| Gateway Baptist Church Independent Unaffiliated Separated Soul-Winning KJV "It Does Make A Difference What You Believe". |
What the Lord Jesus Christ did for the world, or all humanity (Jn 6:33, 51) must be
received on an individual basis. In I Timothy 2:5-6, Paul said, "For there is one God,
and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom
for all . . . .." Yet, in Galatians 2:20, Paul said, ". . . the Son of God . . . loved
me, and gave himself for me." Paul's words show the idea of individual appropriation
of Christ's finished work.
How do men receive the benefit of Christ's death to obtain eternal life? In John 6:54,
Christ said, "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life . . .
.." In verse 47, He said, ". . . He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."
Things equal to the same thing are equal to each other. For example, 2+2=4 and 3+1=4,
therefore, 2+2=3+1. Since he that believeth on me, the Son of God speaking, has what
whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood has. Then believeth on me equals eateth
my flesh, and drinketh my blood. The means of receiving eternal life is by believing
on Christ, not believe and pray or believe and confess or believe and be baptized or
believe plus anything.
Notice two things about believing on Christ, first the believing that God requires of
the alien sinner to receive eternal life is always an unmodified verb. There are
places in God's word where one reads of faith modified. Luke 7:9 speaks of great
faith. Romans 4:20 references strong in faith. Weak in faith is observed in Romans
14:1.
The apostles of our Lord said in Luke 17:5, ". . . Increase our faith." On one
occasion, the Lord said to them, ". . . how is it that ye have no faith?" (Mt 8:26).
In each instance, the faith modified belongs to a child of God and is not that faith
in Christ by which one becomes a child of God. Eternal life is received by believing
on Christ Jn 6:47. Eternal life then is predicated of the verb believeth and not its
modifiers.
Notice a class of Scriptures revealing this truth: 1) . . . whosoever believeth
(unmodified) in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (Jn 3:16); 2) He that
believeth (unmodified) on him is not condemned . . . Jn 3:18; 3); He that believeth
(unmodified) on the Son hath everlasting life . . . Jn 3:36; 4) . . . he that
believeth (unmodified) on me shall never thirst Jn 6:35; 5) . . . every one which
seeth the Son, and believeth (unmodified) on him, may have everlasting life . . . Jn
6:40; 6) . . . whosoever believeth (unmodified) on me should not abide in darkness Jn
12:46; 7) . . . Believe (unmodified) on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved, and thy house Acts 16:31; and 8) whosoever believeth (unmodified) that Jesus is
the Christ is born of God . . . I Jn 5:1.
Therefore, have everlasting life, not condemned, never thirst, not abide in darkness,
be saved and born of God are all obtained by the unmodified verb believe. In addition
to the above quoted verses, we could add verses like John 1:11-13; John 5:24; 8:24;
Acts 10:43; Romans 1:16; 3:22, 26; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 1:13-14 and numerous
others. All these passages of Scripture teach the same thing, unmodified belief in
Christ Jesus accomplishes salvation in behalf of the believer.
Secondly, the object of faith that culminates in salvation from the penalty of sin is
the Lord Jesus Christ. Rightly so since Christ is the only Savior (Acts 4:12).
Christ is qualified for He is the Son of the living God, God manifest in flesh (Jn
1:1-2, 14; 3:16). He is perfect, holy, without sin, and therefore qualified as the
Innocent to take the place of the guilty (I Pet 3:18).
He completely paid the penalty of sin that a just God demanded. He satisfied the
justice of a Holy God (Rm 6:23; Jn 19:30; Heb 9:12, 14; 10:12).
When the alien sinner comes to know who He is, and what He accomplished through His
death, burial and resurrection, then believes on Him, the result is hath everlasting
life. While simple enough, this is the very thing found offensive to those in John
5:18; 6:41, 42; 8:58; 10:33 and etc., and it is still offensive to many religious
people today.
The modern religionist ought to be as honorable as the unconverted religionists of
Christ's day who charged the Lord with blasphemy. They understood His claim to be God
manifest in the flesh. They rejected it while trying repeatedly to take His life. In
so doing, they turned their back on God's only provision to save sinners.
Many believe Jesus was a good teacher, a good example, or a religious leader. Many
herald the excellency of the morals in the sermon on the mount but who are grossly
offended by the words of Jesus when He said, ". . . except ye eat the flesh of the Son
of God, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you" (Jn 6:53).
