Believing!

Can we profess to believe in the Word of God and not do the Word of God? What does believing look like? What does the Bible say? How does Biblically defining terms affect the meaning we extract in our study? This study examines those questions and uses the Bible to reveal the answers.  John 3: 21-24

REPENT AND LIVE!

In Ezekiel18, our Creator does not provide the answer on how He is able to forgive our sin should we repent, despite Israel questioning Yah on this matter. He simply commands Israel to focus on repenting first. He did not say that it was not a good question. It is actually a very good question. They simply asked the question at the wrong time. Now it is time to find out how He forgives us of sin, when we repent and live.

• And Jeremiah 34
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What Is The Gospel?

Have you really heard the WHOLE gospel? What is the Gospel? There are many responses you will get if you randomly ask this question. The popular Christian definition of the gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Then, there is the gospel of the kingdom which John the Baptist and Christ himself preached. Also the book of Revelation refers to the end-time preaching of the eternal gospel. What are these gospels, and what are the similarities and differences between them? And Paul speaks of the mystery of the gospel...which the majority today still do not understand...These and other questions will be answered in this study.

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WILL YOU EVER KNOW HOW MUCH IT COST TO SEE YOUR SIN HUNG ON THAT CROSS

Tim 4:18 All those who seek first the Kingdom of God in their lives can dare to have a similar confidence. Of His Son, God says; "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the sceptre of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."Heb 1:8-9 May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.Psalm 141:2


