BELIEVE ON HIM!

Sons Training Monday, June 05, 2017

How to Study and Teach the Bible Lesson 18 BELIEVE ON HIM

There is such depth in the mystery of belief. It surely is a mystery that the simplicity of belief can release the emotions of joy, peace and righteousness in you. God has established belief as a crucial aspect of the Faith.

John 6:28

28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

It seems even from the days of Jesus, men have been desiring to perform the works of God. Note here that the works of God are not only signs and wonders, but holiness is a marvelous work of the Holy Spirit. So, what shall we do? We want to do signs and wonders, or just be holy. How do we do it?

John 6:29

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

The famous answer! BELIEVE! Jesus has testified if we believe on Him the works of God will flow through us. However, is this belief limited to the sending of Jesus Christ to the earth 2000 years ago, or to the work on the cross?

John 3:16

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

1 John 4:9

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

Listen to John explain himself. I remember being taught

John 3:16

Throughout my school days. Most Jamaicans know this scripture verbatim. However, I never truly understood till recently. You will find many people believe in Jesus. There are some people without the Holy Ghost who believe Jesus is God and Lord. They believe He existed and is alive today. However, they have not believed unto righteousness. They have not believed on Him, allowing the very life they believe in to enter them. God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that we might live through Him. It is crucial that we remember at salvation our souls were joined to Jesus Christ. This made us one with Him. However, when Jesus baptized our souls into Himself, this was a great sending. Jesus was sent not only 2000 years ago, but He is still sent into the world today in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, our belief in Christ, is not simply belief in something that happened in the past. It is to believe in the Jesus in you. He was sent into you, that you may live through Him. Jesus wants us all to believe on Him. By this He means we should all believe on His life in us. He is holy, He is perfect and He is righteous. Therefore, if He is all these, seeing we have been made one with Him, then we should be the same. Believing on Him is to believe He has already overcome the world and will manifest that reality through you. Yes, the life of Christ is in you. He is living and breathing in and through you. He is in you to live a life of righteousness here on the earth. We must believe on what we have become by being joined to Him. We have become true sons of God. On another note, I have found there is an aspect of the scripture we need to bear in mind. The scripture outlines the “how to” in all things. If God explains that we must believe, then it will also explain the “how to” believe. Consider the scripture below.

John 7:38

38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

We must believe on Jesus according to the scriptures. The scriptures outline the life and character of Christ. God will never do anything outside of His Word. He is His Word. Therefore, if I have believed the Word . . . I have believed God. This can be a great mystery to us if we allow it to be.

Case in point: Jessica loves God and attends every church service. She was once extremely lascivious and lustful. However, she received the Holy Ghost and was immediately delivered. However, 5 years later, while talking to a young man she entertains a lustful thought. She immediately begins to condemn and beat up on herself. She enters into despair and this leads her to think more and more lustful things. She eventually believes that she is stuck in lust and falls into fornication. She leaves the Faith altogether believing God will never receive her again. Things to consider. - Who are we dealing with? - What are the possible mindsets? - What should she have done? Who are we dealing with? We are dealing with a son of God named Jessica. Seeing she is a son of God, she is filled with the ability of holiness and the power of righteousness. As long as the Holy Spirit remains in her she has the power to be holy and to never fall. What are the possible mindsets? - She is no longer a son of God because of her sin. - Though she is a son of God, sin has tainted her. - God will not forgive her and is angry at her. - She does not have the power to be holy ever again. What should she have done? I believe this question is answered with the Word. We make God a liar when we assume He behaves in any manner contrary to His Word. Therefore we can conclude, that the Word outlines God’s responses to us, and instructs clearly what to do and what to believe in these situations and circumstances.

#1Galatians 5:16

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Believing that while we are walking in the Spirit we cannot sin had to be foundational to Jessica. If she does not believe this, then she will always believe that there is a place of no return for a son of God. Once the Holy Ghost remains within us, there is the ability to repent and there is a blessed assurance that once we choose to remain in the Spirit we will never sin. Therefore, our sin never becomes anything more than a choice, and hence we can repent quickly and turn from our sin altogether.

#2 1 John 1:9

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

This scripture encourages us to repent where we have done sin. It lets us know that God will forgive us if we ask Him. He is not a God who carries grudges. If we are sincere in our hearts He will forgive us. Nevertheless, our repentance will be one coupled with a heart never to return. However, it must be believed that He will forgive you. He declares His forgiveness to be faithful and just, therefore Jessica must believe these are the qualities and character of God.

#3 Ezekiel 33:12

12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.

Jessica would also have to believe that in the moment she repents she is regarded pure. It does not take a time of proving, but this forgiveness is immediate. When God forgives, you are justified, which means He sees you as if you have never done it. Your slate is now clean.

#4 2 Corinthians 7:10-11

10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

When you repent, stir up a zeal against the sin you committed so you will never be found there again. Godly sorrow worketh repentance. However, despair, depression and self-condemnation worketh death. This therefore means that God is not an advocate of stalling repentance for pity sake. This is called worldly sorrow, and it worketh death. Therefore, when you sin, repent quickly and move on in righteousness.

#5 Jude 1:24-25

24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

As long as we believe on Jesus and allow Him to live through us, we will never sin. It does not matter how recently we repented, His Word remains true. We can repent, stand up, and continue in perfection from henceforth.