In the Lord Jesus' day, there were those believing He was John the Baptist, Elias,
Jeremias, or one of the prophets (Mt 16:14). Such is not that faith which cometh by
hearing by the word of God Rm 10:17.
Some believed He was a good man Jn 7:12. Others believed His words concerning the
Messiah were true but failed to believe He was the One about Whom He was speaking (Jn
7:31).
Many would follow Him Who was called Jesus of Nazareth, a man Acts 2:22, but then
depart to walk no more with Him when it is affirmed that God made that same Jesus,
whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ Acts 2:36. The faith rooted in God's word
said of Him we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living
God Jn 6:69.
The faith that honors God knows Jesus Christ as my Lord and my God Jn 20:28. The
question of vital importance to all is, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? Mt
22:42. The answer you give in this life determines your eternal destiny.
The solution is not found in the wisdom of man. Christ said no man knoweth the Son,
but the father Mt 11:27. Therefore, we are absolutely dependent upon the record that
God gave of his Son I Jn 5:10. The believing on Christ, the basis of salvation from
the penalty of sin, is according to the witness of God which he hath testified of his
Son I Jn 5:9.
In John 6, Christ taught, "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven,
and giveth life unto the world . . . I am the living bread which came down from
heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I
will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world" (vs 33, 51).
This testimony drew two different responses. The Jews then murmured at him, because he
said, I am the bread which came down from heaven . . . Is not this Jesus, the son of
Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down
from heaven? (vs 41-42).
The other response was And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son
of the living God verse 69. Of this latter group, the Lord Jesus said, ". . . they . .
. have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst
send me" (Jn 17:8).
The issue is simple. If Christ came down from heaven then He was not the son of
Joseph. If He were the son of Joseph, then He was not God manifest in the flesh (Jn
1:1, 2, 14) and could not save Himself much less others.
Whose Son is He? To be wrong in your answer is to die in your sins Jn 8:23-24. To be
right is to have everlasting life Jn 6:47. To believe on Jesus Christ as instructed in
John 6:47 is equivalent to believing what God said about His Son in His word.
Looking further, in John 1:11-13, the text says, He came unto his own, and his own
received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the
sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man but of God.
The expression as many as received him equals numerically them that believe on his
name. To receive Christ in the sense of this verse is to believe on his name.
The verse also speaks of the power to become the sons of God being given to as many as
receive him . . . even to them that believe on his name. Some argue the believer does
not become a son of God in the act of believing but is simply given the power to
become something, with the option of exercising it.
C.M. Kelley, a Church of Christ debater, reflects that view. During the Kelley-Garner
debate, he said, ". . . he talked about as many as received him, to them gave he the
power to become the son of God. I believe that .
. . I don't believe that he was a child of God already. He said he gave him the power
to become. A man can't become something that he already is."
The power of our text has been defined as authority, privilege or right. That power is
certainly responsible for the relationship described in the words sons of God. The
question is, was the power exercised in the act of believing or was it in the acts of
the believer subsequent to believing?
Notice the words in John 1:13, which were born . . . of God. The power was given to as
many as received him and as many as received him equals them that believe on his name.
Therefore, in the act of receiving Christ, or believing on Him, the power was given,
and not because of something the believer in Christ was to do beyond believing in
Christ.
The fact is, As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name: which were born . . . of God. If language means
anything, as many as received him equals them that believe on his name. To them, no
more and no less, gave he power to become the sons of God and all of these, no more
and no less, were born . . . of God.
Two states of mankind are shown in John 3:18. He that believeth on him is not
condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not
believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
First are those not condemned. Second are those condemned. The difference between the
two states is conditioned on two things, he that believeth on him and he that
believeth not . . . in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The state of condemnation is not due to the inactivity of the verb but rather to the
absence of the state of being the verb indicates. Many however, place the believer in
Christ under the same condemnation as the unbeliever. God's word does not do that.
If it was said in God's word of one believer that he is condemned because of what he
is required to do after believing in Christ, it could not be true that he that
believeth on him is not condemned. Also, it would not be true that one is condemned
already solely because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of
God.
Importantly, the difference between the two states, condemned and not condemned is not
predicated on the activity of the believer in Christ. Instead it is upon whether or
not he believeth on him or believeth not.
Christ said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth
on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but
is passed from death unto life." Therefore, not only is it true that he that believeth
on him is not condemned, but it is also true that he shall not come into condemnation.
John 5:24 does not say that he shall come into condemnation and then will have
everlasting life if his good works outweigh his bad. The hath everlasting life is
obtained before the removal of condemnation which he shall not come into as a believer
in Jesus Christ.
