The Apostle John once wrote, "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith." (1 John 5:4)
It is faith that saves our souls. Jesus said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16).
Just about everyone accepts that faith saves, but an important question often remains unasked. What, or who is it I must believe in? Now the simple answer is, you must believe in Jesus. John stated in his gospel, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (3:16).
In contrast, when Jesus gave his instructions to his disciples to go preach His message to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, he said, "But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:33).
The Bible very clearly reveals who Jesus was, what He did while on earth, and the position He holds in heaven. This message is called the gospel, and believing it is the "power of God unto salvation!"
For example, to be saved we must believe that Jesus is the Son of God. John refers to Him as the "Word", and wrote at the beginning of His gospel, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).
Not only must we believe that Jesus is God, we must also believe that Jesus came to earth, and became a man. In that same chapter, in verse 14, John wrote, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth"
There are other facts that together form what we refer to as the gospel. For example, Jesus, in fulfillment of prophecy, was born to a virgin. The prophecy is found in Isaiah 7:14, and its fulfillment is recorded in Matthew 1, when an angel of the Lord informed Mary’s betrothed, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (1:20-21).
Another fundamental truth is that while each of us is guilty of sin, and as such worthy of spiritual death, Jesus lived a sinless life. Peter wrote, "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth" (1 Peter 2:21-22).
These facts – that Jesus was both a man and God; that he lived a sinless life while on earth; – these make Him unique. And, they make him uniquely qualified to be a sacrifice of atonement. When Jesus died on the cross, his death was a sacrifice for all mankind. Jesus, in predicting his death in Matthew 26:28, said, "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
After offering up Himself as a sin offering, Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day following His crucifixion. This is what we may refer to as the culmination of God’s scheme of redemption. Peter affirmed the same in his gospel sermon, recorded in Acts 2. In revealing that God had raised Jesus from the dead, he proclaimed, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (vs. 37).
As Jesus was raised from the dead He remains alive today. He reigns as King in His kingdom, at the right hand of the Father in heaven above. He serves as our High Priest of the New Covenant of Grace, and, as the Hebrew writer said, "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).
This is the gospel of Christ, and this is what you must believe in order to be saved from your sins, and go to heaven for eternity. So… do you believe?
