YOU CAN BELIEVE BUT STILL PERISH

There are three steps in saving faith. They are like the three rungs of a ladder. The first two will not save, but the third will. However, you cannot take the third until you have taken the first two.
Hear The first step I designate by the simple word “hear”. “How shall they believe except they hear?” A knowledge of God’s salvation is necessary before it is possible to believe.

That is why we send missionaries to China, to India and to Africa. The heathen must first hear before they can believe. But I am sure that I need not dwell on this first step now. I am quite certain that everyone here present has again and again heard the message of God’s salvation. Therefore you have already taken the first step. You have heard.

Believe
I designate the second step by using the simple word “believe”. Now what is the meaning of “believe”? It simply means “giving intellectual assent to a truth”. The Dictionary says, “to consent with the mind”. When therefore you have given “intellectual  assent to a truth” you have believed. You have taken the second step. But you are not saved.

When the King James translators were translating the Bible some three hundred and fifty years ago, they came across a certain Hebrew word in the Old Testament Scriptures,  and they began searching for an English word with which to translate it. Finally they chose the word “trust”, and that is why you have the word “trust” occurring so frequently in the Old Testament Scriptures. It is found a hundred and fifty-two times.

In due time they came to the New Testament, and presently they encountered the same word, but this time in the Greek, and again they searched for an English word with which to translate it. But for some unknown reason they decided to choose an entirely different word, for they chose the word “believe”. Had they been consistent, had they used the Old Testament word for their translation, this message would not have been necessary. But they used, as I have stated, the word “believe”, and that is why you have the word “believe” occurring so frequently in the New Testament Scriptures, especially in the Gospel of John and the epistles of Paul. That has caused all the confusion and misunderstanding.

You see, the word “believe” has to do with the head, the intellect. It is a mental process. But you can believe all you want to believe about Jesus Christ and still not be saved. You can believe everything that I believe about the .Bible, and yet perish eternally. That is the faith of the demons. The Word of God declares that the demons also believe and tremble. They were among the first to acclaim Jesus as the Son of God, but they did not submit to Him. They believe as much or more than you do about Christ. They do not for a moment doubt His Deity, but their faith is purely intellectual. It does not change their lives, and their doom is certain, therefore they tremble.

I came across a certain denomination one day and I was anxious to discover, if I could, the basis upon which they received men and women as members of their churches. I learned that they asked them just one question, one question consisting of two parts, namely, “Do you believe God loves you and that Jesus Christ His Son died for you?” If they could answer that question in the affirmative they were accepted. But who doesn’t believe in the love of God? Everyone who believes the Bible does.

And who doesn’t believe that Jesus Christ died for mankind? The Bible says He did, and if you believe the Bible you believe He died for you. That doesn’t make you a Christian. That doesn’t change your life. That is purely intellectual. Thousands believe in the love of God and the death of Christ who are not Christians. The second step will save no one and yet that is where multitudes stop. They take the second step but not the third. Hence they are not yet saved.

What are the usual questions that are asked of one who wishes to join the Church? These: “Do you believe in the Virgin Birth, the Deity, Resurrection and Second Coming of Christ? Do you believe Christ died for your sins?” Such questions are doctrinal and can be answered intellectually by anyone. What are the questions I ask? These: “Have you been born again? Are you saved? Have you received Jesus Christ?” Such questions are experimental. If they can be answered in the affirmative I do not worry about the others.

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