Paul in writing to you that believe (I Thess 2:13) could say, ". . . Jesus . . .
delivered us from the wrath to come" (I Thess 1:10; 5:9-10; Rm 5:9). How could such a
thing be declared as truth unless the conditions have been met enabling one to be
classified with this group?
Unless the children of God are in fact delivered from the wrath to come by the very
condition by which they become the children of God, then this information cannot be
applied to any human being. If deliverance from wrath to come is predicated on the
obedience of the children of God and not on their standing, then no one while living
could know whether he has been so delivered.
No one believing that one redeemed by the blood of Christ can be finally lost
predicates his hope to at last be saved in heaven on the fact that he is a child of
God or a believer in Christ. Instead, such a person predicates his hope on the theory
that his continued obedience beyond believing in Christ meets divine approval.
John 3:36 states, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that
believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." Here
again, two states of mankind are in view.
The first are those who hath everlasting life while the second are those who shall not
see life. These two states are predicated on two conditions. The two conditions are
first, he that believeth on the Son and second, he that believeth not the Son.
Consider it, the one who shall not see life is the one who believeth not the Son. But,
if the condition of hath everlasting life is premised upon anything beyond the fact of
believing in Christ, then the one who believeth on the Son probably shall not see life
either. God's word just does not teach this.
Notice the syllogisms introduced by the truth of God's word. First, He that hath the
Son hath life I Jn 5:12. But, he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life Jn
3:36. Therefore, he that believeth on the Son hath the Son.
Next, He that hath not the Son of God hath not life I Jn 5:12. But, he that believeth
not the Son shall not see life Jn 3:26. Therefore, he that believeth not the Son hath
not the Son.
The condition God requires of the alien sinner to receive eternal life is simply
believing on His Son, Jesus Christ. This condition is always, in this application (the
first aspect), faith unmodified. It is also faith with the absolute object, the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Belief in Christ Jesus is the line of demarcation between condemned and not condemned
and between hath everlasting life and shall not see life. Belief is what Christ
preached to the alien, no more and no less. Belief in Christ Jesus is the only thing
that needs to be preached today where alien sinners are being instructed on how to
receive eternal life. BD
received on an individual basis. In I Timothy 2:5-6, Paul said, "For there is one God,
and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom
for all . . . .." Yet, in Galatians 2:20, Paul said, ". . . the Son of God . . . loved
me, and gave himself for me." Paul's words show the idea of individual appropriation
of Christ's finished work.
How do men receive the benefit of Christ's death to obtain eternal life? In John 6:54,
Christ said, "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life . . .
.." In verse 47, He said, ". . . He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."
Things equal to the same thing are equal to each other. For example, 2+2=4 and 3+1=4,
therefore, 2+2=3+1. Since he that believeth on me, the Son of God speaking, has what
whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood has. Then believeth on me equals eateth
my flesh, and drinketh my blood. The means of receiving eternal life is by believing
on Christ, not believe and pray or believe and confess or believe and be baptized or
believe plus anything.
Notice two things about believing on Christ, first the believing that God requires of
the alien sinner to receive eternal life is always an unmodified verb. There are
places in God's word where one reads of faith modified. Luke 7:9 speaks of great
faith. Romans 4:20 references strong in faith. Weak in faith is observed in Romans
14:1.
The apostles of our Lord said in Luke 17:5, ". . . Increase our faith." On one
occasion, the Lord said to them, ". . . how is it that ye have no faith?" (Mt 8:26).
In each instance, the faith modified belongs to a child of God and is not that faith
in Christ by which one becomes a child of God. Eternal life is received by believing
on Christ Jn 6:47. Eternal life then is predicated of the verb believeth and not its
modifiers.
Notice a class of Scriptures revealing this truth: 1) . . . whosoever believeth
(unmodified) in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (Jn 3:16); 2) He that
believeth (unmodified) on him is not condemned . . . Jn 3:18; 3); He that believeth
(unmodified) on the Son hath everlasting life . . . Jn 3:36; 4) . . . he that
believeth (unmodified) on me shall never thirst Jn 6:35; 5) . . . every one which
seeth the Son, and believeth (unmodified) on him, may have everlasting life . . . Jn
6:40; 6) . . . whosoever believeth (unmodified) on me should not abide in darkness Jn
12:46; 7) . . . Believe (unmodified) on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved, and thy house Acts 16:31; and 8) whosoever believeth (unmodified) that Jesus is
the Christ is born of God . . . I Jn 5:1.
