Fullness of the Gospel – Part 2

We’ve been talking about the Fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And its “fullness” was revealed to us in several ways: in terms of its presentation, in terms of its reality, and even regarding the Person of Jesus Christ.

Let’s do some review first, and we will go fairly quickly through some key points.

We first noted telling both sides of the story…

Man, being a sinner, needs to realize the situation he’s in before he will honestly turn to Christ as his Lord and Savior.

The Magnitude of the Gap: Notice in Peter’s two Gospel messages in Acts 2 and 3, he elaborated on the guilt of the people and their rejection of the Holy One from God, namely Jesus Christ.  Peter elaborated on their sinfulness and the HUGE GAP between them and God.  THEN Peter gave the solution, even waiting until they asked for it.

And Peter even said that Jesus came to turn us from our evil ways, which includes not only the evil of sin, but also of the evil of self-righteousness. 

Man must admit his own ways and his own goodness CANNOT save or preserve him.

The Magnitude of the Gap: The difference between God’s perfect righteousness and a man’s self-righteousness is as high as the heavens are above the earth, Isa 55:8-9, 64:6. It’s not even measurable!

People may reject this, but they need to understand the dire situation they’re in before they will humbly turn to Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Then, hopefully, they too might say : “Brethren, what shall we do?”, as they said to Peter in Acts 2.

Another unfortunate reality is this…

The Gospel message today is wrongly made to be about the individual and THEIR COMFORT, not about the need to satisfy the Lord God’s perfect righteous demands.

Some well-meaning Christians dilute the Gospel into something that bandages someone’s wounds, for selfish reasons (i.e. to feel better), not for PEACE with the Lord God Almighty, Whom they’ve sinned against.  

Often, the deep sinful nature of a person’s selfishness is never even addressed.  

The deeper need of reconciliation with a Holy, Righteous God on His terms of unconditional surrender is never addressed!

This is one reason Jesus said that a man must deny himself and pick up his cross and follow Him.  

Without Christ, “Self” is the god of every man and woman.   

They might not admit to that, but it’s true. Man loves to praise himself and hold onto credit for his own attempts at goodness.

Much of what mankind says and does is for the benefit and comfort of SELF, in some way.  It’s generally “all about me”, and not about what God wants.

And that’s why, in all actuality…

Saving faith is a surrender of the heart to God, which means repenting from the idea of self-righteousness and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ instead, as in Rom 10:9-11.

Rom 10:9-11  that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” 

Salvation is a heart issue, and it’s between each person and the Lord!

Do you remember what Jesus said in the first words of His public ministry?? – Mark 1:15c; “repent and believe in the good news!”

One definition of the word “repent” is “to turn”.

In other words, turn away from self/sin. You are insufficient, and sinful. Instead, turn to Christ alone to be saved, because HE ALONE is the Good News.

And so, we can and should pass on this good message!

Again;

Saving faith is a surrender of the heart to God, which means repenting from the idea of self-righteousness and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ instead, as in Rom 10:9-11.

We’ve also discussed HOW we can be used by the Lord to share His Gospel… and how it’s totally a PRIVILEGE that none of us deserve!

In witnessing to others, we let the light of Christ shine, by both our words and our actions.  And that does NOT require our ability, but simply our HUMILITY. 

It simply requires our willingness to be used by Him.  Then, we can watch Him go to work through us.

And instead of worrying about the wording of our Gospel presentation (which is really relying on human effort/wisdom),… we should instead be focused on building a relationship with others and being a friend to them… whether they immediately accept the Gospel or not.

Let’s remember, Jesus was called a “friend of tax collectors and sinners”. Luk 7:34

If we relate to people with Christ’s love, they will see it.

And as Holy Scripture says, “don’t worry about what you are going to say”; the Spirit will fill your mouth.  Luk 12:11-12

We must learn to focus on the relationship, on the people… not on a pre-conceived Gospel presentation.

We need to learn to be human and “real”, and give others a chance to enter our lives; not just be robotic Christians who give the Gospel and run.

It’s about relationships, and in fact the whole Bible is about relationships.

We are to be witnesses of the Person of Jesus Christ, and if we represent Him, we should act like Him, passing on His care and love for others in relationship with them.

And if you have a difficult time with this, may I suggest you remember all that He saved YOU from! (and make it personal, because it is!)

Do you have trouble loving your enemies, as Jesus commanded us?  Mat 5:44. Well then, remember, He didn’t have trouble loving YOU when YOU were His enemy!  Rom 5:10, Col 1:21

Do you remember what He did for YOU, personally?  – “He who is forgiven much, loves much”, Luk 7:47.  

It will be EASY for us to love others who don’t deserve it, even our enemies, IF we remember how much He forgave US of.

His tremendous grace towards us empowers us to be kind to people, even to those that act against us. 

We must remember we are all sinners, saved by His grace alone, through faith in Christ.

And then, holding onto this humble attitude, we can tell others of His marvelous deeds done on our behalf.

We are to make an issue out of the Lord Himself; His very Person.  

