Who and What?

 

Salvation, righteousness and everlasting acceptance by a holy God is only to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ and His work of redemption. Paul declared, "I know Whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (II TIMOTHY 1:12). Who we believe is vital. Having said that, we also understand that Who we believe does not mean what we believe is unimportant. If what we believe were of no consequence, the Savior would not have admonished, "Take heed what ye hear" (MARK 4:24).

We will only believe the Savior as we understand Who and what God is, what we are by nature, what Jesus Christ is in His person, what He did by His substitutionary sacrifice, and what was the necessity for the sacrifice of Himself. By effectual grace we are made to know that the only way God can be a just God and a Savior is through the person and work of Christ. "They shall all be taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me" (JOHN 6:45). All who are divinely taught to trust Christ for salvation believe both Who and what.

We have been instructed as to what we are by nature, a sinful people, cut off and separated from God, and we receive the instruction. We have learned that God is holy and "will by no means clear the guilty" (EXODUS 34:7), that He can accept nothing less than perfection, and we believe those things. We have been made to know that we cannot be forgiven of sins and justified by God by human works or merit, but solely on the basis of the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, and we whole-heartedly embrace those truths.

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (GALATIANS 2:16).

Let’s be careful that we do not undervalue Who we believe or what we believe because both are indispensable. We will only believe the right Who as we understand what He is - both God and Man - what His intent was in coming into this world – "TO SAVE SINNERS" (I TIMOTHY 1:15) - and what was required in order to accomplish that purpose - His sinless life, justice-satisfying death and triumphant resurrection.


-Gospel report by preacher Jim Byrd

Thirteenth Street Baptist church of Ashland, Kentucky USA

Audio Gospel Sermon, “CHRIST'S FINISHED WORK” - 36 minutes:


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