Therefore, have everlasting life, not condemned, never thirst, not abide in darkness,
be saved and born of God are all obtained by the unmodified verb believe. In addition
to the above quoted verses, we could add verses like John 1:11-13; John 5:24; 8:24;
Acts 10:43; Romans 1:16; 3:22, 26; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 1:13-14 and numerous
others. All these passages of Scripture teach the same thing, unmodified belief in
Christ Jesus accomplishes salvation in behalf of the believer.
Secondly, the object of faith that culminates in salvation from the penalty of sin is
the Lord Jesus Christ. Rightly so since Christ is the only Savior (Acts 4:12).
Christ is qualified for He is the Son of the living God, God manifest in flesh (Jn
1:1-2, 14; 3:16). He is perfect, holy, without sin, and therefore qualified as the
Innocent to take the place of the guilty (I Pet 3:18).
He completely paid the penalty of sin that a just God demanded. He satisfied the
justice of a Holy God (Rm 6:23; Jn 19:30; Heb 9:12, 14; 10:12).
When the alien sinner comes to know who He is, and what He accomplished through His
death, burial and resurrection, then believes on Him, the result is hath everlasting
life. While simple enough, this is the very thing found offensive to those in John
5:18; 6:41, 42; 8:58; 10:33 and etc., and it is still offensive to many religious
people today.
The modern religionist ought to be as honorable as the unconverted religionists of
Christ's day who charged the Lord with blasphemy. They understood His claim to be God
manifest in the flesh. They rejected it while trying repeatedly to take His life. In
so doing, they turned their back on God's only provision to save sinners.
Many believe Jesus was a good teacher, a good example, or a religious leader. Many
herald the excellency of the morals in the sermon on the mount but who are grossly
offended by the words of Jesus when He said, ". . . except ye eat the flesh of the Son
of God, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you" (Jn 6:53).
In the Lord Jesus' day, there were those believing He was John the Baptist, Elias,
Jeremias, or one of the prophets (Mt 16:14). Such is not that faith which cometh by
hearing by the word of God Rm 10:17.
Some believed He was a good man Jn 7:12. Others believed His words concerning the
Messiah were true but failed to believe He was the One about Whom He was speaking (Jn
7:31).
Many would follow Him Who was called Jesus of Nazareth, a man Acts 2:22, but then
depart to walk no more with Him when it is affirmed that God made that same Jesus,
whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ Acts 2:36. The faith rooted in God's word
said of Him we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living
God Jn 6:69.
The faith that honors God knows Jesus Christ as my Lord and my God Jn 20:28. The
question of vital importance to all is, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? Mt
22:42. The answer you give in this life determines your eternal destiny.
The solution is not found in the wisdom of man. Christ said no man knoweth the Son,
but the father Mt 11:27. Therefore, we are absolutely dependent upon the record that
God gave of his Son I Jn 5:10. The believing on Christ, the basis of salvation from
the penalty of sin, is according to the witness of God which he hath testified of his
Son I Jn 5:9.
In John 6, Christ taught, "For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven,
and giveth life unto the world . . . I am the living bread which came down from
heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I
will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world" (vs 33, 51).
This testimony drew two different responses. The Jews then murmured at him, because he
said, I am the bread which came down from heaven . . . Is not this Jesus, the son of
Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down
from heaven? (vs 41-42).
The other response was And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son
of the living God verse 69. Of this latter group, the Lord Jesus said, ". . . they . .
. have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst
send me" (Jn 17:8).
The issue is simple. If Christ came down from heaven then He was not the son of
Joseph. If He were the son of Joseph, then He was not God manifest in the flesh (Jn
1:1, 2, 14) and could not save Himself much less others.
Whose Son is He? To be wrong in your answer is to die in your sins Jn 8:23-24. To be
right is to have everlasting life Jn 6:47. To believe on Jesus Christ as instructed in
John 6:47 is equivalent to believing what God said about His Son in His word.
Looking further, in John 1:11-13, the text says, He came unto his own, and his own
received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the
sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man but of God.
The expression as many as received him equals numerically them that believe on his
name. To receive Christ in the sense of this verse is to believe on his name.
The verse also speaks of the power to become the sons of God being given to as many as
receive him . . . even to them that believe on his name. Some argue the believer does
not become a son of God in the act of believing but is simply given the power to
become something, with the option of exercising it.
