#2007 0720 14A

            Being inspired by the Holy Spirit, to put a believing faith on the Atonement Blood of Jesus, is the issue.  Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”  Salvation is a gift of God, through a believing faith in Christ that trusts on His shed Blood.  Maintaining this position of trust on God, and keeping our faith on the Atonement Blood of Christ, is our responsibility

            Eternal life is our goal, so an enduring faith to assure the gift, is our main concern.  Believing faith in Jesus is directly connected to receiving our eternal inheritance.  Every human soul will spend eternity in one of two places—either extreme happiness in Heaven; or extreme torture in Hell—both are endless.  Believing what the atoning Blood of Jesus did for us, is the most important issue and decision we will ever face.

            A permanent home in God’s kingdom is promised, when a believing faith remains on the Atonement work of Christ.  Accepting His Blood sacrifice to change our heart is a right start, but that seed of faith must develop and grow and continue.

            Luke 3:9 “Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees, so that every tree which fails to yield good fruit will quickly be hewn down and thrown into the fire.” If the spiritual fruit of believing trust is not seen, Jesus would say Luke 13:27, “I know you not,” because it is a serious sin not to trust God in believing faith.

            The true Christian life is a daily struggle against the “spiritual forces of evil” Ephesians 6:12.  We fight an enemy who is determined to destroy our soul.  We must be willing to learn, and ready to believe that Jesus has the power to heal, deliver, and save.  Matthew 28:18 He said “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”  Believing that is the key to victory.

            The Atonement of Christ paid the price for every sin, so we can claim what God has promised.  Believing faith in Jesus includes the healing of our body—without medication; the provision of each day’s needs—without welfare checks; the protection of our loved ones—without firearms; correcting injustices—without a lawyer; and the saving of our eternal soul—by believing faith in Christ.

            To accept the forgiveness of Jesus is to extend forgiveness to everyone else.  Matthew 6:15 “If you do not forgive others their offences, neither will your Father forgive yours.”  The apostle said Colossians 3:13 “Just as the Lord has forgiven you, you also must forgive.”  Believing faith in Jesus means following through with His instructions “Forgive, and you will be forgiven” Luke 6:37.

            God’s Truth of the Bible is available for anyone to read, believe, and put into practice by the power of His Spirit.  The devil works constantly to draw people away from faith in God, because he wants to destroy their soul.  Matthew 13:19 “When anyone hears the word [Message] of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.”

            Believing faith in Jesus is the result of loving God in our heart.  John 14:21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.”  Heaven is the eternal gift for all those who believe in faith on what Jesus did on the cross.  Not many enter Heaven, because not many trust on the Blood to enter the kingdom.  Many will try, but they do not enter, because they Luke 13:24 “[made no effort] to enter in at the strait gate.”

            Our enduring love for God must be real, and our believing faith in Jesus must be willing to obey His commands.  1 John 2:5 “Whoever keeps His word [obeys His Message], truly the love of God is perfected in him.” 

            Jesus lived each day by believing faith in His Father, and we live each day by believing faith in His Atonement.  Believing and trusting on His sacrifice for sin, is what keeps us from falling and presents us without fault before His throne Jude 1:24.

            Accepting Jesus into our heart, means we are willing to believe in His resurrection power to heal our body—without drugs; to supply each day’s needs—without stored-up cash; and to avenge our wrongs—without retaliation.  John 14:23 “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” 

            This new life of believing faith in Jesus takes place on earth, because it cannot happen in the next.  Our sin nature must be removed from our heart; and the divine nature installed in its place.  Until we admit our rebellious attitude, and allow God to give us a believing one, we are on a crash course to destruction.  Today is the day to consecrate our life to God, and to start trusting on the Atonement power of the cross.

            Satan deceives millions to think that spiritual growth is not necessary, but God says it is John 15:2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away.”  So 2 Peter 3:17-18 “beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

            Many are religious-looking on the outside, but spiritually dead on the inside—with no faith and no trust on God for anything.  Spiritual growth means learning spiritual lessons on how to believe and how to trust God in faith.  Romans 12:2 “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”—then God can begin to do the spiritual work; and Philippians 1:6 “He who has begun a good work within you will go on to perfect it in preparation for the day of Jesus Christ.”

            There is a beginning and a continuing trust on the Atonement Jesus made for us.  When we commit our life to God, tests of our faith will surely be met.  Every insult, and every difficult person or situation, is a spiritual-growth opportunity that will work for our spiritual good, if we allow God to change us.

            Luke 13:34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!”  Being willing to believe is a first and crucial step—then the Holy Spirit inspires faith.  1 Corinthians 2:14 “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him”—only a spiritual mind can the understood spiritual truth.

            If we believe the words of a trusted friend—how much more should we believe the words of a faithful God.  John 14:1 “Ye believe in God, believe also in me.”  We trust God each day to prepare our hearts through faith lessons.

            Allowing God to replace our rebellious and distrusting heart, with a believing and trusting one, is absolutely critical because “the sinful [carnal] mind is hostile to [enmity against] God.  It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so” Romans 8:7.  The reply of the faithful Hebrews is the reply of every faithful believer.  They were given a human way out, but they rejected it and obeyed God.

            These men faced the same devil, and they felt the same fear, but they also had the choice to trust the same God, and to have the same victory by faith.  They said Daniel 3:16-18, “We are not careful to answer thee in this matter.  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

            Their decision to trust God in believing faith enabled Him to quench the violence of fire.  The protection was incredible, but God created fire, so He is able to control it.  Believing faith in Jesus, because He paid for our sins on the cross, enables us to act in faith on His promise to deliver. 

            Abel offered a blood sacrifice and was accepted; and Abraham would sacrifice his son and be righteous, because they both were inspired in faith to believe God.  Anyone can have that same faith, because we have the same God in whom to trust.

            By faith, a believer in Christ rejects the financial plans of the world—pensions, welfare checks, Social Security payments, or any other laid-up money—and is willing to trust God in faith for the needs of each day.  By faith, the believer in Christ rejects all medication, drugs, pills, or prescriptions—and is willing to trust God in believing faith for healing, health, and protection. 

            By faith, a believer in Christ does not own their home or real estate, but trusts God each day for the money to pay rental costs and all other expenses—without laid-up monetary resources.

            Believing faith in Jesus means following His teaching on financial trust.  Matthew 6:19 “Do not lay up stores of wealth [treasures] for yourselves on earth,” because 6:21 “Where your wealth [treasure] is, there also will your heart be.”

            Believing faith in God means we do not trust on guns, burglar alarms, and other such devices, but we trust God to protect us from accidents, injury, or loss.  Believing faith trusts God for the ability to do our work—no matter what wages are paid, or how little worldly co-workers do.  We work for the Lord—not for the boss Ephesians 6:7.  The process of becoming like Christ begins, when we give our life to God without compromise.

            The first thing is repentance; confessing our rebellion to God; forsaking our sins with the help of His Spirit, and putting a believing faith in the Atonement work of the cross.  The task of perfecting our faith is in the hands of the Author of life—Hebrews 12:2.  If we trust God for our health, healing, protection, and supplies on earth, then we can also trust Him for eternal life in Heaven.

            God’s gift of His Spirit is given to those willing to believe; He is then abiding within to remind us, and to inspire faith in us.  If we will keep our trust on the Atonement Blood of Christ, then He will perfect our faith. 

            2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth [now] there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.”  Believing Jesus in faith promises eternal life in Heaven.  It is a gift from a loving and forgiving God.