Faith’s Object: Jesus Christ
What is the object of my faith?
What am I to believe in to receive the gift of
eternal life and live with God in heaven? What must
I do to be saved?
The object of faith for the
sinner is Jesus Christ. We receive “the
righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ
for all those who believe” (Romans 3:22). We are
“being justified as a gift by His grace through the
redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (v. 24).
Jesus Christ alone is the
object of your faith for the forgiveness of sin. On
nothing else can you trust to have all your sins
pardoned.
God is a just God, and He must
punish sin. God at the same time is merciful and
wills to pardon and forgive those who believe on
Jesus Christ. How can He be just and exact the
penalty for sin? How can He be merciful and accept
the sinner? How can He be just and at the same time
justify the believing sinner?
The Biblical solution to our
sins problem is substitution, which is essential to
God’s plan of salvation. God looks upon Jesus Christ
as though He had been all the sinners in the world
wrapped up into one. The sins of His people were
taken from their persons and actually laid on Jesus
Christ when He died on the cross. God in fiery
judgment met the sinner and punished Him. “The wages
of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). God poured out His
wrath against sin on His own Son. Christ was not the
actual sinner, but the sins of all His people were
all imputed to Him. They were charged to His account
personally and spiritually. The justice of God met
Jesus Christ on the cross as though He had been the
actual sinner. Jesus received the punishment for His
people’s sins. God extracted from His Son the last
atom of the penalty for our sins. He drank the last
drop of judgment against us.
Today we look upon Jesus Christ
as our substitute who died in our place. We put our
trust in His saving work for us. We are delivered
from the curse of the law because Jesus died for us.
Jesus Christ has paid the wages of sin in full.
Jesus was the “just” dying for
the “unjust.” He was the “righteous” one dying for
the “unrighteous.” Jesus Christ is the vicarious
substitutionary sacrifice dying for the sins of all
those who will trust Him for the remission of their
sins. Jesus endured once and for all the punishment
for our sins. He has put away our sins forever by
the sacrifice of Himself on the cross.
Therefore, the object of our
faith must ever be in Jesus Christ. Saving faith can
never be in ourselves because we are sinners,
already condemned and under the judgment of God. A
person dead in trespasses and sins cannot offer God
anything to merit salvation.
“For while we were still
helpless, at the right time Christ died for the
ungodly” (Romans 5:6). “God demonstrates His own
love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us” (v. 8). Therefore, God now
offers us His free gift of salvation. “For the wages
of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (6:23).
The blood of Jesus Christ
cleanses the person who puts his faith in Jesus. The
waters of baptism cannot wash your sins away. Only
the blood of Jesus can do that. If the blood of the
Son of God, Jesus Christ, cannot cleanse us of every
sin surely water cannot. Trust in the blood and the
righteousness of Jesus Christ to save your soul.
Nothing else will do.
The object of the sinner’s
faith must be Jesus Christ who is the substitute for
sinners. The sinner has no other plea but the blood
of Jesus that was shed for him. Jesus came into the
world to save sinners, and because we are sinners,
we qualify. We come confessing ourselves to be
sinners and trusting Jesus Christ alone and His
atoning death alone to save us. We come with nothing
in our hands but the cross of Jesus and His
redeeming blood. Jesus and Jesus alone can save your
soul. “Wash me, Savior, or I die.”
Believe on Jesus Christ and His
blood will make you clean. It is not faith in Jesus
Christ plus baptism. It is not faith in Jesus Christ
plus church membership. It is not faith in Jesus
Christ plus your good works. It is not faith in
Jesus Christ plus anything you do. It is faith in
Jesus and His saving grace alone that will save your
soul. Put your trust in Jesus and you shall be
saved.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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