I’ll often say to people when sharing the Gospel; “do you realize who Jesus Christ really is?… do you realize He’s God in the flesh, and He willingly became a man to die for your sins?”

That’s the main issue, isn’t it?  – HE is the issue.

Do you remember when Jesus asked His disciples this very important question? –

Luk 9:20  ” And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

We are to testify that Jesus Christ is who He says He is,… and that includes the reality that He is LORD, of ALL people,… and that also must be recognized as part of the fullness of the Gospel.

Remember this point?… 

People need to realize they must adjust to the Justice of God, and thus the need for “repentance for forgiveness of sins” being proclaimed in His Name.  That’s part of the Great Commission in Luke 24:47.

When a person repents of his sinfulness and guilt, he is adjusting to the Justice of God!  He is humbling himself and agreeing with God’s thinking about his sin (that’s what “confession” means).

And let’s remember,… even repentance is a grace gift from God, granted to the humble… man can take no credit.

Acts 11:18 “When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.” 

God is the One who gives repentance, who enables us to believe, even. Eph 2:8-9

Part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is calling people to repentance; to a turning from sin, and from the idea that they can save themselves!

Understanding the magnitude of the situation, of one’s sin against God and his inability to save himself… that makes for fertile soil in the soul… 

… and it prepares a man’s heart to rightly trust in Christ alone to save his life.

Another way to put it is this: 

The fullness of the Gospel must emphasize man’s need for reconciliation with a Holy and Righteous God.

A certain message has been committed to us; a word of reconciliation (peace) to the entire world.  2Co 5:19

2Co 5:18-20 “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

God is offering reconciliation, or peace, to the entire world through Jesus Christ.

Therefore, we must make an issue of the sinner’s need for reconciliation with our Holy God.

Those who are spiritually sleeping in this world (those without Christ as their personal Lord and Savior) need to be made aware that as sinners, they DO NOT have peace with God… 

… and that they CAN’T have peace with God based on their own merits!

They need to be made aware of the need to repent, admitting the guilt of their sinfulness and humbly submitting before their Holy and Righteous God.

Who did Jesus come for, after all?  Why did Jesus subject Himself to becoming a man?  – It was to save SINNERS.  And what did He lead them to?  REPENTANCE.  Luke 5:29-32

Luke 5:29-32 And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. 30 The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.  32 “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” 

Repentance is the surrender that the sinner is called to.  

And as we’ve been seeing, that’s part of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It’s actually good news for one to finally admit he can’t please God on his own! What a relief it is for a man to accept that!

It’s an unbearable load off his shoulders.  And the humble person will embrace that truth and turn to Christ.

People first need to realize that as sinners they NEED reconciliation with a Holy God, and THEN there’s the Good News that Someone has paid their debt in full!  

The fullness of the Gospel starts with God’s Justice and then flows to His love.

You and I owe God a debt that’s impossible for us to pay, but the Lord Jesus paid it for us at the Cross. He was the only One who could satisfy our Heavenly Father’s requirement for perfect righteousness.

But as we’ve been learning, if people think there’s nothing to repent from, then there’s no need for them to turn to Christ to be saved.

The Fullness of the Gospel: This is why Jesus said “deny yourself and pick up your cross and follow Me”, Mar 8:34.  It’s because “self” is in the way.  One must be willing to turn away (repent) from self-reliance before they will trust in Christ (believe) for salvation. Mar 1:15

Your soul can only face one direction (just as your physical eyes can). Your soul either faces towards “self” or towards Christ. It can’t be both.

The WILLINGNESS to turn from self to Christ must occur in the soul of a man before God will save him.  

And then repentant faith is granted and empowered by the Holy Spirit on their behalf! Act 11:18, Eph 2:8

John 1:9-13 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 

As a side note, the Greek word for “received” in vs. 12 is “lambano”, and it means “to take hold of”, by faith. It is not a passive acceptance of the Lord, but an activity from our free will, by the grace of God.

And WE are His messengers, and His witnesses, of this fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And understanding the big picture allows us to be good messengers, and the Spirit can then use us in a mighty way.

In a book called “Tell The Truth”, by Will Metzger, he reminds us of the following:

“Understanding that God, not us, is The Evangelizer (the one who brings results) is wonderfully liberating.  This makes witnessing an adventure in which we merely ride along with God as He moves out.”

If this is our attitude, we can be bold and transparent when giving the Gospel, as the apostles were throughout the book of Acts.  

The apostles simply boasted about Christ and His Perfect Person, and the righteousness and love of God.

They told about His works, His sacrifice, His resurrection, and His forgiveness.

Sharing the Gospel should be a joyful opportunity, not a daunting task.  Why is this?  Simply because the Holy Spirit is with you and He promises to guide you! Mat 10:16-20, Joh 14:25-27

Matt 10:16-20 Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.  17 “But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues;  18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  19 “But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say.  20 “For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

John 14:25-27 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.  26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.  27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

Food for Thought: The Spirit of God will lead us into a slightly different Gospel presentation each and every time.  God doesn’t ever need to repeat Himself in the exact same way.  And if you’re a believer, His Spirit lives inside of you, AND He knows what each person in front of you needs to hear.

