I want to look at one verse in
the book of Acts chapter 16. One verse of Scripture will be
the text for this morning's message and the basis for what I'm about
to say from God's Word. And Acts chapter 16 is the story
of the jailer in the town of Philippi, whom the Lord saved
through the preaching of the Apostle Paul. It says in Acts
16, verse 31, Paul and Silas said to the jailer, Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house
And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that
were in his house, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou
shalt be saved, and thy house, or whoever believes in thy house."
What is it to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? What does
that mean? The word believe, very simply,
is to trust someone. That is, to believe who it is
that tells you something or what someone is able to do. It is
to believe them or have faith in them or trust them or have
confidence in them that what they have told you is true, and
what they have done, you believe that. Well, this belief, this
believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, this faith which Scripture says
so much about, is from the heart. True faith, saving faith, is
from the heart. In Romans chapter 10, verse 10,
it says, with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with
the mouth confession is made unto salvation. With the heart
man believeth unto righteousness, or that is, salvation or acceptance
with God. This heart faith is not simply
believing facts, though we do. Though we believe the record
God has given concerning His Son. It's not simply believing
facts, convinced by logic or facts. But heart faith is the
very depth of a person. It is from the heart, from the
recesses of your being, with all your heart. We say that all
the time. I believe with all my heart. Heart faith is God's
work alone. Man can convince your head. But
only God can and must give heart faith. Heart faith. So it's believing
with the heart. Alright, what is it to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ? To believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ is to have faith in, to trust Him, to have confidence
on Him, in Him, from the heart. Now, first of all, it means to
believe you need saving. That is very simple. It says,
He that believeth on the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. You are not going to believe
Christ is the Savior unless you believe you need saving. There
is a very good illustration of what true heart faith is in Matthew's
Gospel, chapter 8. to believe is to believe that
you need saving. He that believeth on the Lord
Jesus Christ shall be saved. It is to believe you are lost,
and if you are lost, that means someone must find you. If you are really lost, that
is, you know that you cannot help yourself. You cannot Find
your way. Someone must come and rescue
you. That's what it means to believe
Christ. To believe means to believe you
are sinful. Full of sin. Sinful and need
God's mercy that is in Christ. To believe means to believe you
are helpless and need His help. God doesn't help those who help
themselves. That's not written in God's Word.
God helps the helpless, the poor, the needy, the helpless, the
blind, the halt, the lame. That's who he helps. Those who need grace. That is,
someone to give you salvation. In Matthew chapter 8 is the story
of a leper. A leper who came down, it says
in verse 2, came a leper and worshipped him." That is, the
Lord Jesus Christ. He worshipped him. How did he
worship him? Well, it says, he said to the
Lord, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Now, he was a leper. That is,
he was dying of this dreadful disease called leprosy, which
Made a person totally corrupt in their flesh. Unclean. That's what Paul said in Romans
7. In my flesh dwelleth no good
thing. O wretched man that I am. That's
what it means to believe you're a sinner. Not just some faults,
but unclean like this leper. And he said, Lord. See, he believed
who this was. Lord. Sovereign. The only one
who is able. If thou wilt, thou canst. He didn't say, I believe you
can, and I'm willing. The leper didn't say, I'll let
you. I'll let you. I know you can,
but you can't unless I let you. Oh, no. Here's faith. It's to
believe you're unclean like this leper. And the Lord, it's according
to His will. that he doeth according to his
will, that he is able, thou canst, if he is willing." That is faith. Did he? Did the Lord Jesus Christ
heal this man? He certainly did. He put forth
his hand and touched him, saying, I will be thou clean. Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst
make me clean. Modern religion has it all backwards. And true faith says he is Lord,
and he can if he will. Well, true faith believes he
is, like that leopard, that he is Lord. In Hebrews 11, verse
6, it says, Without faith it is impossible to please him,
or that is, please God. Because he that cometh to God
must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them
that diligently seek him. Without faith it is impossible
to please him, please God. For he that cometh to God must
believe that he is. That is, believe he is Lord,
he is God, like that leper. who said, Lord. Now, what does
Lord mean? It's not just a name, not just
a title, but it's to truly believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. Now, the word Lord here means
sovereign. That is, the one who is in absolute
control, who reigns and rules. Now, one does not believe that.
