The Salvation of Jesus - Believing

 THE SALVATION OF JESUS: BELIEVING Daniel Lange December 3, 2017 Four Gospel Accounts Witness to Necessity of Believing The salvation of Jesus is offered to those who believe. All four gospel accounts of give testimony to Jesus emphasizing the necessity of believing in order to be saved. Matthew’s account records Jesus commending a centurion soldier because of His “great faith.” Mat. 8:10 Mark’s account witnesses to the words of Jesus proceeding His resurrection, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved. He who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16 In Luke’s account, Jesus told the woman who anointed His feet with fragrant oil, washing His feet with her tears, and wiping them with the hair of her head, “Your faith has saved you.” Luke 7:50 Finally, John’s account gives us the greatest abundance of testimony to Jesus’ emphasis upon the necessity of faith leading to salvation. “Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:15 Again, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 John’s Emphasis Upon Belief John’s account gives us so much testimony of Jesus’ emphasis upon “believing” that a word count reveals the use of the word “believe” over 100 times. The book of Acts is second only to John’s, making reference to belief just little over forty times. That mean John’s account makes reference to belief more than double, and in most instances more than triple or even quadruple times than that of any other book in the New Testament. Only three chapters out of all twenty-one chapters of John fail to make mention of the word belief. John even expressly states that the purpose of his writing is so that “you may believe.” John 20:30-31 What is it that we must believe? The most natural question that would lead any reasonably minded person is, “What exactly is it that Jesus expects me to believe?” Again, we need only remember what John’s purpose statement said in John 20:30-31, “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God…” But who is the Christ, the Son of God, you ask? Simple, just turn back to John chapter one, beginning in verse one. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” Okay, now skip down to verse fourteen, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” That my friends is the Christ, the Son of God. He who was in the beginning, who was with God, and who was God, whom through all things were made, and who then, taking upon Himself the very cloth of the thing that was created through Him, became flesh, and dwelt among us. That is what Jesus and His apostle hope and expect you to believe in order for you to be saved. That is why Jesus Himself says to those who disbelieve in John 8:23-24, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” Why Should I Believe That? Now, someone will ask, “But why should I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? Simple, John chapters one through twenty-one, miracles, signs, and wonders. “And truly,” as John restates once more in His purpose statement, “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book.” John 20:30 That is why you should believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God. Let me ask you something, have you ever heard the testimony of hundreds and hundreds of people, whether of those who are living today, or those who wrote down their testimony thousands of years ago, testifying of a man turning water to wine? Or of a man who could tell you all the details of your life though never having met you, saw you, or heard of you before? Or how about a man who could just speak a word and heal someone who was far away, someone to the point of death and about to die? Or how about a man who could again just speak a word to someone who had some disease nearly forty years of his life and suddenly in one instant be made whole and be made well again? Or how about a man who could feed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two small fish? Or how about a man who could anoint the eyes of a man born blind with a little dirt and saliva and restore his sight? Or how about a man who could raise someone from the dead who had been in the tomb for four days, already mummified, and funeral service concluded? Have you ever heard of a man doing not just one, but all of those things, and not just one testimony, but several hundreds of testimonies by those who both wrote and were there to witness and confirm the things that were wrote about Him? Do you know of another man like that? And who not only did all of those things, but many, many more? This is why you should believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, He who was in the beginning with God, and was God. Conclusion Many other things we have to say about this Jesus, who is the Christ, who is the Son of the Living God, whom through all things were made. Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, the works that I do, He will do also.” John 14:12 Those who believe in Jesus will follow His lead, will follow His command. Jesus says, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” Mark 16:16 Jesus was baptized. That was a work He did. That then is a work you must do also. “He who believes in Me, the works that I do, He will do also.” Jesus says baptism is a work that will save you. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” Salvation then is not by belief only, but by belief and works, faith and works combined together. So says Jesus, and let every man who says otherwise be found as a liar.