Think about this wonderful dynamic! It is always changing based on the perfect wisdom and knowledge of God of each situation.

If you read the Word of God daily, you WILL know what to say when the time comes.  

You know the general Good News of the Gospel, and because you read the Word, the Holy Spirit has a lot to work with in your soul. 

Very simply: trust Him to fill your mouth at the proper time.

We should be concerned with having the right heart and sharing our love and admiration for Christ, and the Spirit will give us the right words for each person at right time.

And let us also remember that God is faithful! He loves you, and He also loves the person you’re speaking to!

Rest on that.

We’ve also talked about helping people realize the magnitude of the situation, and how Peter did that for his Jewish brethren in Acts 2&3, and those Jews actually RECEIVED his strong message.

And Stephen was another example of a believer who bluntly told the Jews the truth, but in this case they DID NOT RECEIVE his message.

Various Gospel Presentations: Out of love for his Jewish brethren, Stephen shared his heart for them and for God and he boldly laid before the Jews the depth of their sinfulness in Acts 7.

There are different ways to deliver the same message, and that depends on the Spirit of God in the moment.

After a full explanation of the Scriptures and how even the whole Old Testament pointed to Jesus Christ, Stephen then confronts them directly in the end of Acts 7.

What has the Spirit been saying to us lately? – That the whole Bible is the Gospel, really.

Stephen says to those stuck in the arrogance of religion:

Acts 7:51-53 “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.” 

Here we see a harsh statement by Stephen, but apparently the Spirit knew that’s what these Jews of that day needed to hear.

And I’m sure Stephen was hoping to hear a positive response, like Peter heard in Acts 2 when they said “brethren, what shall we do?” 

But regardless, Stephen listened to the Spirit and shared the Justice of God with those he loved, his own people, even though it was difficult.

And the man of faith lets the chips fall where they may. (We are to tell the truth in love, and whatever happens, happens. We are in God’s hands.)

For Stephen, it actually meant death. They proceeded to stone him to death and he died as the first martyr for Jesus Christ.

Stephen was twice declared as “filled” with the Holy Spirit, Act 6:5, 7:55,…

… and part of his Spirit-filled Gospel presentation was elaborating on the guilt of the people and their sinfulness!

That’s something to consider. It wasn’t all a “grace” message. 

The fullness of the Gospel often demands an explanation about sin and God’s Justice… it’s often necessary.

And it’s for the Holy Spirit to decide which type of message we need to communicate to which people (this is why we listen for His voice in the moment).

Various Gospel Presentations: In Acts 10 we have a HUMBLE crowd; Cornelius and his friends and family.  Unlike the religious Jews, they were already God-fearing, but they needed to know about Jesus Christ and His Works!  

And so, the Holy Spirit led Peter to go visit them, with a certain approach.

Peter’s message to them was more mild than his message in Acts 2&3; he simply shared the events of Jesus’ life and death and resurrection, and who He really was: the Lord God in the flesh.  Acts 10:34-43

And he told them that “everyone who believes in Him (Jesus Christ) receives forgiveness of sins”.

That’s a different phrase than in the other chapters we’ve mentioned.

Acts 10:34-43 Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. 36 “The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all) —  37 you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38 “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 “We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. 40 “God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 “And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” 

And notice again, Peter told them that “everyone who believes in Him  receives forgiveness of sins”.

This is a different phrase than in the other chapters we’ve mentioned… maybe because this group of people was already humble and God-fearing.

And as Peter gave this wonderful message, what happened?  

Well, apparently while the group was still listening to the explanation about Jesus, they believed in Him, because they received the Holy Spirit immediately!  Vs. 44

Would these people possibly have received the Holy Spirit if they did NOT RECEIVE Peter’s message about Jesus?  – Certainly not.

And so, it was the Spirit’s work in convicting the people to accept the message about Christ.

Faith comes from hearing, hearing the word of Christ.  Rom 10:17

Various Gospel Presentations: These people in Acts 10 believed WITHOUT a harsh declaration of their sinfulness and WITHOUT being given a direct command to repent!

Again, it’s a simple biblical truth that there’s more than one way to present the Gospel and lead people to saving faith in Christ. 

In fact, I personally believe there are infinite ways to share the Gospel, by the perfect leading of the Holy Spirit each and every time.

Various Gospel Presentations: One more example in Acts 17:30-34, where Paul called all people to “repent”, and some ended up believing without being given the direct command to “believe”!

Acts 17:30-34 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

“Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this.” So Paul went out of their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.”

Again notice, “some men joined him and believed”, even though they weren’t given the direct command to “believe”. 

The Holy Spirit within you is the One who is in charge, and He’s also the One who convicts people of their sinfulness and their need for the Savior.

That being said, what was Paul’s regular, habitual approach in giving the Gospel?

In other words, what was his typical pattern in presenting the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Acts 20:20-21 “how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21 solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The basic tenants of Jesus’ Gospel were the same in Paul’s ministry; repenting and believing.

