You can be turning to Acts chapter 16, Acts chapter 16. Acts chapter 16, but I want to read something from J.C. Philpott real quick. It's a little bit lengthy, but not too awful long. So here's what J.C. Philpott says, and I'm starting in the middle of his book here.

Now, when we feel at first what poor, blind, ignorant creatures we are, we often have recourse to human remedies. We think perhaps that study may remedy this disease of blindness. That if we get together a number of religious books, read the Bible very much, and hear the best preachers, we may heal that disease. But alas, alas, we soon find that all these fancy remedies only leave us blinder and darker, and more ignorant than before, till feeling how blind we are, how little we know, and what a veil of ignorance is over our hearts. It makes us sigh and cry and beg and pray and look unto the Lord to open these blind eyes of ours, to bring light and knowledge and truth into our hearts.

This is in fact a part of the breathing in our text, heal me and I shall be healed. And when the Lord is pleased to open our blind eyes and show us something of His own beauty, blessedness, and glory, when the Blessed Spirit anoints our eyes with heavenly eye salve to see something of the glorious person of Christ, the riches of His grace, the efficacy of His blood, and the sweetness and suitability of all His covenant characters and offices, when He thus brings a measure of divine light, life, and power into our souls, He answers that prayer and heals our blindness.

So let's read Acts 16, 29 through 31. 29 through 31. And this is the Philippian jailer. And then he says, then he called for a light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas and brought them out and said, sirs, what must I do to be saved?

And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved in thy house. Paula and I got into talking about something a while back here, and my mind just went to this verse. And I couldn't get it out of my mind, so I started looking at it. And the main thing that caught my attention, very simply, was this. And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Belief. We say it a lot of times here, and rightfully so.

And we talk about believing in Jesus Christ, and rightfully so. But I want to go through the scripture and see what does the scripture say about believing God. What is it to believe Him? What is it to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? We read in places where it says, many believed on Him. So turn over to John 8. I've done this one before, but John 8, we see this. There's many that say they believe on him. John 8, verse 31. John 8, starting in verse 31. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, we be Abraham's seed and were never in bondage to any man. How sayest thou ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever commit a sin is the servant of sin, and the servant abideth not in the house forever, but the son abideth ever. If the son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. I know that you're Abraham's seed, but ye seek to kill me because my word hath no place in you.

Many can believe, but as Christ told some here, his word had no place in them. I can't do that. All I can do is go by what someone says. Now if someone adamantly denies the gospel and says they hate the gospel, they don't believe. That's obvious. And how much someone knows is up to God. Just because they don't know a lot doesn't mean they don't believe either, but I can't say that.

But we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. It says it right there in scripture that we read in our text. And when I say saved, I mean someone else must do the saving. And it isn't fallen sinful man that does this saving. You don't get saved like you're going to go order a cheeseburger. To be saved, saved not because I've performed the act of believing, but to know you have been saved by an act of another. You believing does not save you, but knowing that someone has saved you lets you know you have been saved. When we are talking about being saved in this sense, we're not talking about someone saving themselves.

So someone had to save you. If they did, then you are saved. They shall be saved means this very thing, that someone else saved you. I cannot save someone. No human being can save another human being in that sense that we're talking about here, not fallen man. All I can do is go by what someone else has said. And all I can do is proclaim the gospel, what God said.

But we must believe. Christ says you must believe or you will die in your sins. We know from the parable of the seed and the sower that our Lord gave and the explanation of that parable that some receive his word, but it doesn't last. Why? His word had no place in them. And this is not trivial. We can often wonder, does his word have a place in me? We all can do that from time to time when we get to looking at ourselves. The ground on which it was sowed had to be a certain type of ground, good ground.

These other grounds have nothing to take root in. Dead ground will not produce any lasting fruit. And I just want to say there's nothing I can say that will make you believe. And if I do, it's not going to do you any good. And there's nothing else anyone else can say that'll make you believe. Not like this. It's not my place or any other preacher to say something to make you believe. Those that are sent proclaim the gospel of what he has done. That's all they do. It's up to him, up to his power to make you believe it. He causes it to take deep root because he also creates that good ground.

But our text says, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. What is it to believe? I know there are some who might wait, you know, some who say they believe, but they're gonna wait to do certain things because they wanna make sure it's real, make sure that they really believe. Well, let's look at some of those who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to look at those who believe, those from Scripture who we know, and they're all familiar to you, who we know that believe Jesus Christ, and they were saved because Christ said so. So let's look at these examples, and it'll be very quick.

The blind man, the woman with the issue of blood, the leper, blind Bartimaeus, and the centurion. So first, the blind man. John 9 25 says, and he answered and said, whether he be a sinner or no, I know not. One thing I know that whereas I was blind, now I see.

You know, it's, it's just like, it's just like this pen here. I've heard it a lot of times. If you were blind, if you're blind, none of us really understand what it is to really be blind. Some of us might be getting close, I don't know, but none of us really know physically to be blind. But just for instance, you hear that piano, you're blind, and you hear that piano all the time, but then all of a sudden you get sight and you look and you see, oh, that's what that piano looks like.