C.M. Kelley, a Church of Christ debater, reflects that view. During the Kelley-Garner
debate, he said, ". . . he talked about as many as received him, to them gave he the
power to become the son of God. I believe that .
. . I don't believe that he was a child of God already. He said he gave him the power
to become. A man can't become something that he already is."
The power of our text has been defined as authority, privilege or right. That power is
certainly responsible for the relationship described in the words sons of God. The
question is, was the power exercised in the act of believing or was it in the acts of
the believer subsequent to believing?
Notice the words in John 1:13, which were born . . . of God. The power was given to as
many as received him and as many as received him equals them that believe on his name.
Therefore, in the act of receiving Christ, or believing on Him, the power was given,
and not because of something the believer in Christ was to do beyond believing in
Christ.
The fact is, As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name: which were born . . . of God. If language means
anything, as many as received him equals them that believe on his name. To them, no
more and no less, gave he power to become the sons of God and all of these, no more
and no less, were born . . . of God.
Two states of mankind are shown in John 3:18. He that believeth on him is not
condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not
believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
First are those not condemned. Second are those condemned. The difference between the
two states is conditioned on two things, he that believeth on him and he that
believeth not . . . in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The state of condemnation is not due to the inactivity of the verb but rather to the
absence of the state of being the verb indicates. Many however, place the believer in
Christ under the same condemnation as the unbeliever. God's word does not do that.
If it was said in God's word of one believer that he is condemned because of what he
is required to do after believing in Christ, it could not be true that he that
believeth on him is not condemned. Also, it would not be true that one is condemned
already solely because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of
God.
Importantly, the difference between the two states, condemned and not condemned is not
predicated on the activity of the believer in Christ. Instead it is upon whether or
not he believeth on him or believeth not.
Christ said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth
on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but
is passed from death unto life." Therefore, not only is it true that he that believeth
on him is not condemned, but it is also true that he shall not come into condemnation.
John 5:24 does not say that he shall come into condemnation and then will have
everlasting life if his good works outweigh his bad. The hath everlasting life is
obtained before the removal of condemnation which he shall not come into as a believer
in Jesus Christ.
Paul in writing to you that believe (I Thess 2:13) could say, ". . . Jesus . . .
delivered us from the wrath to come" (I Thess 1:10; 5:9-10; Rm 5:9). How could such a
thing be declared as truth unless the conditions have been met enabling one to be
classified with this group?
Unless the children of God are in fact delivered from the wrath to come by the very
condition by which they become the children of God, then this information cannot be
applied to any human being. If deliverance from wrath to come is predicated on the
obedience of the children of God and not on their standing, then no one while living
could know whether he has been so delivered.
No one believing that one redeemed by the blood of Christ can be finally lost
predicates his hope to at last be saved in heaven on the fact that he is a child of
God or a believer in Christ. Instead, such a person predicates his hope on the theory
that his continued obedience beyond believing in Christ meets divine approval.
John 3:36 states, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that
believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." Here
again, two states of mankind are in view.
The first are those who hath everlasting life while the second are those who shall not
see life. These two states are predicated on two conditions. The two conditions are
first, he that believeth on the Son and second, he that believeth not the Son.
Consider it, the one who shall not see life is the one who believeth not the Son. But,
if the condition of hath everlasting life is premised upon anything beyond the fact of
believing in Christ, then the one who believeth on the Son probably shall not see life
either. God's word just does not teach this.
Notice the syllogisms introduced by the truth of God's word. First, He that hath the
Son hath life I Jn 5:12. But, he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life Jn
3:36. Therefore, he that believeth on the Son hath the Son.
Next, He that hath not the Son of God hath not life I Jn 5:12. But, he that believeth
not the Son shall not see life Jn 3:26. Therefore, he that believeth not the Son hath
not the Son.
The condition God requires of the alien sinner to receive eternal life is simply
believing on His Son, Jesus Christ. This condition is always, in this application (the
first aspect), faith unmodified. It is also faith with the absolute object, the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Belief in Christ Jesus is the line of demarcation between condemned and not condemned
and between hath everlasting life and shall not see life. Belief is what Christ
preached to the alien, no more and no less. Belief in Christ Jesus is the only thing
that needs to be preached today where alien sinners are being instructed on how to
receive eternal life. BD
| Deliverance from the Penalty of Sin CHAPTER 4 By Bobby Dunn |
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Copyright © 2007
Gateway Baptist
Church
All Rights Reserved