FAITH IN CHRIST -- MORE THAN A DECISION

"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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” -- Romans 10:9-10

Only eternity will reveal the extent of the evil influence of Arminian, free will religion and revivalism. It has so thoroughly permeated the religious thinking of men and women in our day that even after one is born again it clings to him like a spider’s web. It seems impossible for people to be completely purged of the thinking and influence of free-will, works religion. Nowhere is this sad fact more evident than in the statements people make about faith.

How many times have you heard men and women who know the gospel (At least, they profess to know it, and I hope they do.) say, with regard to a relative or friend, who obviously has no interest in Christ, his gospel, or his church, - “I know he is saved. I remember when he got saved. He has just gotten away from the Lord”? Such language reveals grave, grave error. It dishonors Christ. It is contrary to the Scriptures. And it gives men and women a false refuge.

Not Just A Decision

Faith in Christ is much, much more than a decision to get saved. Who would not want to “get saved,” if he believed in either heaven or hell? For that matter, who have you ever met or known, who did not at some time decide to trust Jesus and “get saved”? If a decision to trust Jesus and get saved is all there is to faith, then our prisons, insane asylums, and streets are full of saved people.

Heart Work

Faith is a heart work. It is the persuasion and confidence of the heart that Jesus Christ, by his obedience to God as the sinner’s Substitute, is able to save. It is the confidence of righteousness before God being obtained by Christ. And this heart confidence in Christ is revealed by a willing submission to, confidence in, and acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as Lord. Faith bows to Christ’s dominion. If Jesus Christ is not my Lord, he is not my Savior. If I do not bow to his dominion, I do not trust his obedience.

Let us never try to persuade ourselves that lost relatives and friends are saved because they made a decision to “get saved”. Never seek to convince a lost person that he is saved, because he once made a decision for Christ. Only a lost person will try to convince another lost person that he is saved. And let us never try to convince ourselves that we are saved because we once decided to trust Jesus. Faith in Christ is submission to Christ the Lord. Is Christ your Lord? Is he my Lord? If he is not, we are not yet saved.

Grace Baptist Church of Danville - Grace For Today Radio Message #816

2734 Old Stanford Road - Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438

Donald S. Fortner, Pastor -Telephone 606-236-8235 - Email grace@mis.net