If believing in Jesus Christ is so all-important, (and it really is) then we must understand what is really involved in “believing.” It is very common today to use the phrase, “make a decision for Christ.” To me this implies a mental exercise of the mind. Believing “in” and “on” the Lord Jesus Christ involves much more than a “head decision” or a “decision of the mind.” It includes the mind, but it really goes far beyond the mind to encompass the “will” and the “totality of the person.” It involves the total “giving up of self” and the total “receiving of The Person of The Lord Jesus Christ.”
Let’s explore those elements that make up “believing in and on the Lord Jesus Christ.” We all understand that we must believe in Jesus in order to be “saved,” “born again,” “made a new creation,” and thus become a part of God’s family – to become a child of God. We understand that the “refusal to believe” (or “unbelief”) is a sin that blocks us from receiving the forgiveness of God, The Father and thus receiving “HIS Free Gift of Salvation.” In other words, “believing” is absolutely crucial to becoming a part of the Family of God and receiving “Eternal Life.” Yes, we must “Believe” in order to be saved! We can be “saved” in no other way!
When we are saved, we receive the “Seal” of The Holy Spirit from God Our Father. Our citizenship is changed to “Heaven” and we are forever more SAVED!
As we live our life as a “New Creation” – as a new “Child of God” – as a new “Citizen of Heaven”, we must “hold fast the Faith” – continue in that “belief” – continue “in The Faith” in order to maintain unbroken fellowship with God -- to please Him -- to be a vessel of HONOR -- to BE IN HIS WILL. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us, (6) “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” NIV GOD stated in HIS Word in three places, “MY just ones shall live by Faith.” Our understanding then, of all that is involved in “believing” is critical now and for as long as we live on this earth in these human bodies.
The beginning of “our process of believing” is CONVICTION. Actually this is not our work but the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s first work, as recorded in John 16:8-9, is to “convict of sin.” Our first step in the “process of believing” is that we must come to “know” that we are “in sin” -- that we are “lost”-- that we “need a Savior.” This “knowledge” comes to us only by the convicting work of The Holy Spirit in our hearts. The result is to make us consciously aware of our sin -- our lost condition -- our need of Jesus Christ as Savior. Once we are convicted by the HOLY SPIRIT -- Once we become consciously aware of our condition of SIN, we must respond. We must say “yes” to Jesus or we will say “no.” We must respond! To do nothing or to put it off is to reject the HOLY SPIRIT’S “drawing to GOD.”
It is when we respond “yes” that we move to the second step. Now that we are convicted of our sinful condition, we must repent of our sin. We must turn from our sin (repent) and turn to Jesus Christ. Jesus began His earthly ministry by first preaching “repentance” from sin (Matt 4:17). We cannot just “add” Jesus to our lives and keep our sin. This a critically important point that is all too often ignored by those who are merely “religious.” Most “religious persons” are very willing to simply “add” Jesus to their already overcrowded lives. Sin and belief in Jesus Christ cannot co-exist! Sin and JESUS CHRIST cannot occupy the same vessel.
Now we’re ready for step three! We turn to Jesus and allow HIM to cleanse us of all sin. (At this point, we believe in HIM -- we say YES to HIM -- we ask HIM to come into our life as our Savior and Lord!) JESUS CHRIST will not come in to a vessel until HE cleanses it of sin. The blood of Jesus must be applied to our lives to “cleanse us of all sin” before The Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) will come in to dwell within us. (Let’s note here that for the Child of God, as sin increases in any life, belief decreases. But, praise God, the converse is also true! As sin is dealt with, confessed and forsaken, belief (faith) can and does grow within the life of the “believer”.)
As we repent of our sin and believe, we are now faced with another choice -- our fourth step. We must “accept Jesus into our lives -- into our hearts -- we must receive HIM.” This sounds so simple but I find it is a “stumbling block” for many. I’m concerned that many may voice the words to “invite Jesus into their lives” without ever accepting Him or receiving Him.
Let me offer this illustration, “Jesus stands at our heart’s door and knocks,” we say, “come in” but we never “unlock” the door to our heart. We must “receive” Him, we must “accept” Him, we must “unlock” our heart’s door and let Him come in. This means we must “yield” to Him -- we must “surrender” our “self” to Him. A critical part of this process is for us to permit GOD to “cleanse us” to empty us of “ourself.” We must give up our “right” to our “self” and deny “self.” We cannot simply “add” Jesus to our lives.
When we are “full of self” we cannot be “full of Jesus.” Jesus must be received and accepted as Lord and Master as well as Savior. We become a “bondservant” to Christ -- no longer our own -- we’re bought with a price, the blood of Jesus Christ. We are His! Now, we are “Born Again” -- we become a “part of the Family of God and indwelt by GOD.” We are not made “better human beings.” It is never the goal of GOD to make us better human beings. Instead, it is HIS goal to make us “just like CHRIST! We are made “A New Creation in Christ Jesus”-- “The very Righteousness of God.” The Supernatural Life of God now dwells in us and desires to live (ZOE` “LIFE”) in us and be manifested by GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT -- through us!
I present these steps in an attempt to what must happen as (and when) we become “born again.” For most of us who become children of GOD, these “steps” are blended into what appears to be a single process of “Believing”. When we are “born into The Kingdom of GOD,” we have no conscious awareness of going from step one, to step two, to step three, and finally to step four. Instead we’re aware that we’ve been “made a new creation” -- that “old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.”
This brings us to the point where we begin “Our New Life in Christ Jesus.” When we are “born again,” our “work” as a Child of God begins. It is “to believe,” to “walk in belief,” to “live by faith,” to “trust,” to “yield,” to “submit,” to “surrender -- to allow JESUS CHRIST to live in us and through us.”
Allow me to emphasize a critical point. The object of “our Christian walk” is not to try to live like Jesus -- to mimic Him or to imitate Him. This will only produce a cheap imitation (counterfeit) when we attempt in our own strength to “live like Jesus” or to ask JESUS to “help” us.” There is a great difference in praying, “LORD strengthen me” and “LORD be my Strength.” The first seeks to simply ad a bit of GOD’S Strength to our own. It betrays our attitude “I can almost do it in my own strength, I just need a little help from GOD.” The second is to recognize that our “strength” is useless and to recognize that HIS Strength is unlimited. Remember, it is in “our weakness that GOD is Strong.” GOD desires that we yield to Him -- to die to “self” and allow the Life of Jesus Christ to be formed in us and to shine forth from us! Our “Light” must be “The Light of Jesus within us!” We do not merely reflect HIM or HIS LOVE. Since HE now dwells within us, we emanate THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD (JESUS) that is within us. The “Light” comes from within us and shines forth from us.
YES, my friend! THE “LIGHT” (“JESUS”) that now dwells in us does HIS WORKS in us and through us. Yes, we are created unto good works -- GOD’S WORKS, which HE does in us and through us. “For it is GOD who works in us, to WILL and to WORK for HIS GOOD PLEASURE” AND, I might add -- for our GOOD!
Amen! Amen! Amen!
Pastor J. Gilbert Hammond