Psalms 34:1-10

The title of this psalm tells us both who penned it and upon what occasion it was penned. David, being forced to flee from his country, which was made too hot for him by the rage of King Saul, sought shelter as near it as he could, in the land of the Philistines. There it was soon discovered who he was, and he was brought before the king, who, in the narrative, is called Achish (his proper name), here Abimelech (his title); and lest he should be treated as a spy, or one that came thither upon design, he feigned himself to be a madman (such there have been in every age, that even by idiots men might be taught to give God thanks for the use of their reason), that Achish might dismiss him as a contemptible man, rather than take cognizance of him as a dangerous man. And it had the effect he desired; by this stratagem he escaped the hand that otherwise would have handled him roughly. 
Now, 
1. We cannot justify David in this dissimulation. It ill became an honest man to feign himself to be what he was not, and a man of honor to feign himself to be a fool and a mad-man. If, in sport, we mimic those who have not so good an understanding as we think we have, we forget that God might have made their case ours. 
2. Yet we cannot but wonder at the composure of his spirit, and how far he was from any change of that, when he changed his behavior. Even when he was in that fright, or rather in that danger only, his heart was so fixed, trusting in God, that even then he penned this excellent psalm, which has as much in it of the marks of a calm sedate spirit as any psalm in all the book; and there is something curious too in the composition, for it is what is called an alphabetical psalm, that is, a psalm in which every verse begins with each letter in its order as it stands in the Hebrew alphabet. Happy are those who can thus keep their temper, and keep their graces in exercise, even when they are tempted to change their behavior. In this former part of the psalm,
I. David engages and excites himself to praise God. Though it was his fault that he changed his behavior, yet it was God's mercy that he escaped, and the mercy was so much the greater in that God did not deal with him according to the desert of his dissimulation, and we must in every thing give thanks. He resolves, 
1. That he will praise God constantly: I will bless the Lord at all times, upon all occasions. He resolves to keep up stated times for this duty, to lay hold of all opportunities for it, and to renew his praises upon every fresh occurrence that furnished him with matter. If we hope to spend our eternity in praising God, it is fit that we should spend as much as may be of our time in this work. 
2. That he will praise him openly: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Thus he would show how forward he was to own his obligations to the mercy of God and how desirous to make others also sensible of theirs. 
3. That he will praise him heartily: “My soul shall make her boast in the Lord, in my relation to him, my interest in him, and expectations from him.” It is not vainglory to glory in the Lord.
II. He calls upon others to join with him herein. He expects they will (Psa_34:2): “The humble shall hear thereof, both of my deliverance and of my thankfulness, and be glad that a good man has so much favor shown him and a good God so much honor done him.” Those have most comfort in God's mercies, both to others and to themselves, that are humble, and have the least confidence in their own merit and sufficiency. It pleased David to think that God's favors to him would rejoice the heart of every Israelite. Three things he would have us all to concur with him in: - 
1. In great and high thoughts of God, which we should express in magnifying him and exalting his name, Psa_34:3. We cannot make God greater or higher than he is; but if we adore him as infinitely great, and higher than the highest, he is pleased to reckon this magnifying and exalting him. This we must do together. God's praises sound best in concert, for so we praise him as the angels do in heaven. Those that share in God's favor, as all the saints do, should concur in his praises; and we should be as desirous of the assistance of our friends in returning thanks for mercies as in praying for them. We have reason to join in thanksgiving to God,
(1.) For his readiness to hear prayer, which all the saints have had the comfort of; for he never said to any of them, Seek you me in vain. [1.] David, for his part, will give it under his hand that he has found him a prayer-hearing God (Psa_34:4): “I sought the Lord, in my distress, entreated his favor, begged his help, and he heard me, answered my request immediately, and delivered me from all my fears, both from the death I feared and from the disquietude and disturbance produced by fear of it.” The former he does by his providence working for us, the latter by his grace working in us, to silence our fears and still the tumult of the spirits; this latter is the greater mercy of the two, because the thing we fear is our trouble only, but our unbelieving distrustful fear of it is our sin; nay, it is often more our torment too than the thing itself would be, which perhaps would only touch the bone and the flesh, while the fear would prey upon the spirits and put us out of the possession of our own soul. David's prayers helped to silence his fears; having sought the Lord, and left his case with him, he could wait the event with great composure. “But David was a great and eminent man, we may not expect to be favored as he was; have any others ever experienced the like benefit by prayer?” Yes, [2.] Many besides him have looked unto God by faith and prayer, and have been lightened by it, Psa_34:5. It has wonderfully revived and comforted them; witness Hannah, who, when she had prayed, went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. When we look to the world we are darkened, we are perplexed, and at a loss; but, when we look to God, from him we have the light both of direction and joy, and our way is made both plain and pleasant. These here spoken of, that looked unto God, had their expectations raised, and the event did not frustrate them: Their faces were not ashamed of their confidence. “But perhaps these also were persons of great eminence, like David himself, and upon that account were highly favored, or their numbers made them considerable;” nay, [3.] This poor man cried, a single person, mean and inconsiderable, whom no man looked upon with any respect or looked after with any concern; yet he was as welcome to the throne of grace as David or any of his worthies: The Lord heard him, took cognizance of his case and of his prayers, and saved him out of all his troubles, Psa_34:6. God will regard the prayer of the destitute, Psa_102:17. See Isa_57:15.
(2.) For the ministration of the good angels about us (Psa_34:7): The angel of the Lord, a guard of angels (so some), but as unanimous in their service as if they were but one, or a guardian angel, encamps round about those that fear God, as the life-guard about the prince, and delivers them. God makes use of the attendance of the good spirits for the protection of his people from the malice and power of evil spirits; and the holy angels do us more good offices every day than we are aware of. Though in dignity and in capacity of nature they are very much superior to us, - though they retain their primitive rectitude, which we have lost; - though they have constant employment in the upper world, the employment of praising God, and are entitled to a constant rest and bliss there, - yet in obedience to their Maker, and in love to those that bear his image, they condescend to minister to the saints, and stand up for them against the powers of darkness; they not only visit them, but encamp round about them, acting for their good as really, though not as sensibly, as for Jacob's (Gen_32:1), and Elisha's, 2Ki_6:17. All the glory be to the God of the angels.
2. He would have us to join with him in kind and good thoughts of God (Psa_34:8): O taste and see that the Lord is good! The goodness of God includes both the beauty and amiableness of his being and the bounty and beneficence of his providence and grace; and accordingly, 
(1.) We must taste that he is a bountiful benefactor, relish the goodness of God in all his gifts to us, and reckon that the savor and sweetness of them. Let God's goodness be rolled under the tongue as a sweet morsel. 
(2.) We must see that he is a beautiful being, and delight in the contemplation of his infinite perfections. By taste and sight we both make discoveries and take complacency. Taste and see God's goodness, that is, take notice of it and take the comfort of it, 1Pe_2:3. he is good, for he makes all those that trust in him truly blessed; let us therefore be so convinced of his goodness as thereby to be encouraged in the worst of times to trust in him.
3. He would have us join with him in a resolution to seek God and serve him, and continue in his fear (Psa_34:9): O fear the Lord! you his saints. When we taste and see that he is good we must not forget that he is great and greatly to be feared; nay, even his goodness is the proper object of a filial reverence and awe. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness, Hos_3:5. Fear the Lord; that is, worship him, and make conscience of your duty to him in every thing, not fear him and shun him, but fear him and seek him (v. 10) as a people seek unto their God; address yourselves to him and portion yourselves in him. To encourage us to fear God and seek him, it is here promised that those that do so, even in this wanting world, shall want no good thing (Heb. They shall not want all good things); they shall so have all good things that they shall have no reason to complain of the want of any. As to the things of the other world, they shall have grace sufficient for the support of the spiritual life (2Co_12:9; Psa_84:11); and, as to this life, they shall have what is necessary to the support of it from the hand of God: as a Father, he will feed them with food convenient. What further comforts they desire they shall have, as far as Infinite Wisdom sees good, and what they want in one thing shall be made up in another. What God denies them he will give them grace to be content without and then they do not want it, Deu_3:26. Paul had all and abounded, because he was content, Phi_4:11, Phi_4:18. Those that live by faith in God's all-sufficiency want nothing; for in him they have enough. The young lions. often lack and suffer hunger - those that live upon common providence, as the lions do, shall want that satisfaction which those have that live by faith in the promise; those that trust to themselves, and think their own hands sufficient for them, shall want (for bread is not always to the wise) - but verily those shall be fed that trust in God and desire to be at his finding. Those that are ravenous, and prey upon all about them, shall want; but the meek shall inherit the earth. Those shall not want who with quietness work and mind their own business; plain-hearted Jacob has pottage enough, when Esau, the cunning hunter, is ready to perish for hunger.