Paul said he testified to both Jews and Greeks “repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Maybe just maybe, that’s a pattern for us all to follow!

And of course, we must always listen to the Spirit’s guidance in the moment.

Here’s something to think about: If someone ISN’T EVEN WILLING to admit they’re a sinner, why would they turn to the Lord Jesus as their Savior???

This is why repentance was preached as part of the Gospel call, from the start of Jesus’ ministry throughout the ministries of His apostles.

And as we’ve seen, the Gospel of Jesus Christ can be given in a variety of ways, all designed to lead people to saving faith in Christ.  

It’s the Holy Spirit who is “out in front” guiding humble people according to the situation.

We’ve seen 5 different presentations of the same Gospel of Jesus Christ. Acts 2, 3, 7, 10, 17.

I hope you find this as interesting as I do.  

Think about it this way; The Lord never needs to repeat Himself in the exact same way, ever.  

Just like every one of the Lord’s miracles and healings was done in a different way, so His salvation message is tailored to every single person for what they need to hear in the moment! (Praise God!!)

This should give us great freedom when witnessing to others because the Holy Spirit is truly in charge. And we must TRUST that He will direct the speech of those who are willing and humble. ☺

Amen?

Now let’s move on to a different situation in presenting the fullness of the Gospel…

What if we’re dealing with a person who claims to be a new believer? How should we approach them?

Maybe instead of assuming that they’re saved, we should ask them “what’s it been like?” and allow them to open up and reveal their heart on the matter.

In other words, put the ball in their court and give them the opportunity to confirm their faith and share what Jesus Christ means to them.

You may be quite surprised by their answer, either positively or negatively! 

 And THAT may tell you what to say next; i.e. – whether to encourage their current faith, or to bring up their possible belief in what the Bible calls ‘another Jesus’ (1Co 11:4).  

I think of the Hindus who believe He’s just one of many gods, but not the Son of God who died for them and then rose from the grave.

In other words, we shouldn’t assume a new “believer” is saved. We shouldn’t assume they have accepted the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And we shouldn’t go around judging people’s salvation, either, that’s not the point…

… but as Holy Scripture tells us, many people in this world have accepted a false gospel and “play church” from some type of bad motivation. 

Just think of all the parables where Jesus talks about false converts mixed in amongst true believers! (i.e. – the parables of the soils, the wheat and the tares, the sheep and the goats, the good and bad fish, the wise and foolish virgins, and the parable of the talents!!)

2 Cor 11:3-4 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.

Paul is being sarcastic here; because some believers just accept false gospels without defending the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

But, apparently, there IS such a thing as “another Jesus”, and “a different gospel” from a “different spirit”!

Maybe Satan slithered in like the snake he is and gave them a false message. 

The false gospel is often based on one’s own goodness and religious activity as the means of salvation.

Therefore, we might be wise to let the one who claims he’s now a believer to do the talking. 

We might be wise to avoid telling them “you are saved” (after all, how do we know another person’s heart?!).  

Being “Saved”: We should allow that realization to come from the Spirit, Himself. The Bible says the Spirit gives each of us assurance, as we see the fruits of a new life in Christ.  1Jo 3&4, Rom 8

Ultimately, salvation is between each person and the Lord!

We’ve been learning lately about a mere PROFESSION of faith vs. an actual POSSESSION of the faith.

How can we avoid misleading a religious person into a false sense of security of being saved? (they might not be saved, but they’re just going through the religious motions for one reason or another)

I’ve seen this over the years in a variety of ways with a variety of people; and some responses are even shocking.

For example, I’ve met MANY people who said they believed in Jesus, but then said they hope they’re going to heaven because they’re a good person!

Well, which one is it, my friend? Do you believe in Jesus (and that He paid your price on the Cross), or do you believe in yourself (and your own “goodness”)?

Does that sound like someone whose repented towards God and placed their trust in Christ alone to be saved (i.e.- Acts 17:30, 20:21)?! – Or does that sound like someone whose trusting in themselves to be saved (i.e.- Luk 18:9-14) ?!

The greater point is this: Who are we to declare that another person is saved when we can’t see their heart,… we’re possibly giving a professing believer a vote of confidence when they don’t actually possess Christ? – We might actually be hurting them.

We’re talking about the actual giving of the Gospel and how to deal with those that MIGHT be new converts.

In the New Testament, we see the disciples helping people understand the fullness of the Gospel…

… throwing out the offer of salvation like water, and encouraging people to accept the message and go forward in the Word.

I looked up in a concordance the phrase “you are saved”, to see how many times that may have been said in the Bible to a potential new believer.

Here’s the only verse that came up:

1 Cor 15:2 NIV “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.”

Here we see CAUTION in pronouncing someone to be saved, NOT ASSUMPTION.

And there’s a big “if” statement here, revealing the biblical fact that a genuine believer will follow Christ and His Word, at least to some degree in their lives.

The genuine believer will “hold firmly to the word”, if he has placed his trust in the Lord Jesus as his Savior!

Why is that so? – Because a true believer has had his heart changed by the Lord!

