"BELIEVING"

Believing is so important because an unbeliever is going to be lost.  As a tree falleth so shall it be.  Today, we need to believe our soul and salvation are important. I want to take our text out of the book of Ephesians 2:1 (this is Paul's writing). He said, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;".  I'm going to stop right there for just a second, and I want to explain this word quicken. 

The word quicken means to be made alive and that is important to you.  Being alive is not just that you're a jolly person or that you're a free will type person.  Being alive means to be alive in Jesus Christ not being dead in sin.  That's the difference of what this being alive or being quicken vs being dead in sin is.  Let’s read it again,... 2:1 "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:   3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.  4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)" KJV    

Now that's where I want to stop.  I want to go back over some of that.  He talked about being quick and being made alive…you were quickened…you were made to be brought out of sin.  The Bible talks about in 1 John 3:14, "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." KJV

If we truly have the love of God in us (we love our brother), we will do for our brother when he is in need.  There are things that we as Christians should do, and God has put them in his book.  There are so many verses in there that would tell you that but I want to talk about this mercy. 

Believe in Jesus? This mercy of God: "When we were yet sinners, Christ died for us".  The point I want you to get is when we were yet sinners Christ died for us.  He doesn't want us to stay in that state of mind.  He wants us to get out of being in sin.  I will show here in a little while who you obey is who you are a servant of.  If you obey Satan and sin...the things that you do in life, then you're a servant of that.   If you obey Jesus Christ then you're a servant of the Lord.  If Jesus Christ is Lord of your life today then you have laid down the filth of the flesh...you have laid down that sin where he said in Ephesians 2:2 "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:" Those whom you obey is who you are servant to.  

What does it mean to believe in Jesus?  Do you obey Jesus Christ or do you obey Satan?  Do you obey that of the heart? What is speaking to your heart today?  Is it that you have to sin? I don't believe that you do.  I believe that you can lay those things down. In 2nd Peter 1:2, it says, "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord".  Notice he said grace and peace be multiplied unto you. Some people would have you to believe that you get the grace of God whether you want it or whether you do anything or not. I don't believe in that. I do believe in the free gift. I do believe that grace came by Jesus Christ. I do believe that there is nothing I could do that would cause the grace of God to be on this earth or on me but there is something that I can do to receive the benefits of that grace. I want to show you what I'm talking about.

How to believe in Jesus  He said, Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God.  How do you get knowledge?  How do you know about Jesus Christ?  In 2nd Peter 1:11, it says, "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ".KJV  You have to first hear the word preached. Jesus told his disciples, John 6:53, "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you."  There were many that turned and walked with him no more.   All they could imagine was going up and tearing a bite off of him.  That wasn't what he was speaking about.  He was speaking about listening to this word and obeying this word.  This word says, "Shall we continue in sin?" Romans 6:1, it says, "What shall we say then?  Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid.  How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" KJV

For us to be saved by Grace, we have to get in Jesus Christ.  2nd Peter 1:11, "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you"...abundantly ministered.  When you hear the preached Word of God...when you hear a real God called preacher telling you that you have to lay down the filth of the flesh and then somebody tells you that you can continue in sin and grace will save you…you go to Romans Chapter 6 and you tell him the Bible said, “What?  Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" I don't think so.  We have to get out of that.  We have to live a life free from sin.  You say, "I can't do that."…yes, you can. The blood of Jesus Christ can help you to do that. 

I quote it quite often…1st John 2:1, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:". There's a way out of this. I'm going to come back to this 2 Peter but I want to read something to you.  This is St.John 3:16…everybody knows this verse is probably the most quoted verse in the Bible..."For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  Now, that is the grace of God.  That's what he's talking about in Ephesians 2:4, "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)".  KJV  Now I want to talk to you about the free gift.

The Free Gift 

Jesus Christ is that free gift.  We didn't do anything to cause it to be here that was good.  The things that we did was bad.  That's why Jesus had to come.  Jesus had to come because we were in sin.  It was nothing we did good that caused him to be here.  That free gift didn't come because we did good.  The free gift came because we had done bad.  We were living in sin but we received that grace. 

John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2, "The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.  3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Now what does it mean to be born again?  Nicodemus was looking at it (he was a wise man...he was a ruler of the Jews) from a natural concept.  "4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?"  He was looking at it from a natural standpoint. But, Jesus showed in the way that all this happens, and this is what you have to do. 

Why believe in Jesus?  We have been talking about believing.  He that cometh to God must believe.  That's why you must believe.  That's something you have to do.  You have to do this very next part.  I will preach to you the entrance.  I will show you the way to get in.  And, any God called preacher will do that.  I will teach you that Jesus Christ gives us a way. This road map shows us the way how to live free from sin but you have to do something.  This is what you have to do.  Jesus told Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."KJV  You have to be baptized.  You have to believe and be baptized.  Now, what does baptism do for you?  Baptism washes away the sin.  If you go into the water and you are buried in baptism like Jesus’ death was…for you to be buried in baptism…you are to raise up in a newness of life. 

What does that do?  It takes away the sin that is in your life.  It gets rid of what you have done and it causes you to walk in a newness of life.  You have to change. Grace is not going to save you without any effort on your part.  You have to change.  You have to be born again.  You have to repent of your sins and be baptized.  That is two things that you have to do for you to be able to get into the kingdom of God. I can preach all day long to you that Jesus Christ will save you.  His grace will save you.  It is a free gift of God.  Yes, it is.  But if you don't do your part, you are not going to receive it.  

We love the Lord. God has just richly blessed us with his Spirit...our services have just been pouring out of God's Spirit. May God bless you as our friend.  ~Consider what we say, and the Lord will give you understanding in all things.