True Belief

If everyone who SAID they believed LIVED like they believed, this country would be a different place.

Sometimes people think that they really believe in Jesus, but their hearts remain unconverted and their souls remain hell-bound. They may have some outward evidences of faith, but the heart is not set on pursuing God’s purposes.

Text: John 3:16

  1. What saving belief is not
    1. Not a head knowledge of certain facts
      1. even the demons believe

        2. a) James 2:19

        b) Mark 1:24

        c) Mark 5:7

      2. Israelites did not really believe

      a) Psalm 78:17, 22, 32

    2. Not mere expression with your mouth
      1. Titus 1:16 -- claim to know God, deny with works
      2. Is. 29:13 near with mouth, heart far from me
    1. Psalm 78:36-37: flatter with mouths, hearts not loyal
    1. It is not hypocritical -- Is. 58:1-2
    2. It is not selfishly motivated
      1. John 6:14-15, 24, 25-26 -- crowd looked for him because of the miraculous signs they saw
      2. Wanting Jesus to solve all their problems
    1. Many problems are due to sin and Jesus frees from sin (John 8:32; Rom. 6:18)
    2. John 16:33 -- in this world you will have tribulation, but in me you will have peace
    3. Peace that Jesus gives allows us to rejoice in the midst of trials -- James 1:2
  1. What saving belief is
    1. Believe in your HEART
      1. Rom. 10:9-10

        2. Ex: like when you have your "heart" set on something

      2. Matt. 22:37 -- love God with ALL your HEART
    1. confess Jesus is Lord = stating the fact that Jesus is the Lord of your life
        1. 2 Tim. 2:19 everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness
        2. Luke 6:46 why confess that Jesus is Lord if he really isn't your Lord
        3. Prov. 3:5-6
        1. trust with all HEART
        2. God will direct paths, but many don't want God to direct their paths; they haven't given up the "controlling preference" of their lives
        3. Jer. 10:23 -- it is not for man to direct his steps
    1. Saving belief changes what you do
      1. James 2:14-20 faith without works is dead
    1. Mark 2:5 -- Jesus saw the paralytic's faith
      1. Matt. 7:21-23 -- not everyone who SAYS "Lord, Lord", but he who DOES God's will.
      2. Belief changes what you do because it is out of the HEART, not the HEAD
        1. Mark 7:21-23 evil from hearts or Matt. 12:33-37 good from hearts (make a tree good and its fruit will be good
        2. God wants to give us a new heart that is pure Ez. 11:19-20
  1. Not saved by works
    1. Eph. 2:8-10
    2. Titus 2:11-14
    3. Heb. 11:6 -- Without faith it is impossible to please God

 

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