At every point the devil tries is to confuse us on salvation, both its simplicity and complexity. His desire is to remove from us the simplicity and through subtle means he tries to do it. The simplicity and the complexity are seen in these passages.
John 6:47 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” I John 5: 9 “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.”
Now let’s look back at John 6: 45-46. “It is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.” Because of what is written in these two verses, in verse 47 Jesus said we can take him at his word. That’s what “verily, verily” means—truly, truly. Believing and having are together several times. For example, John 3:16 says “whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
I John 5:7 was written to Christians many years later and says “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” If we are willing to take men at their word, how much more should we take God at his? The record is eternal life, and it is in the person of his son. He who doesn’t know the son doesn’t have life. See the simplicity in that. We tend to make it complex, but it’s the Lord who went to great effort to make salvation available to us. It was and is provided by the God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.
The Lord undertook the complexity in order to make it as simple as can be for us. Isaiah said a wayfaring man though a fool won’t err in it. We don’t have to understand the complexity; we just have to trust the one who does. What I can’t begin to handle he can. We can’t handle one sin, but he has and always will. Some reverse it and try to prove it before they accept it. The “give it to me first and I’ll believe” thinking. We don’t bargain with God. He doesn’t need our help. That’s putting the cart before the horse. We don’t first have to feel something or try to work things out. We don’t believe and then have to climb Mount Rogers to be saved; we don’t believe and have to memorize the entire Bible. Romans 10:9-10 says “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Just believe in HIM.
Everything that was complex has been done. Jesus was delivered into the hands of sinful men to suffer to the death that we might have life. The hard part belonged to God. It still does. By our simple belief in him we are kept safe. I can’t add to anything. The key to it all is in believing on the Lord. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” We can’t keep ourselves saved. The more we try to do other things the worse off we are. Don’t lean on anything or anyone else but he who leaned on Calvary. Our eternal safety lies on our belief in him.
We can’t make bargains to find salvation. We can’t say if you do this first I’ll trust you. We have to trust him for who he is and what he is. We have a tendency to add to it or take away the power of Jesus Christ. Believing is not hoping you’re saved or wishing you’re saved. You trust in a person who gives you eternal life. We cannot save ourselves. There is no “co-saving.” The Lord doesn’t need our help. He is simply ours for the saving, having, and keeping of our soul. Ephesians says we are the recipients of the gift of God. He’s not holding it back. Salvation is ours when we realize what a miserable sinner we are and trust in the Lord who takes us as we are. We believe in him and he gives salvation to us. Every believer with complete faith in Jesus Christ has eternal life. We don’t feel something; we feel someone!
We don’t listen to others without wanting the truth ahead of time. We won’t go down to the airport and ask for a ticket, get on board and expect to go to Florida. We first access information on which plane to get on. Jesus is taking care of us. Because we have the witness in his word, we trust he can take care of the rest.
The truth turns on light. We see our need of salvation. Truth comes from the Word and we begin to believe who we are, who he is, and then we trust him to save us and give us eternal life. Complexity. Forget about figuring it out. Remember the Lord made it simple. Turn it all over to the Savior and let him be Master. There is no need to be confused. It’s simple. Simply believe on Him with all your all.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 