I can see it, I can see it. Or the sun, you might be out in the sun, and you feel the heat of the sun, but you don't know what light looks like. But once your eyes are opened, you can see. I can see the light. It's like in Job 42, 5, it's like this. I have heard of thee with the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeeth thee. When He opens your eyes, you will desire to see Him because you know He has opened your eyes. You will believe Him. Turn over to John 9. We'll read of this man, this blind man. John 9. John 9 and verses 35 through 38.

This is the blind man after he had been talking to all these Pharisees and all of those and he went out of their midst. In verse 35 of John 9, Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and when he had found him, he said unto him, dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe, and he worshiped him. That's an example of someone believing.

The woman with the issue of blood. I need to be made whole or I'll die. And there's only one that can do it. That's her. Matthew 9, 21, for she said within herself, if I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. Surely she is about to die. She feels like this, I'm sure. I'm disgusting, I'm vile, wretched, I'm a blood-covered sinner. Nothing can make her whole. She's tried everything. She's lost everything because she's tried this with everyone. She has nothing left. I'm bloody and I can't stop this, but I know one who can. If he would just take this blood from me. Now I'm gonna turn over to Revelations 19 for a minute. You don't have to turn with me there, but Revelations 19, I wanna read these verses. Revelations 19, verses 11 through 13. And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True. In righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns, and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood and his name is called the Word of God. He has taken our blood from us when he died on that tree. He took our place and shed his own blood in our stead. So who else do we have?

The leper, you can make me clean. Matthew 8, 2 we read, and behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. The one drawn by him will have some sense of the sovereignty of God because they will know themselves to be unclean. They know there's nothing they can do to fix themselves. They know from the top of their head to the bottom of their feet totally unclean, totally unclean. He can do it though, but only if he wills to do so.

First John 1 7 we read, but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin. The one who believes on him knows they need mercy. We need compassion from Jesus Christ to favor us, else we will die in our sin. So next we have blind Bartimaeus. I need mercy. Mark 10, verse 47, we read, and when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. Jesus Christ, who is God, is a compassionate God.

He is rich in mercy to those who come seeking him. We know we don't come to him by nature, we know that. We do not come to him on our own, but we may not know that to begin with. We've heard it here, I was found of them that sought not after me. He is rich in mercy, even though we do not search for him on our own. but he searches for us until he finds us.

Luke 15 forward, we read of that parable the Lord said, what man of you having in hundreds sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost until he find it. And let me tell you, Christ does this. He will find his sheep and he will bring them to himself. We are told by God himself these words. Turn over to Micah 7 for a minute, Micah 7. If you want to, I'll get there and I'll read it. Micah 7, verses 18 and 19. I like these words. Micah 7, 18 and 19.

Who is a God likened to thee that pardoneth the iniquity and passeth by a transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us, he will subdue our iniquities, and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Those who believe him will also trust in his word. They will look for his word alone. So we have the centurion. This centurion had a servant and he deeply cared about this man. So he knew Jesus Christ could help him. The one to whom Christ reveals himself to will always look to the words of Christ, knowing he can heal and his word is all it takes. Luke 7, 6, and 7, we read, then Jesus went with them, and when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself, for I'm not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof.

Wherefore, neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee, but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. In Matthew, his words are recorded this way. I like this one. I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only.

If you believe on Jesus Christ by God-given faith, his word will be paramount to you. After all, we don't see him physically. We don't see him physically. We see him by faith in his word, by his spirit. But you will want to hear it, and you will want to know it, His Word, because His Word is who He is, and you will cling to His Word. You can picture it like this.

Now, people don't walk around with their Bible, but they keep it in here, in here. You will ponder His Word daily in your mind, and oh yes, there might be times where you're thinking about other things, but He'll bring that scripture back to you time and time again. And listen to these scriptures as it concerns his word, what it says about his word. Matthew 24, 35, it says, heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

His words are sure. Here's another one, Psalm 119, 88 and 89. Quicken me after thy loving kindness, so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth. Lamed, forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. He made sure his word was settled in heaven by what he did on that tree.

Isaiah 55, 10 and 11. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth in bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. His word will get the job done. whatever he's pleased for it to do, whether it's to save or condemn. So now, all of those that are given from scripture, and I will give you a little bit of testimony about me, how God did me.

I was, for a long time, would do things, and my conscience would bother me. And this old, adamic, wicked heart of mine would say, just do these things. But it never worked. It never worked. It would always come back. It would go away for a little while, but it would always come back.

But then one day, things fell apart for me. Everything I touched went to pot. That's what I thought in my mind, and is probably true. But I was driving down the highway, disgusted with myself. I was beside myself, as they say. But then, three words of Jesus Christ came to my mind by his spirit, just three words. But they were his words, and they changed my life.

