SAVING FAITH

Pastor James J. Barker

Text: JOHN 3:16-18




INTRODUCTION:


  1. I would like to talk about faith tonight. Faith is constantly exercised in daily life.
  2. A few years ago I heard a preacher say we must have faith in the water company because we drink their water and use their water to brush our teeth.
  3. We have faith in the bank because we deposit our paychecks there.
  4. The patient who goes and lies down on the operating table must have faith in the hospital and the doctors and nurses who treat him.
  5. The patient exercises faith when he allows the anesthetic to be given. He trusts the surgeon to operate, because he has faith in his medical skills.
  6. Passengers who ride on trains trust the conductor, and those who fly in airplanes have faith that the pilot will get them safely to their destination.
  7. Tonight I would like to preach about faith, because God brings this same principle of faith into the matter of salvation.

 

I. FAITH IN THE LORD'S NAME

  1. We read in John 1:12, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."
  2. His name represents His Person and His authority and His power.
  3. There is power in Jesus' name. One of the most popular hymns is "All hail the power of Jesus’ Name."
  4. "All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall;
    Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all."
  5. Many years ago, there was a missionary in India by the name of E. P. Scott. Let me read to you a story about him.
  6. "His friends had urged him not to ven­ture near a cer­tain bar­bar­ous in­land tribe, whom he wished to evan­gel­ize. But he went forth with high cour­age, ne­ver wa­ver­ing in his du­ty, and trust­ing in God to pro­tect him. When at last he reached their coun­try among the hills, he came up­on a com­pa­ny of these sav­ag­es. Im­me­di­ate­ly they sur­round­ed him, point­ing their spears at him with threat­en­ing scowls. He had no­thing in his hand but his vi­o­lin; and so, clos­ing his eyes, he be­gan to play and sing, 'All Hail the Pow­er of Je­sus’ Name.' When at last he opened his eyes he ex­pect­ed to be killed in­stant­ly. But his life had been spared through the sing­ing of the hymn. Their spears had dropped, and they re­ceived him first with cur­i­o­si­ty and in­ter­est, and then lat­er with ea­gern­ess, as he told them the gos­pel sto­ry and won their hearts to the will of Je­sus Christ."
  7. His full name is the Lord (God) Jesus (Saviour) Christ (Messiah, the Anointed One).
  8. The angel said to Joseph in Matthew 1:21, "Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
  9. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only one who has the power, the knowledge, the ability, the willingness, and the right to save those who are lost.
  10. Jesus said in Luke 19:10, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
  11. The name of Jesus is above every other name. Philippians 2:9-11 says, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
  12. The name of Jesus is far greater than any other name on earth.
  13. The Lord Jesus is the only One who can put away our sins and blot them out. He said in John 6:37, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
  14. The Lord Jesus Christ is sinner's only hope.
  15. There is a term we see often in the Bible -- "our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
  16. Is He your Lord and Saviour?

 

II. FAITH IN HIS WORDS (JOHN 3:34).

  1. Our Lord said in John 6:63, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."
  2. Some people deny the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Can you imagine any other man making such a statement?
  3. If you do hear a man say such things, mark it down: he is either crazy or mixed up in doctrines of devils or both.
  4. Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." That is why we have Vacation BIBLE School with Neighborhood BIBLE Time. The Bible is our emphasis.
  5. First Peter 1:23 says, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
  6. In John 8:46, our Lord said, "Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?"
  7. The Lord Jesus on this occasion invited His adversaries to examine His words. But they refused to believe His words, so He said, "He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God" (John 8:47).
  8. A doctor (who was also a preacher) named Walter Wilson, said this, "One evening I was called to a home on a case of sickness. I made a thorough examination of the patient and reported my diagnosis to the anxious family. The husband of the sick lady was rather indignant because of my findings, as I reported them. He refused to believe that the wife was ill with a cancer, as I had said. He did not want me to continue as a physician for his wife, and so he paid me for the call and dismissed me from the case. He did not believe my words. The report I had given was not such as he wanted to hear. He rejected the doctor because of his words.
  9. "The Lord Jesus has diagnosed your case and He wants you to believe His words. The diagnosis from Heaven is this, 'For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God' (Romans 3:23). Some come short more than others, but none reach up to God's standards.
  10. "Some commit more sins than others, but all are guilty. You may not like the report, and you may reject the diagnosis, but our Lord said, 'He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day' (John 12:48)."
  11. Notice the importance of believing the Word of God. In John 6:68, Simon Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life."

 

III. FAITH IN HIS WORKS

  1. Our Lord said in John 10:37, 38, "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him."
  2. The Lord is asking us to consider His workmanship.  First and foremost, our Lord came here to die on the cross for our sins.
  3. His work was a finished work. Our Lord prayed to God the Father in John 17:4, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."
  4. As our Lord hung on that cruel cross, He cried out, "It is finished" (John 19:30).
  5. His work was a perfect work. You or I cannot add to it or improve upon it. No one in this world can.
  6. God's redemptive work was done that day on Mount Calvary. The Lord Jesus Christ had finished paying the penalty of sin.
  7. Our Lord had finished the task which would make sinful man acceptable to a sinless God.
  8. Our Lord has completed the work of salvation. There is nothing more which can be done. He had suffered, the Just for the unjust -- "that he might bring us to God."
  9. There is no other way to get right with God.

 

CONCLUSION:

  1. I was out soulwinning recently and my partner used a great illustration as he was explaining saving faith.
  2. He said, "Suppose you were out in the ocean, and did not know how to swim, and you were drowning and flailing your arms, etc." Soon you would drown.
  3. Then you saw a lifeguard swimming out to you.
  4. He shouts out, "Stop moving your arms and legs. Trust me. Hold on to me, and I will rescue you."
  5. But suppose you refused to listen to him, and you continued struggling in the water, and flailing your arms, etc.
  6. What would happen?
  7. The right response: believe the lifeguard, and he will save you!
  8. Application: believe the Lord Jesus Christ and He will save you!
  9. You cannot save yourself!


| Customized by Jun Gapuz |