According to this verse, holding fast to the Word is one characteristic of a saved person. (we also see this truth in the parable of the seed and sower)

So, the Spirit is giving us something to think about…

How many times do we ASSUME a new person to be saved, possibly giving them a false sense of security?

Only God knows who’s saved and who’s not, and I think the point of the Spirit is that’s not our place.  THE SPIRIT HIMSELF WILL GIVE THAT CONVICTION TO EACH BELIEVER. (see 1John)

It’s HIS job, and He’s the only One who knows the heart of a man. (And let’s not forget, the Holy Spirit is the very Spirit of Jesus, according to many scriptures.)

One of the few times Jesus DID confirm a person’s saving faith was with the woman with the alabaster vial.  

And maybe it was because there was clear evidence of her saving faith, before He made such a dogmatic statement about her salvation.  (and of course, as the God-man, Jesus had all knowledge! ☺)

Maybe we should reserve the confirmation of salvation for the Lord and His Spirit.

Luke 7:44-50 “Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  45 “You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet.  46 “You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume.  47 “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.”  48 Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.”  49 Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” 50 And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Again, we see clear evidence of her saving faith here. Maybe that’s why Jesus publicly declared her “saved”.

The fruit of Christ’s love was so clearly in this woman, so the Lord could reassure her of her salvation without hesitation. (her heart was apparently changed!)

Love is the great sign that someone has placed their trust in the Lord Jesus to be saved. Love is the great proof, or evidence, that the Lord has given someone a new heart. 1Jo 3&4, Joh 13:35

Joh 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

God’s love is a fruit that grows in the life of the believer in Jesus Christ!

And ultimately, it is the Lord who knows the heart of a man, and only He knows who is saved and who is not.

The Holy Spirit has been deepening our understanding of regeneration and what it means to be “born again”, or “born of the Spirit”, as in John 3.

And the more we understand the Gospel and its effects… the more powerful, God-centered Gospel we will present.

Rather than watering down the Gospel, we need to get deeper into things like reconciliation and regeneration…

… that men can have peace with God through Christ, and that they must turn to Christ from the heart to be born again! John 3, Rom 10

We’ve also been learning about the characteristics of a genuine believer, or the telltale signs of one who knows Christ as their Lord and Savior, according to Holy Scripture. 

And what has this done but strengthen our faith and our resolve in Who Christ really is?  And to know His unrelenting grace and truth? Joh 1:14

John 1:14 NIV  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

The God-Man, Jesus Christ, is the One we want to get to know better so we can better communicate HIS Gospel.

Here’s another quote from “Tell The Truth” by Will Metzger. Allow this to give you some perspective:

“Regeneration and conversion are words to describe two different ways of viewing salvation.  Regeneration is viewing salvation from God’s side; it is an instantaneous impartation of new life to the soul.  We may or may not be conscious of the exact moment this happened to us.

Conversion, on the other hand, is viewing salvation from our perspective.  It is a process of the entire work of God’s grace from the first dawning of understanding and seeking, to the final closing with Christ in new birth.  For some, this is a period of years; for others merely an hour.  We respond in time to God’s action in eternity.”

Not understanding the conversion process that people may take could be harmful.  

Well-meaning Christians may interrupt the process God is putting people through, pushing them along to saving faith in Christ when they may not be ready and willing yet.

We must remember, the Spirit doesn’t always work according to our time table, even though we’d like Him to. 🙂

There is a pattern in conversion, but God does not limit Himself, as we saw throughout the Word the multiple, various ways people came to salvation.

It helps for us to realize that people are not always regenerated, or born again, the first time they begin calling on the Lord. (i.e. the demon-possessed woman following Paul in Act 16:16-18, and those the Lord said He “never knew” in Mat 7:21-23, and Simon the sorcerer in Act 8:9-24…. )

We mustn’t jump to conclusions and give people a false sense of security when they might only be in the “seeking” stage, even though they might look the part of a believer.

It could be a big mistake on our part to confuse the first workings of the Spirit in them as saving faith.

Of course, we do not want non-believers being deluded into thinking they’re saved BEFORE they’re actually born again by the Spirit!  (i.e. – look how John addressed the Gnostics who denied their sinfulness in 1John.  These people might have been IN the church, or at least they were living among genuine believers, but they weren’t saved.)

Hundreds of years ago, our forefathers in America made some helpful distinctions in this area.

They called an unbeliever, who had no signs of being receptive, a “sleeping sinner”.

When they saw someone starting to respond to the Spirit’s working and starting to learn and listen, they called them “seeking sinners”, or “awakened”…. but they didn’t assume they were saved.

They would then look out for a true positive response towards Christ’s work on their behalf; such as a personal conviction of their own sinfulness, and an active call on Christ to be saved, which would result in the sinner willingly exercising repentance and faith. 

A true believer will have a humility, an attitude of surrender, towards God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

And isn’t it interesting the evidence that gives us?  When a person turns to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, in genuine humility, that leads to genuine faith.

Or when a person expresses their own love and appreciation for Christ (like the woman with the alabaster vial), there’s a good sign of true saving faith!