IT WAS THE LANGUAGE OF A SAVIOR

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https://www.answersbc.org/know-god/

There was never a day like it in all the history of the world!  Complete darkness covered the land at noon, and continued for three hours!  It was not an eclipse, nor was the darkness the result of heavy cloud formations.  The darkness was accompanied by the movements of Romans soldiers, the jeering of Israel's leaders, the groaning of two crucified malefactors, and the suffering of a unique Man nailed to a tree.  The location was Jerusalem;  the event was the crucifixion of an innocent Man - Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.

Thirty-three years prior to this event, He had left Heaven and entered into this world by way of a virgin named Mary.  The Holy Scriptures speaks of it as a mystery;  "Great is the mystery of godliness:


God was manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16). Thus the prophecy of Isaiah, written 740 years before, came to pass.  "Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given"  (Isaiah 9:6).

After living in obscurity for thirty years in Nazareth, He began His unique ministry before God and man.


The Spirit of the Lord came upon Him, anointing Him to preach the gospel to the poor, too heal the broken-


hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, to recover sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that were bruised, and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18,19).  His gracious ministry brought comfort, cleansing and joy to many. In spite of it all, He was despised and rejected of men (Isaiah 53:3).  Finally, He was given an unjust trial, flogged, spit upon, buffeted, reproached, crowned with thorns and led outside Jerusalem's walls.  Between 9am and noon, He was nailed upon the cross of wood at the place called Calvary.  Scripture says, "There they crucified Him" (Luke 23:33).

IT WAS THE CRY OF A SUFFERER

When one thinks of Calvary, what tongue or pen can fully describe the sufferings of Christ?  His anguish-


physical, mental and spiritual - was indescribable! as the "Man of Sorrows" (Isaiah 53:3),  He was designated for infinite suffering.  Prophecy reveals the thoughts of His heart in (Psalm 88:15),


"I am afflicted and ready to die from My youth up."  On the cross, His sufferings were expiatory and vicarious.  He became the sinner's Substitute and suffered for the sinner's sins.


The Bible says; "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities." "Who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree." "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just (One)


for (us) the unjust (ones), that He might bring us to God"  (Isiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18).


Then came the cry, "It is finished"!  His sufferings were now over forever!

 IT WAS THE LANGUAGE OF A SAVIOR

Our Lord's ministry to the world was simply to save.  "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1Timothy 1:15) and "to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).  Man was born a sinner; his sins were taking him to hell, but "Christ died for our sins" (1 Corinthians 15:3).  The sinner, by trusting only in the sacrifice and death of Christ for his sins, might go free.  When the tremendous debt of sin was paid in full, the Savior cried out, "It is finished!"  Do you really believe it? or are you vainly trying to add something of your own to His Finished Work to merit favor with God?  If God is completely satisfied with the work and payment of Christ, why aren't you?  No amount of doing can cancel your debt of sin.





"Jesus paid it all,


All to Him I owe,


Sin had left a crimson stain,


He washed it white as snow."





IT WAS THE CRY OF A CONQUEROR

Christ came to battle with Satan, sin and hell.  It was a terrible conflict, but He met His foes and confronted all His enemies.  On the cross, He divested death of its sting and triumphed over Satan, the grave and hell.  The proof of His victory lies in the fact that God raised Him from the dead (Acts 13:30) and exalted Him to His Own right hand, proclaiming to His Son, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever" (Hebrews 1:3,8).


What comfort that Christ conquered as He expired could exclaim, "It is finished,"  "Accomplished,"  "Performed"!   Isn't such a Person worthy of your trust?

I hope so!

The Lord Jesus Christ

"He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself


....This Man, after He offered one sacrifice for sins forever,


sat down on the right hand of God The Father...  There


remains no more sacrifice for sins."  (Hebrews 9:26; 10:12,26)


"Whosoever confesses (TO GOD) and forsakes his sins shall


have mercy."  (Proverbs 28:13)  "The blood of Jesus Christ His


Son cleanseth us from all sin,"  (1 John 1:7).