if they believe they must let Him be. Oh, no. True faith believes He is Lord,
that God hath made this same Jesus both Lord and Christ. That's what Peter preached at
Pentecost. Peter didn't ask the people,
will you let Him be your Lord or make Him your Lord? He just
declared what He is. God hath made Him Lord. before
the world began. That's what Christ said in John
17. All authority, all power is given unto me in heaven and
earth, over all flesh, He said, to do with those whom I will
and what I will. He is Lord, not in name only. That's not drawing near with
the lips, but with the heart. Man believes that he has all
authority in heaven and earth, that Jesus Christ is none other
than God. Not just the Son of God, but
God. That is what Thomas said when
he finally found out who he was, my Lord and my God. Believe on the Lord Jesus. Call his name Jesus, the angel
said, for he shall save. is people. From what? From their sins. That's what
it means to believe. It's to believe you need saving
from your sins. And that Jesus, that man who
walked this earth, who is none other than God manifest in the
flesh, is the only Savior of souls. He is the Savior, the
Redeemer. In Romans 10, A well-known verse
says, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved. Well, how then shall they call
on him in whom they have not believed? You will only call
on the Lord Jesus if you believe he is the only one that can save
you. Many call on the priest. Many call on the soul winner.
Many call on the preacher or whatever. Whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Well, how shall they
call on him whom they have not believed, and how shall they
believe in him of whom they have not heard? And you are hearing
right now, how shall they hear without a preacher? You are hearing
right now that Jesus Christ is the Savior, the only Savior,
the only Redeemer for sinful men. and women and young people. The Lord, whosoever shall call
on the name of the Lord, Sovereign, King, God, Authority, Jesus,
Savior. Savior. Not if you let him now. That's not what Scripture says. You don't need saving if you
must let somebody. Whosoever shall call on the name
of the Lord, he that believeth on the Lord Jesus Christ." Peter
said, Thou art the Christ. Christ means the only high priest
with God, the great high priest. That is, the only one whom God
hears, the only one whom God accepts, the only one who can
go into the presence of God for you, the Christ. The mediator. There is one mediator between
God and men. The man. Christ Jesus. Mary is not a mediator. Christopher is not a mediator.
Peter is not a mediator. No man on this earth is a mediator.
There is one mediator between God and men. The man. Christ. He is the only intercessor. That is the go-between. who must
stand in the gap for sinners with God, the one Advocate. If any man sin, we have an Advocate. There is but one, Jesus the Christ. He that believeth on the Lord
Jesus Christ. That is to believe His Word. In Romans chapter 4, it is to
believe God. It says that Abraham believed
God. That is, he believed God is God,
and he believed what God said, being fully persuaded that what
God had promised, he was able. It's not just to believe he's
able, it's to believe that he will and is. He believed his
word. To believe he's able, yes. He that believeth, believes he's able. And Christ
said this, He that believeth on the Son hath life." John 6,
47. Hath life. He that believeth,
truly believeth from the heart these things that we have been
reading to you. Hath life. Faith is proof of
life. It is not the cause. Faith trusts
Christ, not faith. Faith doesn't trust faith. You
don't have faith in your faith, you have faith in Christ. Christ
is the one that gives life, not faith. Christ imputes His righteousness. Faith simply believes Him. Christ saves. Faith simply believes
He does. And that faith is not of yourselves,
it's the gift of God. He gets the glory if you do believe,
if we do believe. Do you believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ? And he says, Thou shalt be saved. In the judgment, you will be
spared. When Christ comes, you will be saved and not damned. I hope you do. Until next Sunday,
good day. I don't know. Thank you.