Do you remember the story I shared with you in the past, about a female friend of mine marrying someone who SAID he was a believer?

Wel,l apparently, he was only a professing Christian at the time.

Years later, when he was struggling with mental weakness, he went to a pastor for guidance, and he said he came out of there “saved”.

And you know what?  You can see his heart is changed.  He’s a changed person. His attitude towards God and Christ and others is totally different! And most of all, he’s appreciative and humble, and thankful to the Lord.

When you talk to him about the Lord, it’s no longer an indifferent, casual response.  And you can tell by his conviction that he now has a relationship with the Lord and that his heart has been changed.

This doesn’t mean we can judge the salvation of others, or that we will always see their heart in their actions. 

But hopefully, we aren’t prematurely assuming people to be saved, who might only be “seeking”.  That’s the main point the Spirit is making.

So, each of these “stages” reveals a different relationship with the Creator.

For example, the “seeking sinner” may have God-consciousness, but he’s not yet convicted about Christ or his need for a Savior!

I’ve got several friends like that, who admit there’s a god, but they won’t yet humbly turn to the Lord, Jesus Christ. I’m sure you do too.

Metzger: “The problem is the tendency in modern Christianity to rush someone into the kingdom at the slightest sign of interest in spiritual things.” 

Someone starts seeking, or even going to Bible class, and we might wrongly assume they’ve surrendered in faith to Christ as their Lord and Savior. (how do we know?!!)

But maybe they’re just looking, curious even, or maybe they’re just one of those “knowledge-gatherers” who want to appear intelligent about everything they can, but they never commit to anything.

I have a few friends like that too, unfortunately!

Just because someone goes to church, it doesn’t mean they have trusted in Christ from the heart, as in Rom 10:9-10. 

We see MANY examples and warnings about this throughout Holy Scripture!

I don’t know if it’s because Christians want to count numbers, or take credit, or what it is… but either way it’s a bad habit to try to rush people into the kingdom of God, telling them they’re saved without allowing them to come to their own convictions.

Salvation is a heart issue between each person and the Lord, and nothing can change that truth, not even you or me! 

And while we might have good intentions, no one should get in the way of God’s working in their soul, not even well-intentioned pastors and evangelists.

There’s a time to preach, and a time to keep silent. Sometimes, we’re better off backing away and simply loving them with the love of Christ.

We can be there to answer questions and encourage them, but we should NOT proclaim another person “saved”. We don’t have the right or the wisdom to do that.

Even Jesus was cautious at times, not giving people a false hope, but even testing the spiritual conviction of his would-be disciples. (we see this all throughout the 4 Gospels)

In other words, Jesus didn’t try to rush people into the kingdom of God.  (Think of His patience and poise with Nicodemus in Joh 3:1-18, and the moral rich man in Mar 10:17-27).

There are many people in the Scriptures that would profess faith in Jesus and follow Him for a short time, but then they would go away,…

… and Jesus would often challenge people and push them away, to help them see if their faith was genuine! (i.e. read the end of John 6)

Jesus wouldn’t accept a false faith, or people coming to Him for the wrong reasons. Read the 4 Gospels and see it for yourself!

The faith of many people in the Bible was found unproven in the end, just as we see in the parable of the soils. There we see that true faith given from God results is good fruit of some kind. 

But many people remain pretenders, playing a religious game with God.

As Jesus said, the way is NARROW that leads to life and there are FEW who find it! 

Mat 7:13-14 Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. 

This is a good scripture to remind us that not everyone who uses the name of the Lord is saved.

We shouldn’t be naive about that.

More on the fullness of the Gospel…

We should point people to a personal Savior – not just to the meaning of life or peace of heart,… because the real problem is one’s personal sin against God.

SIN is the problem that must be clearly and honestly presented to people.

And instead of “enticing” people with promises of blessings, we should make sure they understand God’s wrath against sin, and therefore, their NEED for the Savior.

They need to turn to Christ from the heart to be saved! Salvation must truly be a “come to Jesus” moment, because saving faith is of the heart. Rom 10

Jer 29:13  “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Salvation is between each person and the Lord.

Metzger: “True salvation not only secures the forgiveness of rebels, but their obedience as well.”  i.e. – Heb 5:9, Joh 3:36

We’ve been seeing this for a while now in our studies.

Heb 5:9  “And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.”

Joh 3:36  “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

One evidence of saving faith is some degree of obedience to the Lord Jesus and His Word. (and please remember, none of us is perfect in this life, as we still carry around our old sinful nature)

Again, we can’t judge what’s going on in another person’s heart, but obedience is another evidence that one’s heart has been changed by God.

A repeating point of the Spirit is that SAVING FAITH WILL REVEAL ITSELF, being evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit, Gal 5:22-23, and especially evidenced by love, as well as certain other signs, as in the letter of 1John.

For example, if we are believers, the Bible says we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us! (Joh 14:26, Eph 1:13, 4:30)

Therefore, if the Spirit of Christ is living inside of us, we WILL produce some type of good fruit in our lives. How could we not?!!

