MEET AND FOLLOW JESUS
FAITH
What does it mean to "believe"?
Believing that Jesus is Lord and Saviour is not simply an intellectual assent, not simply accepting two facts about Jesus. It involves an active, relational faith. It is establishing a relationship with Jesus to allow him to be Lord of your life, to guide you along the journey that will transform you into his likeness.
It means
• Believing that Christ is what he said he was: true God and true man, the way to salvation, the truth, the light that illuminates the world and the life of every man, the good shepherd who cares for his friends. The way to Life, Love and Freedom.
• Believing that he can do what he promises: forgive you, come into your life to transform it into his image and likeness.
• Believing is an act of trust, an act of yielding to him, an act whereby we open our hearts to his transforming power. It is an act of will. It is not based on emotions or on the intellect but on Christ drawing us to himself that we experience within.
• Believing is your answer to God's offer of his mercy, his love and his forgiveness. It is saying yes to that offer of Life, Love and Freedom that you have been longing for.
The Faith That Saves
The faith that we should have is not intellectual, neither is it emotional. I can believe that Jesus existed as a historical figure, this is not the faith that saves. I can believe that God exists and so does the devil, "you believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!" (James 2: 19).
The faith that saves is the faith that leads you to put all your trust in Christ, confident that he will forgive you and give you eternal life. The faith that saves is the faith that leads you to put Christ first in your life, one that leads you to join other Christians, that leads you to surrender your will to the Father in every situation of your life. It is the faith that leads you to want to imitate Christ and that leads you to have compassion for those who do not yet know Christ and to want to help them.
We understand Paul when he said: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1: 16). The faith that saves is that which places you in Christ who will take you where he is now and forever; we are united to Christ, incorporated into him at baptism and that bond cannot be broken by anything or anyone:
I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from my hand. The Father, for what he has given me, is greater than anyone, and no one can steal anything from the Father's hand. The Father and I are one. (John 10: 28-30).
Active Faith
We are at New Street railway station in Birmingham. We are waiting on platform one for the train to London. The train arrives. I ask you a question: "do you think this train will take you to London? You say yes because we have the tickets, according to the timetables the train that leaves from platform one at this time goes to London and the announcements tell you it is the train to London. But suppose I get on the train but you remain on the platform and the train leaves. Will that train take you to London? Obviously not because if you do not move from the platform and step on the train, the train will take you nowhere. Only if you accept Jesus, and only if you are placed in him and let him bear you along, only then can you reach your destination. Do you want to board the train with the other passengers on the journey to Life, Love and Freedom?
Are you ready to place yourself in the arms of the Father? Are you ready to put your trust in Jesus who died for you to cancel your sin? Are you ready to repent and confess your sin and recognise the need for healing? Are you ready to accept Jesus as the Lord of your life and guide it so that he can empower you to be what you were meant to be, to fulfil the plan that God has for you, to achieve real self fulfilment? Are you willing to accept now the gift of eternal life? If your answer is "yes" the Holy Spirit will give you the faith to believe, the ability to obey and to know the joy of belonging to the family of God that has a loving Father who will always be near you.
All that is needed now is to ratify that decision by being baptised.
Approach your local church and explain your wish and they will prepare you for baptism. If you have any difficulty in deciding which church Christ founded please do not hesitate to contact us using the email at the bottom of every page on this site and we can help you.
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Next: Session 8 Baptism available soon
While waiting for session 8 on Baptism for this Introduction to the Faith series you might want to visit the pages on Baptism in another section of this site - Baptism The Divine Life in Us .
Introduction to the Christian Faith - Index
© R W
bsgbiblestudyguide@gmail.com
