Is it possible to believe the Bible and not be saved? No doubt, when one says that he believes the Bible, he means that he accepts it as being true. But believing the Bible to be true even to the point of defending it in the face of opposition is not salvation. Yet, no one can be saved who does not believe the Bible, for "
faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17).
Now perhaps this sounds confusing to you. But, dear friend, if you will take the time to seriously consider what the Bible has to say to you, you will be able to understand clearly what is meant by these statements.
Salvation is not based on one's belief of the Bible, but rather is based on one's faith and trust in a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ (
John 5:39,40;
8:24). Abraham of old has a very prominent place throughout the whole Bible, but the supreme testimony given to him in the Bible is that he believed God and God accounted this to him as righteousness (
Romans 4:3;
Galatians 3:6). That is what God wants you to do--believe Him.
God says to you that you have sinned and come short of His glory (
Romans 3:23). Take your Bible and read the terrible indictment that God has declared to be true of you in the book of
Romans, chapter 3, verses 9 through 23. God would have you and me and everyone else to realize and acknowledge and confess to Him that this is our true condition. Oh! don't look back into your life and try to pick out what you consider to be good deeds and good practices and labor under the false delusion that they will fit you for God's eternal presence. Face this issue truthfully, sincerely and fairly, realizing that God knows you from the inside out. Then confess your awful condition to Him, and cry out to Him for mercy. If you have done this, you are now in the right condition to receive God's salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The truth of salvation comes home to a repentant sinner's heart through belief of Scripture which tells of the Lord Jesus Christ as being the only Saviour. There are many such verses in the Bible, but I would ask you to consider seriously and prayerfully Romans 10:9: "
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." Consider the second part of this verse first and answer these questions in your heart. Do you believe that Jesus Christ lived on this earth, that He died on Calvary's cross for your sins, that He was buried and that God raised Him from the dead? If you believe this with all your heart, then do what the first part of the verse says and tell someone else about it!
Just think! No more doubts, no more uncertainties, no more misgivings as to your eternal destiny. Trust the Lord Jesus as your Saviour with all your heart, confess Him as your Lord, and know on the authority of God's unchanging Word that you are saved. Then you can say with full assurance, "I believe the Bible and I am saved!" --B.M.D.
If you have questions about who Jesus is or what He has done for you, we urge you to pick up your Bible and read the Gospel of John in the New Testament. It may look like a lot of reading, but you can probably finish it in just as much time as it would take to watch a movie.
(reprinted by permission of
Moments With The Book)