Gal 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Now again, we’re not saying this fruit is ALWAYS evident in the believer’s life, as in whenever he sins, and all believers still sin. (i.e. see Romans 7)

We’re not talking about perfection here, we’re talking about LIFESTYLE. 

There is a new life that reveals itself, from the nature of Christ within the believer!

And LOVE is one of the key signs someone has received the gift of saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Eph 2:8-9, Mat 16:7, Joh 1:12-13

As the Lord said in the parable of the sower, the true believer WILL produce some type of fruit in their lives, whether “a hundred fold, sixty fold, or thirty fold.” Mat 13:8

Mat 13:8 “And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

Signs of True Salvation: If some of these ‘signs’, such as obedience and love, aren’t there at all in someone’s life, then they might only be a professor of faith.  Remember, the Bible tells us it’s possible for someone to believe in vain!  1Co 15:2, 2Co 6:1

1Co 15:1-2 “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.”

2Co 6:1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

One clear case of a mere profession of faith is in John 8, where we see a group of people described as believers, but they do not hold to Christ’s teachings, and in the end they try to stone Him to death!

Signs of True Salvation: Jesus was trying to convict them that unless their deeds matched their claim of a faith, it was not genuine faith! Joh 8:30-59

Joh 8:30-41 As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him. 31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;  32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”  

(in other words, if one doesn’t continue in His Word, he is not truly a His disciple)

33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.  35 “The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.  36 “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.  37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.  38 “I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.”  

39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham.  40 “But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do.  41 “You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.” 

Notice that Jesus says if someone is really a child of Abraham, truly a believer in Christ, then he’ll do the deeds of Abraham!

In other words, if someone’s a believer, he’ll do the deeds that come with true repentance.

Joh 8:42-59 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.  43 “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word.  44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.  45 “But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.  46 “Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?  47 “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” 

48 The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  50 “But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  51 “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.”  

(a salvation issue presented here by the Lord, “never see death”…  here again, we see obedience is a sign of genuine saving faith.)

56 “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”  57 So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”  59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.

These so-called “believers” in vs. 30 and 31 tried to kill our Lord in vs. 59!  

This is more evidence that the genuineness of faith is revealed by its works/deeds.

Genuine faith, which is granted by God, produces good fruit of some kind, while spurious faith is revealed by NOT keeping God’s Word. Joh 8:32,51

As Jesus Himself said, very plainly, “you will know them by their fruits”. (Mat 7:16,20)

Here’s where we’ll begin to close this series on the Fullness of the Gospel:

The Bible instructs people who say they believe in Christ to perform the deeds that come with true repentance. This is simply because that’s the evidence that our faith is genuine and we’re not fooling ourselves. Mat 3:7-10, Luk 3:7-14, 8:15, 19:8-9, Joh 8:39-42, Acts 26:19-21, 2 Co 7:10-11, 1Pe 1:7

If you read your Bible, in context, you’ll see this is a very consistent message; from John the Baptist, to the Lord Jesus Christ, to the Apostle Paul, and the letters of Peter and James and John.

In other words, the Bible tells us to make sure our faith is real and we’re not just playing a religious game and fooling ourselves.

And this is NOT about a works program to earn salvation!  We are saved by God’s grace, through faith, and not by works! Eph 2:8-9. And by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified! Rom 3:20,28

That’s the mistake some major religious denominations make, putting the cart before the horse,… putting works before faith.

THIS DISCUSSION IS ABOUT FAITH, AND WHAT TRUE FAITH FROM GOD LOOKS LIKE, AND INEVITABLY RESULTS IN. 

Rom 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 

This is also about people living in self-deception and not even being truthful with themselves.  

Have you ever not been truthful with yourself? (that’s our flesh in action!)

The Bible says we often deceive ourselves… WHY?? – we even do so willingly, because that way we don’t have to change our lives or turn away from sin.

Holy Scripture tells us to “test” ourselves to see if we are “in the faith”.

And it’s possible to “fail the test”, which means not really being “in the faith”, but playing some type of religious game. 2Cor 13:5

2 Cor 13:5 “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you — unless indeed you fail the test?”

But also, as the Spirit’s been telling us lately: if you DO see signs of saving faith in your life, such as obedience and especially love, then REST ON THAT!  

Be assured of your salvation if you see those good things of God in your life, because your salvation IS accompanied by good deeds, even in the heart, through the power of the Holy Spirit in you. Rom 8

The Bible also tells us that a true believer will be assured by the Holy Spirit within him. 1John

Now, back to the idea of performing deeds that keep with repentance…

… in other words, the two should agree!

By now, you should understand that we are speaking about the EVIDENCE of saving faith, here…. the EVIDENCE of one who is born again and saved, ala John 3.

Again, this is NOT about a works program to earn salvation!  

We are saved by God’s grace, through faith in Christ, and not by works! Eph 2:8-9. 

