Believing the Word

Let's start with these

• Psalm 119:128
• Mark 16:15-18
• John 7:38-39; 20:31
• Romans 1:16; 10:4-17
• Hebrews 4:2

The Necessity of Believing the Word

• Since it contains the message of salvation
• John 5:39; 6:68
• It's imperative we receive, understand, and believe it
• Cornelius and his house "received the Word"
• "received the word" Acts 11:1

The Necessity of Believing the Word

• To receive, you must understand
• Ethiopian eunuch reading the Bible
• Philip asked him Acts 8:30
• After he understood he received it
• He was able to believe - Acts 8:38

The Necessity of Believing the Word

• Not only understanding we have to believe
• The Israelites in the wilderness had the Word
• Most didn't enter because of unbelief
• This example admonishes us
• Hebrews 4:2

The Necessity of Believing the Word

• The way to truly believe God
• Believe His Word
• 2 Chron. 20:20
• We have the Bible to believe and be saved
• Rom 1:16; 2 Tim 3:15; John 20:31

What is True Belief?

Belief(Websters) - a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing

Faith(Websters) - allegiance to duty or a person; loyalty, belief and trust in and loyalty to God

Pisteuo(Greek for believe) - to adhere to, trust, to have faith in; to rely on; to place confidence in; firm persuasion, a conviction based on hearing

So we see that believing or faith is much more than just "knowledge" or even agreeing with something.

True Belief

• Knowledge
• Assent or agreeing
• Appropriation - own it

True Belief

• To have faith we must have
• A certain degree of knowledge/understanding
• We don't have to know everything about God
• We do have to know what we believe

True Belief

• To have faith we must have
• There must be assent or mental acceptance
• Knowledge isn't enough
• We must acknowledge that what we believe is correct

True Belief

• To have faith we must have
• There has to be an appropriation
• An application of Truth
• We do this by obeying the Gospel
• By establishing a relationship with Him

True Belief

• Scriptural examples of those with some faith
• Matthew 7:21-27
• John 2:23-25; 12:42-43
• Acts 8:18-23
• James 2:19

True Belief

• So we see you can have mental belief
• Yet not obey Him
• Not rely on Him for salvation
• And be lost

True Belief

• Scripture tells us it takes obedience
• Roman 16:26, 1:5; 15:18
• Acts 6:7
• John 14:15, 23; 2 Thes 1:7-10; Heb 5:9
• 1 Peter 4:17; 1 John 2:3-5; 5:1-3

True Belief

• God sent the death angel 
• Israelites weren't saved based on mental belief
• They had to apply the blood
• It took action 
• When their faith was expressed through obedience

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes."

What will faith in the Word of God produce?

Application of True Belief

• Jesus preached - Mark 1:15
• It takes faith to repent
• Can't repent until you know sin is wrong
• Yet without repentance we'll perish
• Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30

Application of True Belief

• First step of true belief is repentance
• True belief/Faith leads to baptism
• Mark 16:16 - Jesus taught this
• Day of Pentecost, after Peter's sermon - Acts 2:41
• Samaritans believed Philip - Acts 8:12

Application of True Belief

• True belief/Faith leads to baptism
• Philippian jailer heard Paul and believed - Acts 16:31-34
• Paul preached in Corinth, many believed - Acts 18:8
• We see that baptism is an act of Faith, in response to God
• True Faith causes the believer to receive baptism

Application of True Belief

• Faith leads us to receiving the Holy Ghost
• Jesus preached in John 7:38
• John explained it in John 7:39
• Paul taught that the baptism of the Holy Ghost
• Was for all who believe

Application of True Belief

• Paul identified Cornelius' experience as the Holy Ghost
• Acts 11:17
• Paul expected believers to receive the Holy Ghost
• Talking to disciples of John - Acts 19:2
• Paul taught that we receive the Holy Ghost through faith - Gal 3:14

Application of True Belief

• Faith in God always generates
• A holy lifestyle and good works
• Titus 3:8; James 2:17
• Faith produces a reliance on God
• This is evidenced by works

We are saved through faith; but faith will always produce works and can only be demonstrated by works. James 2:14-26

Thus faith results in repentance, water baptism in Jesus' name, receiving the Holy Ghost, and living a holy life filled with good works.

Does this idea contradict Romans 10:8-10, 13?

Belief, Confession, Salvation

• This is often called the Roman Road
• People take Romans 10 for salvation
• They say just believe Jesus rose
• Confess that He is Lord.
• You're saved!!!(We don't believe this)

Belief, Confession, Salvation

• This interpretation of Romans contradicts
• We believe you have to believe and obey
• Many people who call on Jesus with their mouth
• Will be lost because of a lack of obedience
• Matt 7:21-23; 8:29; James 2:19

Belief, Confession, Salvation

• Let's look at the context of Romans 10
• Paul wasn't talking to sinners
• He was writing to Christians
• He was reminding them, salvation is for all
• It's for "whosoever will" Mark 8:34; Rev 22:17

Belief, Confession, Salvation

• Paul's hearers already had the Holy Ghost
• He was reminding them to keep on believing
• Rom 10:6-8 Paul is quoting Deut 30:12-14(read)
• Deut 30:14 "thou mayest do it"; Rom 10:16
• Confessing and believing require obedience

Belief, Confession, Salvation

• We first confess Him Rom 10:9
• Acts 22:16 - baptism of water
• Acts 2:4 - baptism of the Spirit
• 1 Cor 12:3(b) - only by the Spirit
• You can't call Jesus, your Lord until the HG comes

Belief, Confession, Salvation

• Rom 10:9 - "believe in your heart"
• We have to believe he rose
• We also rely on this for our salvation Rom 4:21-25
• The resurrection gives us new life Rom 6:4-5
• If we really "believe" we have to apply it to our life(action

Belief, Confession, Salvation

• Rom 10:13 "call upon the name of the Lord"
• This is referring to the cry a sincere believer
• Saying it is a good first step, living it is something else
• Paul is quoting Joel 2:32; it follows the prophecy(vs 28-31)
• Peter used it Acts 2:21; also in Acts 22:16

Believing the Word

• All of this says, We have to believe and obey
• Not just some of the Word but ALL
• Some try to explain away parts of the Word
• Some don't believe it's accurate
• We believe it is the INSPIRED WORD

Believing the Word

• Jesus said it's truth John 17:17
• It cannot contain error
• All scripture is "given by inspiration"
• "God breathed" - 2 Tim 3:16
• It is the inerrant Word of God

Believing the Word

• Psalm 119:128 - all the Law is correct
• Jesus and the apostles quoted the OT
• Including the account of Adam and Eve, Jonah
• These accounts are most attacked by critics
• Matthew 12:40

Believing the Word

• The NT quotes from, refers to, or describes
• Events from all books of the OT except
• Esther and Song of Solomon
• Paul believed all of the Law and prophets Acts 24:14
• If we believe the Word we believe Mark 16:17-18

Believing the Word

• Hebrews 11 lists many people  - Hebrew 11:13
• These people stood fast on the Word of God
• If we're going to be saved and see God work
• We have to stand on the Word
• Receive, understand, believe, and obey