Last Sunday evening I listened
very carefully to one of
But in the text quoted above, and in the whole
context of Romans chapter ten, Paul tells us that true faith and true salvation
comes as the result of KNOWLEDGE. Do not misunderstand me, I do not
suggest that you must become a theologian to be saved, or that you can obtain
salvation by your own mental powers; BUT I DO SAY THAT WHERE THERE IS NO KNOWLEDGE
OF THE GOSPEL THERE IS NO TRUE SAVING FAITH. Gospel preachers are sent into
the world to declare unto all men the gospel of Christ, the accomplishment of
salvation through him, so that they might believe unto the saving of their
souls.
If simply believing that there is somebody in heaven
who is willing, by some means, to forgive my sins is salvation, then all
religious people everywhere are saved (Catholics, Buddists, Moslems,
Russellites, etc.), and worldwide evangelism is a farce.
No, it is not enough simply to believe, YOU MUST
BELIEVE WHAT GOD REVEALS IN HIS WORD. In order to believe on Christ, you
must know something about Christ. You must know WHO HE IS. He is the
God-man, the Lord of glory. SALVATION BEGINS WITH A KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST'S
LORDSHIP. Everywhere in the New Testament men and women sought mercy from
the hands of the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is
not possible for me to trust Christ as the all-sufficient Savior of my
everlasting soul until I know who he is, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. And you
must know WHAT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS DONE. Being both God and man,
by his one great sacrifice, through the shedding of his blood unto death, THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS PUT AWAY ALL THE SINS OF ALL WHO TRUST HIM, and now
the risen exalted Christ, REIGNS IN HEAVEN TO SAVE SINNERS. This saving
knowledge that produces faith comes by DIVINE REVELATION THROUGH THE
PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL. Anyone who is totally ignorant of the gospel
cannot believe the gospel.