Faith: The Gospel's Necessity

April 21, 2013
Faith: The Gospel's Necessity
Mark 1 & Romans 10
Scott Howard

God is a Holy God-- He also is a Just God.  So if all of us have rebelled against a Holy and Just God, how can a Holy and Just God save sinners and allow us to have a relationship with Him?  On our own we are infinitely separated from and dead without God.  But God is Gracious.  He sent His Holy Son, to become man to conquer death and sin in order to reconcile us to Him.

There is often Confusion over Faith:

1. We can so Dilute faith that we don't actually have it.  That's when we reduce faith to just believing that Jesus existed.  People can believe in Him, but their hearts are far from Him.
2. We can so Complicate faith that we can't ever know if we have it.  That's when we feel as if we don't know whether we've committed enough.  We may feel like we're living an endlessly frustrating supposed Christian life.

But...

• We can be restored to God only through true faith in Jesus Christ

This statement is twofold...

• We can be restored to God...

The goal of the Gospel is God...not Heaven, not peace, not joy.  Our goal is eternity with our Holy Creator and from Him flows all those wonderful things.

1. We can be acquitted before God the judge.  --> He will cancel our guilt.
2. We can be adopted by God the Father.  --> He will remove our shame.
3. We can be assured by God the King.  --> He will overcome our fear.

So how can we -- sinners, rebels, dead in our sin -- be restored to God?

• Only through faith in Jesus.

1. Jesus is the basis of Salvation. --> Our salvation is based on His innocence.
2. Faith is the means of Salvation. --> The realization that there is nothing we can do but trust in what has been done for us.
3. Works are the evidence of Salvation. --> Works are an automatic fruit of a life of faith in Christ.

When we place our faith in Christ to restore us to God, what does this involve?
Repent and Believe -- Mark 1:15

• We turn from our sin and ourselves.
• We confess our sinfulness (acknowledge our rebellion and separation)

Repentance is not trying to fix ourselves before God.  Repentance is saying, "I can't fix myself, God!"

• We die to our selfishness.  The essence of sin is self.  We need Jesus to be the center of our lives, not ourselves.
• We trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord.  He died for us, in our place, and rules over us.

Romans 10:9-13 "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.' For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"

Have you put your faith in Jesus like this? Who reigns in your heart, self or Christ?   Remember, salvation is not about what you can do, but is simply trusting in Christ and depending on him to do what you could never do on your own.