accepting the reality of God.
(1) As we prove God in our own lives by walking in His will. This
credence turns into a confidence in the character of God Himself.
From this we learn to trust God to be dependable in every circumstance
of life.
(2) This then turns into a constancy on our part. As we learn
to walk with God our faith grows and be become more and more faithful.
As faith grows so does our faithfulness and commitment. From that
God is able to depend on the trustworthiness of our
allegiance to Him.
(2) The Christian, therefore, is first and foremost a believer
because faith has become the primary principle that operates in
his life. Again Heb. 11:6, says, With faith and only with
faith is it possible to please God: But without faith
it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe
that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently
seek Him. That does not mean Youre save by faith
only as some think. Without faith you will not believe God,
you will not come to God, you will not obey God and therefore
you will not be saved. Faith will make you a Christian and faith
will keep you a Christian. And faith is the only thing that will
do that.
(1) To be a Christian, then, is to be a person who can truthfully
say, The life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith
in the Son of God. Gal. 2:20. Bible example of faith is
found in the story of the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:30?34.
The jailer and his entire household found salvation by asking
how to be saved and were taught the gospel and were baptized.
Vs. 34, says, ...they rejoiced having believed in God...
Belief, Faith in God is equated with obedient faith in God.
(2) Is your faith in God just mental, intellectual acknowledgment.
Or is your faith genuine. Genuine faith that brings salvation,
is Obedient Faith?
(3) Acts 20:32.
Spur - 07/21/2002 pm
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