Saving Faith = Changed Life
This morning in my quiet time I was studying Romans 3: 21 - 31. I emphasize the word STUDY as opposed to READING. Yesterday in church the speaker said there is a difference in reading and studying. He shared the full illustration, but we STUDY for the tests that lie ahead. THEREFORE, we need to STUDY God's Word every day. Indeed we face trails and test each day.
This section of Romans declares how we are made righteous in and through Christ Jesus as believers. It is personal, individual faith in Christ Jesus that saves. Romans is a difficult book to "read," and a much more difficult book to "study" and understand. Our church is doing the study on Wednesday nights and I think it will take a great deal of time to genuinely plow through all that we need to labor through ti understand it more fully.
As I studies this morning, I wrote this note in my journal, "Belief does not equal faith and trust in....." Then I wrote "even the demons "believe" in God. They "know" Christ lives. They tremble in that knowledge. But they are not saved." I read a couple of scripture passages my people had listed as cross reference scriptures and began to think - just what is it that demons believe about God?
Well -- at first glance, demons could answer most of our Sunday School questions and church membership questions. Just a few scriptures point out what they know/believe that is as deep as we have sometimes gone in our church discussions. What do they believe?
1. Demons believe in the existence of God. They are not atheists. They are not agnostic. They believe - indeed they know there is a God.
2. Demons believe Jesus is the Son of God. Mark 3: 11 - 12 reveals to us that they "bore witness" to the Sonship of Christ.
3. Demons believe there is a hell. Luke 8:31 provides evidence of that belief.
4. Demons recognize Christ as Judge - Mark 5: 1 - 13.
5. The Bible even teaches us that demons submit to the power of God's Word.
Well - are not these things what we are also to believe? There is a God; Jesus is His Son; there is a hell; one day all will be judged; we should submit to the authority of His Word. "What more must I do to be saved?" becomes the question at hand (and the question we should ask beyond these other beliefs we have."
The rest of the Book of Romans spells this out to us - and I reveal more of it later. However, I wanted us to dwell on the above first.
Some of you have heard me state in recent prayer services that I am burdened that many church members have been "lulled" into a false sense of security that church membership equals salvation. They have been coming to church since "9 months before I was born" and somehow have equated that with the salvation experience/a personal walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. They - like the demons - believe there is a God; that Jesus is God's son; they tend to believe in some sort of "hell;" they recognize Jesus as Judge (but often feel they are just), etc.
How do I KNOW if what I have is SAVING FAITH? A CHANGED LIFE is the RESULT of saving faith. Has your life been changed as a result of the faith and trust that you have placed into the person of Jesus Christ? Do you believe there is a Jesus, or have you given yourself to Jesus? Do you believe there is a God or do you strive daily as an act of love toward that God to live in a way that honors and pleases Him? Just some thoughts to ponder in your own quiet time.
The speaker at church yesterday closed each section of his message by saying---"to fail to live your life according to Biblical principles---the scripture says is sin, iniquity, wickedness, and rebellion. I pray you have spent your time alone with God this day and not fallen into the traps of the enemy that attempt to keep us away from Him.
This section of Romans declares how we are made righteous in and through Christ Jesus as believers. It is personal, individual faith in Christ Jesus that saves. Romans is a difficult book to "read," and a much more difficult book to "study" and understand. Our church is doing the study on Wednesday nights and I think it will take a great deal of time to genuinely plow through all that we need to labor through ti understand it more fully.
As I studies this morning, I wrote this note in my journal, "Belief does not equal faith and trust in....." Then I wrote "even the demons "believe" in God. They "know" Christ lives. They tremble in that knowledge. But they are not saved." I read a couple of scripture passages my people had listed as cross reference scriptures and began to think - just what is it that demons believe about God?
Well -- at first glance, demons could answer most of our Sunday School questions and church membership questions. Just a few scriptures point out what they know/believe that is as deep as we have sometimes gone in our church discussions. What do they believe?
1. Demons believe in the existence of God. They are not atheists. They are not agnostic. They believe - indeed they know there is a God.
2. Demons believe Jesus is the Son of God. Mark 3: 11 - 12 reveals to us that they "bore witness" to the Sonship of Christ.
3. Demons believe there is a hell. Luke 8:31 provides evidence of that belief.
4. Demons recognize Christ as Judge - Mark 5: 1 - 13.
5. The Bible even teaches us that demons submit to the power of God's Word.
Well - are not these things what we are also to believe? There is a God; Jesus is His Son; there is a hell; one day all will be judged; we should submit to the authority of His Word. "What more must I do to be saved?" becomes the question at hand (and the question we should ask beyond these other beliefs we have."
The rest of the Book of Romans spells this out to us - and I reveal more of it later. However, I wanted us to dwell on the above first.
Some of you have heard me state in recent prayer services that I am burdened that many church members have been "lulled" into a false sense of security that church membership equals salvation. They have been coming to church since "9 months before I was born" and somehow have equated that with the salvation experience/a personal walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. They - like the demons - believe there is a God; that Jesus is God's son; they tend to believe in some sort of "hell;" they recognize Jesus as Judge (but often feel they are just), etc.
How do I KNOW if what I have is SAVING FAITH? A CHANGED LIFE is the RESULT of saving faith. Has your life been changed as a result of the faith and trust that you have placed into the person of Jesus Christ? Do you believe there is a Jesus, or have you given yourself to Jesus? Do you believe there is a God or do you strive daily as an act of love toward that God to live in a way that honors and pleases Him? Just some thoughts to ponder in your own quiet time.
The speaker at church yesterday closed each section of his message by saying---"to fail to live your life according to Biblical principles---the scripture says is sin, iniquity, wickedness, and rebellion. I pray you have spent your time alone with God this day and not fallen into the traps of the enemy that attempt to keep us away from Him.
Labels: Bible Study, Changed life, Salvation, Saving Faith
posted by Dougald McLaurin at
10:31 AM
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