#1450 1107 10A

          Being inspired to believe, in faith, that Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins is the issue.  Romans 10:9 ”If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”  Salvation is a gift of God, through a believing faith in His Son, for converting our heart to one that trusts God.  Maintaining this position of trust on God, and keeping our faith on the Atonement Blood of Christ is vital.

          Eternal life is our only goal, so an enduring faith to assure the gift is our primary concern.  Believing faith in Jesus is directly connected to receiving our eternal inheritance.  Every human soul will spend forever in one of two places—either extreme happiness in heaven or unending torture in hell.  Believing Jesus in faith is the most important issue we will ever face.

          A future home in God’s kingdom is promised when a believing faith remains on the Atonement work of Christ.  Accepting the blood sacrifice of Jesus to change our heart is a right start, but that seed of faith must grow and increase.  Luke 3:9 ”Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees, so that every tree which fails to yield good fruit will quickly be hewn down and thrown into the fire."  If the spiritual fruit of believing trust is not seen, Jesus would have to say Luke 13:27, “I know you not,” because God considers it evil not to trust Him in faith.

          The true Christian life is a daily struggle against the “spiritual forces of evil” Ephesians 6:12.  We fight an enemy who is out to destroy our soul.  We must believe in faith that Jesus has all power and authority in heaven and on earth Matthew 28:18 because it is the key to victory over the devil.

The Atonement sacrifice of Jesus paid the price for every sin, so we should claim what God has promised.  Believing Jesus in faith includes the healing of our body without medication; the provision of each day’s needs without welfare checks; the protection of our loved ones without firearms; and the saving of our soul by that same believing faith in Christ.

          To accept the forgiveness of Jesus, is to extend the same to everyone else.  Matthew 6:15 ”If you do not forgive others their offences, neither will your Father forgive yours.”  The apostle said Colossians 3:13 “Just as the Lord has forgiven you, you also must forgive.”  Believing Jesus in faith means following through with His words “Forgive, and you will be forgiven” Luke 6:37.

          God’s Truth of the Bible is available for anyone to read, believe, and put into practice by the power of His Spirit.  The devil works constantly to draw people away from faith in God, because he wants to destroy their soul.  Matthew 13:19 "When anyone hears the word [Message] of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.”

          Believing Jesus in faith is the result of loving God in our heart.  John 13:20 ”He who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."  Heaven is the gift for all those who believe in faith, on what Jesus accomplished on the cross.  Not many enter the kingdom, because not many trust God in faith.  Many will try, but they do not enter, because they did not Luke 13:24 ”Strive [made no effort] to enter in at the strait gate.”

          Our love for God must be real and our faith in Jesus must endure because 1 John 2:5 “whoever keeps His word [obeys His Message], truly the love of God is perfected in him.”  Jesus lived each day by faith in His Father, and we live each day by our faith in His Atonement.  Believing in His sacrifice for sin, is what keeps us from falling and presents us without fault before His throne Jude 1:24.

          Accepting Jesus into our heart, means we are willing to believe in His resurrection power to heal our body without drugs; to supply each day’s needs without stored-up cash; and to avenge our wrongs without retaliation on our part.  John 14:23 "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” 

          This new life of believing Jesus in faith takes place here on earth, because it cannot happen in the next.  Our sin nature must be removed from our heart; and the divine nature installed in our heart.  Until we recognize our rebellious nature, and allow God to give us a believing one, we are on a crash course to destruction.  Today is the day to consecrate our life to God, and to start trusting on the Atonement power of the cross.

          Satan deceives millions to think that spiritual growth is not necessary, but God says it is John 15:2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away.”  So 2 Peter 3:17-18 “beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

          Many are religious-looking on the outside, but spiritually-dead on the inside—with no faith and no  trust on God.  Spiritual growth means learning spiritual lessons of how to trust God in believing faith.  Romans 12:2 “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”—then God can begin to do the spiritual work; and Philippians 1:6 “He who has begun a good work within you will go on to perfect it in preparation for the day of Jesus Christ.”

          There is a beginning and a continuing trust on the Atonement Jesus made for us.  When we commit our life to God, tests of our faith will be met.  Every insult, and every difficult person or situation, is a spiritual-growth opportunity that will work for our spiritual good, if we allow God to bring the change we need.

          Luke 13:34 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!”  Being willing to believe Jesus in faith, is a first and crucial step.  It is the Holy Spirit Who inspires faith.  1 Corinthians 2:14 ”The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him”—they are understood only by a spiritual mind that is willing to believe.

          We believe the words of a trusted friend—how much more should we believe the words of a faithful God.  John 14:1 ”Trust in God, trust also in me.”  We believe and trust God each day to prepare our hearts by the faith lessons He gives.

          Allowing God to replace our rebellious and distrusting heart, with a believing and trusting one, is critical because ”the sinful mind is hostile to [enmity against] God.  It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so” Romans 8:7.

The reply of the faithful Hebrews is the reply of every faithful believer.  They were given a human way out, but they rejected it and obeyed God. These men faced the same devil, and they felt the same fear, but they also had the choice to trust the same God, and to enjoy the same victory by faith.

They said Daniel 3:16-18, “We are not careful to answer thee in this matter.  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

          Their decision to trust God in believing faith enabled Him to quench the violence of fire.  The protection was incredible, but God created fire, so He can certainly control it.  Believing Jesus in faith, because He paid for our sins on the cross, enables us to act in faith on His promise to deliver. 

Abel offered a blood sacrifice and was accepted; and Abraham would sacrifice his son, because they both were inspired in faith to believe God.  Anyone can have that same faith, because we have the same God in whom to trust.

          By faith, the true believer rejects the world’s financial plans of pensions, welfare checks, or any other type of laid-up money—and is willing to trust God in faith for the needs of each day.  By faith, the true believer rejects all medication, drugs, pills, or prescriptions—and is willing to trust God in believing faith for divine healing, health, and protection.  By faith, a true believer in Christ does not own their home or real estate, but trusts God each day for the money to pay rental costs and all other expenses—without laid-up financial resources.

Believing Jesus in faith means following His teaching on financial trust.  Matthew 6:19 "Do not lay up stores of wealth [treasures] for yourselves on earth,” because 6:21 “Where your wealth [treasure] is, there also will your heart be.”

          It is by faith in God that we do not trust on hand guns, burglar alarms and other such de-vices, but trust on God to protect us from accidents, injury, or loss.  By faith, a believer trusts God for the ability to do their work—no matter what wages are paid, or what attitudes other employees have.  We work for the Lord—not for the boss Ephesians 6:7.  The process of becoming like Christ begins, when we give our life to God without reservation or any indecision.

          The first thing on the list is to repent, confess our rebellion, forsake our sins, and place a believing faith in the Atonement work of the cross.  The task of perfecting our faith is in the hands of the Author of life—Hebrews 12:2.  If we trust God for our health, healing, protection, and supplies on earth, then we can also trust Him for eternal life in heaven.