JESUS SAID, "REPENT, YE, AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL"

Part Three

• Part One: Review
  
  How does a person come to be a Christian? What does God require of a person for salvation?
  
  Scripture says clearly: "Ye must be born again."That is a clear gospel statement. Also scripture clearly points out: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." But I fear that some have preached this so boldly and so plainly, yet so badly and so out of all connection with the truth.
• So much has this doctrine been taught out of connection with the whole truth, that they have lead many people into presumptuous confidences that their understanding of the regeneration is that of themselves and not of Christ alone.

Part Two review:

• THE QUESTION IS: WHAT KIND OF FAITH IS REQUIRED? WHAT KIND OF BELIEVING IS NECESSARY FOR ONE TO BE TRULY BORN AGAIN?
  
  In Scripture, is the Bible clear with the message of how a person truly comes to be a BORN AGAIN person in Christ, and clearly shows what will be the result of one who does put their belief and faith in Christ as Saviour?

Now Part Three

JESUS SAID, "REPENT, YE, AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL"

The command of Christ for everyone to believe and be saved is true. God’s command is for every man, no matter how bad man has become. Every man is to repent, they are bound to repent, whether their sinfulness renders it impossible for them to be willing to do so or not.

And it is man’s duty in every case to do what God bids him to do. Whether he can do it or not.

Man has been rendered so depraved that he will not believe the truth about Christ, he will not receive the truth about Christ as it is written in the Scripture.

Man might have a human faith that will give him a sense that be believes, but it will not cause him to really believe the truth about Christ as it is written in Scripture.

This faith that God commands of very man, when it does exists in man, without exception, is the gift of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. Spurgeon

"Never yet did a man believe in Jesus with the faith here intended, except the Holy Spirit led him to do so."

The faith that Jesus commands of man is not a faith that springs up in man on his own, but a faith that is the work of the Holy Spirit that led a man to have this kind of faith. Faith is "a gift of God."

Faith is too glorious a grace to spring up in human nature of man till it is renewed: faith is in every believer "the gift of God." Faith is the duty of man, and at the same time it’s "the gift of God. Both are true.

FAITH IS THE DUTY OF EVERY MAN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT A GIFT OF GOD? Right, both our true. That is the tension for mankind to think about.

Men are persuaded by the Holy Spirit of sin - "of sin," says Christ, "because they believe not on me;" here is one of the truths; but the selfsame hearts are taught by the same Spirit that faith is of the operation of God (Col 2:2).

This faith, this belief that Jesus talks about is, rests upon a person - - Jesus . "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God." It’s not a belief about a doctrine, nor an opinion, nor a formula, but belief concerning a person. Translated the words, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ"

"Whosoever believeth that the Saviour is the Anointed is born of God."

This does not mean whosoever professes to believe that he is so. We know there are those whose lives certainly show that they have not been regenerated, but whosoever believes it to be a fact, as truly and in very deed to receive Jesus as God has set him forth and anointed Him, is a regenerate man.

John 5:1 ¶ Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God: and whosoever loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. KJV
5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. ESV

To those whosoever believes
What is meant by "Jesus is the Christ" or Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed.?" Let me ask, is Christ our Prophet, Priest, and King?

• Do I today believe that Jesus is the great Prophet anointed of God to reveal to me the way of Salvation?
• Do I accept Jesus as my teacher and admit that he has the Word of eternal life? If I so believe His gospel, I possess eternal life.
• Do I firmly believe that Jesus was ordained to offer His one sacrifice for the sins of mankind, by the offering of which sacrifice once for all He has finished the atonement and made complete redemption?
• Do I accept His atonement as an atonement for me, and receive His death as a redemption upon which I rest my hope for forgiveness of all my transgressions?
• Do I in fact believe Jesus to be the one sole, only propitiating Priest, and accept Him to act as priest for me?
• If I have thus believed by faith these things and have believed that Jesus is the Christ, I am born of God
• Is Christ King in our life:
• I s Jesus, who is now exalted in heaven, who once bled on the cross, is he King to me?
  Is His law my law?
• Do I desire to submit myself entirely to His government? Lordship? ]
• Do I hate what He hates, and love what He loves?
• Do I live to praise him?
• Do I, as a loyal subject, desire to see his kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven?
  
  
  End of Part Three March 14, 2007 Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant, proof checked by Charity