ITS TIME THAT YOU GAVE YOUR HEART TO THE SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST


BY ASKING FIRST TO FORGIVE YOUR OFFENCES OF SIN AGAINST A HOLY CREATOR


THIS IS CALLED REPENTANCE WHICH IS REQUIRED FOR FORGIVENESS OF SIN.

Robert E Surgenor

With the heart believe in Christ for salvation

Romans 3:22 (watch this new music video here about the Lord.)
Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ,.... A further account is given of this righteousness: why it is called "the righteousness of God", and in what sense revealed and manifested; see Gill on Rom_1:17; 

Here it is said to be "by faith of Jesus Christ"; not by that faith which Christ himself had as man, but by that faith, of which He the author and object: the Alexandrian copy reads, "by faith in Jesus Christ"; and not by that as the cause of justification; for faith is neither the efficient, nor the moving, nor meritorious cause of it; no, nor the instrumental cause of it on the part of God or Christ: nor is faith the matter of a justifying righteousness; for faith is a part of sanctification, is itself imperfect, is a man's own, as it is implanted in him, and exercised by him; is here and elsewhere distinguished from righteousness; something else, and not that, as the obedience and blood of Christ, are said to be what men are made righteous and justified by: but faith is a means of apprehending and receiving righteousness; it views the excellency of Christ's righteousness; it owns the sufficiency of it; the soul by it renounces its own righteousness, submits to Christ's, rejoices in it, and gives him the glory of it: now this is by, or through faith, 

unto all, and upon all: not all men, for all have not faith, nor are all justified and saved: but 

all that believe; which must be understood, not of believing any thing, nor of any sort of believing; but of such, who truly and with the heart believe in Christ for salvation; and who are here opposed to the wise philosophers among the Gentiles, had to all self-righteous persons among the Jews. Though this character does not design any cause or condition of justification, but is only descriptive of the persons, who are declaratively interested in a justifying righteousness, which is said to be "unto", and "upon them"; that is, it is appointed, provided, and wrought out for them, and directed and applied unto them, and put upon them as a garment, and that upon all of them: 

for there is no difference; of nation, age, or sex, or of state and condition; no respect is had to persons or works; nor is there any difference with respect to weak or strong believers; the righteousness is equally applied to one as to another, and one is as much justified by it in the sight of God as another.

Believing and Hearing the Law:

a originally shared:

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ...”
2 Corinthians 2:14

In the day of trouble, know that God is with you and for you. He’s not the one who is against you. Keep your eyes on Him. Trust that He has a plan. Trust that He will make your crooked places straight and your rough places smooth. He has a plan to lift you up out of despair and set you in a place of stability. 

He has a plan to restore, renew and revive your soul. No matter where you are in life, no matter what’s happening around you. Don’t settle for where you are. Believe that God is good, and He wants to do more in and through you...He’ll fight your battles - always remember that with God on your side, nothing can hold you back! He will lead you into the life of blessing.

Hearing the Law:

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?  (Gal_4:21)

When people do not really hear what the law of God is saying, they may still desire to be under the law. Those who are lost and dying in the world often underestimate the message of the law. They may imagine that it is only calling them to attend religious services or to join a religious organization. Thus, in missing the message of the law, they choose to remain under it, trusting in their own best behavior to somehow enable them to pass any final judgment concerning heaven or hell. This is a matter of "not hearing the law."

Many who are redeemed, having found new life through faith in Christ, also want to remain under the law concerning spiritual growth and service. This is another case of "not hearing the law." Any believer who expects to make progress in a life pleasing to the Lord on the basis of one's own best efforts does not really hear what the law reveals as God's will for lives. 

 The law of God is not suggesting that we "be better;" it is demanding that we "be holy," as holy as God.  The law is not implying that we "be nicer;" it is requiring that we "be loving," as loving as Christ. The law is not proposing that we "try harder;" it is insisting that we "be perfect," as perfect as our Father in heaven. 

The law of God is not asking us to improve ourselves or to be better than the next person. Many times this inaccurate statement is heard: "Just do the best that you can; what more could God require?" Well, God is demanding far beyond our human best. His law is demanding that lives "be holy," "be loving," and "be perfect." Moreover, He Himself is the standard of this holiness, love, and perfection.

Dear Lord God, You are holy and loving and perfect. In and of myself, I am none of these. I stand before You without any human assets that could measure up to these heavenly realities that You alone possess. I thank You for Your mercy. I praise You for Your grace. I humbly bow beforeYou, asking that You work more and more of Your holiness in and through my life.With no other hope than You, I ask that more and more of Your love might fill my life. Admitting my complete inadequacy, I look to You to be transforming me more and more into Your perfect image, through Christ I pray, Amen.