Salvation
I love this quote by Rebekah Anast so much. She has a beautiful way of simplifying things in such an encouraging way. Thank you Rebekah for your faithful witness to others!
"Faith is not confidence in your belief
Faith did not roll away the stone
Nor will it see you safely Home
But Him in whom you have believed.
Faith is not quantity nor quality belief
It matters not how "strong" your faith
For your belief is nothing great
It's irrelevant in any case -
But rather, in whom have you believed?
1) Salvation is something Jesus did.
2) To be saved you must believe that Jesus, the Son of God, lived a sinless life, died in your place, and rose again.
3) To "believe" is to reckon what you've heard to be true. It is not a feeling, or a convincing of yourself. You either believe it's true, or you don't believe it's true.
Salvation doesn't happen to you when you believe enough - it is provided for those who do believe, as they believe it. The focus is not on the quality or quantity of your faith, but rather on Jesus - do you believe Him or not?
4) When doubts come, they are from Satan. If you choose to believe Jesus died for you, and that His death is sufficient payment for your sins, then tell the Devil to go where Jesus sends him, because you choose to believe that what Jesus did for you is enough - whether your faith is big enough or not is not an issue - Jesus is big enough. He saves. He can keep the weakest, most doubting person saved, if all that they believe is that He can - He can, and will.
You cannot have assurance of a salvation based upon your own faith or Christian life, because you are not sufficient. Jesus work of salvation: death, burial and resurrection - is the ONLY THING THAT CAN PLEASE GOD. Rest in His work - He's done it all. There's nothing left but rest."
What a simple yet profound explanation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Next is another quote from Rebekay that I particularly appreciate.
"Hold Fast: don't let go, don't walk away from, or fall away from, cling to, adhere to...
2 Tim 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession.
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he [is] faithful that promised;)
Rev 2:25 But that which ye have [already] hold fast till I come.
Summary: Hold fast the sound words, confidence, rejoicing of the hope, our profession, profession of faith, that which ye have already.
Unbelief
Hebrews 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Hebrews 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Hebrews 4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Hebrews 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Summary: Unbelief results in: departing from the living God, failure to enter into the promised land, failure to enter into rest.
Belief
Romans 10:9 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.
Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
1Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
2Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
2 Corinthians 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
Galatians 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Ephesians 1:19 And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Phillipians 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
1Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received [it] not [as] the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
1Thess 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
2Thess 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
2 Tim 2:13 If we believe not, [yet] he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
The verses that stand out to me the most are the last two. They seem to say that drawing back is ceasing to believe. I.E: "I used to believe that Jesus' work on Calvary was sufficient for my salvation, but now I believe that I also have to..."
I think that drawing back, ceasing to hold fast, is a failure to continue to believe; it is a decision to no longer believe. I've seen this occur in people who are drawn away by their own lusts and enticed, and their hearts were hardened through the decietfulness of sin, and their hardened hearts ceased to believe in God's promises, and they died in the wilderness of their own wandering stubborness, and failed to enter into rest.
The last verse impressed on me that to believe God is to; A) please God (obey, love, believe, keep my commandments...) and B) to "diligently seek Him." I've known many that claim "belief" but do not please God, and do not diligently seek Him.
Salvation is an not just event in time. Scripture presents it as a continuing, currently happening, event to those who believe."
I am thankful for the many ways Rebekah has shared her faith in her own eloquent but effective style. She has been such a blessing to me.
"Faith is not confidence in your belief
Faith did not roll away the stone
Nor will it see you safely Home
But Him in whom you have believed.
Faith is not quantity nor quality belief
It matters not how "strong" your faith
For your belief is nothing great
It's irrelevant in any case -
But rather, in whom have you believed?
1) Salvation is something Jesus did.
2) To be saved you must believe that Jesus, the Son of God, lived a sinless life, died in your place, and rose again.
3) To "believe" is to reckon what you've heard to be true. It is not a feeling, or a convincing of yourself. You either believe it's true, or you don't believe it's true.
Salvation doesn't happen to you when you believe enough - it is provided for those who do believe, as they believe it. The focus is not on the quality or quantity of your faith, but rather on Jesus - do you believe Him or not?
4) When doubts come, they are from Satan. If you choose to believe Jesus died for you, and that His death is sufficient payment for your sins, then tell the Devil to go where Jesus sends him, because you choose to believe that what Jesus did for you is enough - whether your faith is big enough or not is not an issue - Jesus is big enough. He saves. He can keep the weakest, most doubting person saved, if all that they believe is that He can - He can, and will.
You cannot have assurance of a salvation based upon your own faith or Christian life, because you are not sufficient. Jesus work of salvation: death, burial and resurrection - is the ONLY THING THAT CAN PLEASE GOD. Rest in His work - He's done it all. There's nothing left but rest."
What a simple yet profound explanation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Next is another quote from Rebekay that I particularly appreciate.
"Hold Fast: don't let go, don't walk away from, or fall away from, cling to, adhere to...
2 Tim 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession.
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he [is] faithful that promised;)
Rev 2:25 But that which ye have [already] hold fast till I come.
Summary: Hold fast the sound words, confidence, rejoicing of the hope, our profession, profession of faith, that which ye have already.
Unbelief
Hebrews 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Hebrews 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Hebrews 4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Hebrews 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Summary: Unbelief results in: departing from the living God, failure to enter into the promised land, failure to enter into rest.
Belief
Romans 10:9 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.
Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
1Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
2Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
2 Corinthians 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
Galatians 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Ephesians 1:19 And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Phillipians 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
1Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received [it] not [as] the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
1Thess 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
2Thess 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
2 Tim 2:13 If we believe not, [yet] he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
The verses that stand out to me the most are the last two. They seem to say that drawing back is ceasing to believe. I.E: "I used to believe that Jesus' work on Calvary was sufficient for my salvation, but now I believe that I also have to..."
I think that drawing back, ceasing to hold fast, is a failure to continue to believe; it is a decision to no longer believe. I've seen this occur in people who are drawn away by their own lusts and enticed, and their hearts were hardened through the decietfulness of sin, and their hardened hearts ceased to believe in God's promises, and they died in the wilderness of their own wandering stubborness, and failed to enter into rest.
The last verse impressed on me that to believe God is to; A) please God (obey, love, believe, keep my commandments...) and B) to "diligently seek Him." I've known many that claim "belief" but do not please God, and do not diligently seek Him.
Salvation is an not just event in time. Scripture presents it as a continuing, currently happening, event to those who believe."
I am thankful for the many ways Rebekah has shared her faith in her own eloquent but effective style. She has been such a blessing to me.
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