And by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified! Rom 3:20,28

But also…

The Bible instructs people who say they believe in Christ to perform the deeds that come with repentance. This is simply because that’s the evidence that our faith is genuine and we are not fooling ourselves. Mat 3:7-10, Luk 3:7-14, 8:15, 19:8-9, Joh 8:39-42, Acts 26:19-21, 2 Co 7:10-11, 1Pe 1:7

Luke 3:3 “And he (John the Baptist) came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;”

Then he challenges the crowds of people, basically saying: “do you really want to repent, or are you playing a game with God?”

Luke 3:7-14 “So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 “Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ (as we just saw in John 8) for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 9 “Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” 

(No good fruit in one’s life reveals a lack of genuine, saving faith)

10 And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?” 11 And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” 12 And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” 14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.” 

Ask yourself, if we’re saved by grace through faith (which we are), then why did John the Baptist say this? Was he telling them they had to earn their salvation? (may it never be! –  that’s impossible on our own! Mat 5:48)

He was letting them know that these humble, righteous actions reveal true repentance in one’s heart; someone who honestly believes/fears God. 

By the way, Fear of God is another evidence of genuine faith and God treats that man in grace (See Psa 103).

In Luke 3, John the Baptist gives them some practical examples of what true repentance results in.

Again, John the Baptist was saying, if you’ve really repented, then “bear fruits in keeping with repentance”.  Otherwise, you’re just fooling yourself (See the book of James).

The Bible is surprisingly simple. He’s basically telling them not to fool themselves.

And he’s telling people not to deceive themselves by checking off some religious box; because God looks at the heart, after all!

We must remember the Lord requires humble, repentant faith. (that’s the faith that He gives to the humble, by grace. Jam 4:6, 1Pe 5:5, Eph 2:8-9)

Again;

The Bible instructs people who say they believe in Christ to perform the deeds that come with repentance. This is simply because that’s the evidence that our faith is genuine and we are not fooling ourselves. Mat 3:7-10, Luk 3:7-14, 8:15, 19:8-9, Joh 8:39-42, Acts 26:19-21, 2 Co 7:10-11, 1Pe 1:7

Even our Lord Jesus Christ called out the “believing” Jews we just read about in John 8:39.

John 8:39 “They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham.”

Being Abraham’s children by blood relation wouldn’t save them. The Lord was saying they had to be Abraham’s children by faith.

The Lord, Himself, also said that believers will produce fruit with perseverance:

Luke 8:15 “But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. 

And the Apostle Paul gave the same instructions with the Gospel…

Acts 26:19-20 “So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. 

Paul, the apostle of grace, declares the same principle as John the Baptist, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Ultimately, it’s a warning, so people can check themselves and see if they’re honestly in the faith, or not.

As we read through our Bibles, there is no way around the fact that true repentance produces certain good deeds in us. And if not, there’s a problem with one’s faith in the first place!

Here’s another example of what true repentance/faith looks like:

2 Co 7:10-11 “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.”

True repentance means a broken, changed heart; a heart changed by God, and therefore good deeds are done in humility, as a result of the faith that God gives the believer!

In a similar way, if you have God’s love, it cannot help but express itself!  

And what is that love?  – A major sign of saving faith according to Holy Scripture.

This is the “proof of your faith” Peter was talking about in 1Peter 1.

1 Peter 1:7  so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Another interesting example of producing good fruit as a sign of true repentance/faith is in Luk 13:1-9.

I never saw the big picture like this before, from our Lord’s own mouth…

Luke 13:1-9 “Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate?  3 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.  4 “Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem?  5 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” 

6 And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.  7 “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’  8 “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer;  9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'” 

Notice again, the connection between true repentance and bearing good fruit. 

Jesus told the Jews to repent, and then he told them this parable about the fruit of the fig tree as an example of its evidence.

Do you see it??? Do you see the connection?

And then there’s the example of our Lord with our old friend, Zaccheus the tax collector:

Luke 19:8-9 Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.

How do we know, my friends, that Zaccheus trusted in the Lord with his heart and was now saved, now “a son of Abraham”, by faith? 

For one simple reason that the Lord Himself said: He did the deeds of Abraham. John 8:39, Rom 10:9-10

And as we’ve been seeing from many different scriptures, genuine repentance/faith are evidenced by good fruit of some kind in the believer’s life.

Otherwise, we might be looking at a spurious faith.

And that, my friends, is the divine capstone to the Fullness of the Gospel!

Let’s close in prayer:

“Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for another wonderful day together as your family, fellowshipping in your Word.

And if anyone is listening right now who has never trusted in the Lord Jesus for their salvation, we ask Father that you graciously help them turn to your Son.

You are a sinner, as we all are, and you need a Savior. No one is capable of earning their own way with God, because the requirement is perfection!

God calls us to repent towards Him and turn to Christ alone as our Lord and Savior.  

And He is there right now waiting for you to surrender in humble, repentant faith.  

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” -Acts 16:31

It’s between each of us and the Lord.

Father, we thank you for anyone who has humbly placed their trust in Christ for the first time.  We welcome them to your family, as your children, adopted by Your grace, through faith. 

Please bless us as we go Father, we praise your Name, for all You do, and for all You trust us with.

In Christ’s precious Name we pray, by the power of your Spirit. 

Amen.