What Makes an Individual a Christian - Part 4

Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God:”

Who are non-Christians or Christians in name only, and why:

There is a difference between knowing who Jesus is and believing in Jesus. There is knowledge and belief in the brain (head knowledge) and knowing and believing within the spiritual heart (heart knowledge). There is a difference and it all centers around faith.

Biblically, those who are not Christians are those who are not “born again.” The only two people who know the truth about one’s salvation are the person and God. Those who are born again have been forgiven all their sins and have the gift of eternal life. Those who have not been born again have not been forgiven and will suffer eternal death, unless they put their faith in Jesus Christ, the object of saving faith, for forgiveness and salvation. The who are not born again are referred to as "lost." Those who are born again are also referred to as being "saved."

Biblically, a person must be born again to be a Christian:

John 3:3  “...Verily {amen}, verily {amen}, I say unto thee, Except {unless} a man be born again {spiritually; from above}, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

• The term “born again” is unique to the Apostle John; it is a new beginning where one “dies to sin” (is forgiven and turns from sin) and is “raised to life” in Christ:  2 Corinthians 5:17  “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

John 3:7  “Marvel not {don’t be surprised} that I {Jesus} said unto thee, Ye must {non-negotiable} be born again.”

“Born again” means “from above” and refers to a spiritual birth; one must have or have had a spiritual birth to go to Heaven:  John 1:13 “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Salvation has one requirement: ~ FAITH ~

Through faith a person becomes a “Born-Again” Christian:

Ephesians 2:8-10  “For by grace {unmerited favor} are you saved through faith {act of believing}; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God:" 9 "Not of works {effort}, lest any man should boast {glory}." 10 "For we are his workmanship {creation}, created in Christ Jesus unto {for} good works, which God hath before ordained {prepared} that we should walk in them.” (My emphasis)

• “Grace” is undeserved; it is the unmerited favor by the kindness of God; Acrostic: God's Riches At Christ's Expense
• “Salvation” (eternal life) is a gift of God: Romans 6:23b  “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 
• Saved through faith:  Titus 3:5a  “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us;” Romans 4:16 “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace;”
• Gift of God:  John 6:44  “No man can come to me {Jesus}, except the Father {God} which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
• Not of works:  Romans 3:20  “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
• His workmanship:  Isaiah 19:25  “Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed by Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.”; Titus 2:14  “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
• God hath before ordained: Ephesians 1:4  “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”

Why faith (saving faith) is so imperative:

Hebrews 11:6  “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

• John 3:18  “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
• John 3:36  “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

Romans 3:28  “Therefore we can conclude that a man is justified {declared righteous; saved} by faith without {apart from} the deeds of the law.”

• Justification: Legal term; act of God changing our sin “legal” status from guilty to righteous because of the shed blood of Christ; Christ satisfied the debt
• Galatians 2:16  “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
• Titus 3:5  “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

James 2:18  “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without {apart from} thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”

• After being saved (born again) one’s response to God should be gratitude, joy, and praise to Him; the result of salvation is working for God by finding your gift(s) (singing, teaching, preaching, helping others, etc.) and serving Him by working to build up His Church (Body of Christ - the universal church of all born-again Believers)
• Ephesians 4:12 “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” 

More Scripture Referencing Faith / Believing:

Romans 10:17  "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Luke 7:50  “And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”

Luke 18:42  “And Jesus said unto him, Receive they sight: thy faith hath saved thee.”

John 1:12  “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

Who Can Be Saved / Born Again:

ANYONE who will believe on Jesus Christ

John 3:16-17  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever {anyone} believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” 17 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn {judge} the world {mankind}; but that the world through him {Jesus Christ} might be saved {born again}.”

• Romans 5:8  “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
• 1 John 4:9  “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.”

John 5:24  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation {judgment}; but is passed from death {symbolic of unbelief} unto life {saving faith}.”

• John 3:16  “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.”
• John 3:18  “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
• John 6:47  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
• But is passed from death unto life: 1 John 3:14 “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.” (Was lost and now saved)

Acts 16:30, 31  “…Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house¹ [household].” 

• John 3:16  “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.”
• John 3:36  “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
• John 6:47  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
• Acts 13:38-39  “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:” 39 “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
• Romans 10:9-11  “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” 10 “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” 11 “For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
• 1 John 5:10 “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.”
• ¹“Thy house” does not conclude that when one person in the household is saved that all are by default saved, each individual person must come to Christ of their own volition (free will). In this particular verse, we must take in consideration the time of this particular event (the prison shook and unchained all the prisoners); the guard took the disciples home with him; the entire family heard the Gospel and each individual believed for themselves; in this particular case, they all accepted Christ and were saved 

John 3:15  “That whosoever believeth {faith} in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

• John 6:47  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
• John 3:36  “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

1 Peter 1:23-25  “Being born again, not of corruptible {perishable} seed, but of incorruptible {nonperishable}, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." 24 "For all flesh is as grass, and all glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth {dries up}, and the flower thereof falleth away:" 25 "But the word {spoken word} of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached to you.” 

• John 1:13  “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
• 1 Thessalonians 2:13  “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”
• John 1:1  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
• Isaiah 40:6-8  “The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:” 7 “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.” 8 “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”

QUIZ

1. What does it mean to be born again?

2. What is the one requirement for salvation?

3. Can God be pleased without faith?

4. Who or what is the object of saving faith?

5. What is grace?

6. Who can be saved?

7. Who will not be in Heaven?

8. What happens to those who do not believe on the Son?

9. Are you born again?

10. What must or did you do to be born again?