It is finished. What happened? The light went on. Blind eyes were opened. The blood stopped. I was cleansed of my sores that ran from head to feet. Mercy was found. His word healed me. Just as it was with all these that we've read in scripture, we read it a lot in scripture. From that very moment, they were healed. I was healed that very moment. Spiritually, I felt it. The weight lifted right off of me.

Knowing in that very moment in scripture where he said it was finished, I could then see. He told me it was finished for me. No more doing for me and try to get right with God. I knew he made me right with God. I did not know that fully or completely, and I didn't know a lot of doctrine. But I knew that he did it. No one else could close the eyes he opened or stain what he cleansed or take away the mercy he showed to me. I was saved and it was him who told me so in his word.

Believing causes action. None of these people we read about are, and there are plenty of other examples in scripture too other than what I've given, None of these people sat back and waited to see what would happen. To see if Christ would happen by. No, they sought after Him by His mighty power. Him giving them faith, and that faith took action toward Christ.

None of them sat back and said, I'll sit back and see if I really believe. None of them, and neither did I, and neither did you, if you believe. Because it will become very apparent that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, and you will know that if you wait another moment, you may slip out into eternity forever. Don't think that believing God causes you to sit on your little stool of do-nothing, I think Earl used to say.

He will cause you to run, run, run to him. and you will continue to run to him, his word will become the most important thing to you. Because just as Jesus Christ said, they speak of him. All of scripture speaks of Jesus Christ and they show us who he is.

You will not be able to let it go. You may try, but he will not let you let it go. The faith that he gives can do nothing else but believe and that faith shows us Jesus Christ because it was he who actually authored it and perfected that faith. That faith given is who Jesus Christ is. But we have this flesh and it hates believing God.

We know it's still there, Mark 9, 23 and 24, we read, Jesus said unto him, if thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth, and straightway the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.

If you're one of, like these that we just read about, if you're one like that, nothing will stop you getting to Christ. Those who speak against Christ will not be able to dissuade you against Him because you can see. No one will stop you from getting to Him because you know your life depends on it so you'll push everybody else out of the way to get to Him. The violent take it by force. You will come to Him asking, not demanding, asking and even begging him to show you mercy because you know you need it. Knowing you're unclean but also knowing only he can make you clean if he just wills to do so. You will look to his word because all healing comes from him and you know his word will heal.

Your experience may not look exactly like mine. Maybe you did not shed tears like I did. I was driving down and when I followed that, the tears just started flowing. And happy tears, happy. And maybe it was other words of God that came to your mind. Maybe you were somewhere else than where I was.

But some things are certain. If you believe, it will come from his word. His word will reveal Him to you, and knowing Him, you will see yourself to be nothing. You'll not be able to stop coming to Him. The time will come when you can't wait. You have to get to Christ. And I'll say, if you can stop, you never started. Christ will not let one of His go. If you come, if you believe, it's because He caused you to believe. Believing is His work on a person, and His works are perfect.

We read in the parable of the seed and the sower that there are four different kinds of grounds, like I said. Some may receive His word, but it is a receiving that is done in a ground that is not fit for believing Jesus Christ. He must cause you, make you into good ground. And when that seed, the word of God falls into that ground, you can't help but believe. And it will take root and remain. John 6, 28 and 29, we read, Then said they unto him, what shall we do that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the work of God, right, here's the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

But some are not good ground. That ground which is made so by God, John 6, 40, and this is the will of him that sent me that everyone which seeth the sun and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day. There are a lot of people who may see the sun in scripture, but they do not believe on him. What does that verse say?

Everyone which seeth the sun and believe on him. If he's created you anew, and that new creature spoken of in scripture, that is good ground, that's the good ground. When the faith of Jesus Christ is spoken, comes in contact with the faith that he's given you, in you, and the person who hears it, what comes about from that? Belief. Those who God works in them to believe will say just as Peter said, and maybe they won't know it fully like this, I don't know, but they will say this. They will say this, John 6, 69.

And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. There will be no doubt about Jesus Christ. You will know he's the one sent by God to save his people. and you will know he is the one that can save you. It is that Christ, not just any savior, but the one spoken of in scripture. He is the one spoken of in scripture, and no one will be able to convince you otherwise, because God is the one that makes us meet, or qualifies us, and his work is perfect.

John 1, 2 reads, but as many as received him, to them gave he power or right to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Believing on Jesus Christ, believing in Jesus Christ, believing Jesus Christ is the right thing to do. And I'll say it another way, it is the righteous thing to do. The cause of your belief is an almighty sovereign God who is merciful and gracious. John 5, 24, we read, 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, but is passed from death to life.

It will be with you just as it was with the eunuch and Philip, Acts 8, 35 through 37. Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came into a certain water. And the eunuch said, See, here's water.

What does hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. If you believe, you will not sit back and say, let me make sure I believe first. Your eyes will be opened and you can do nothing but believe.

Someone asked a preacher one time something like this, and I may not get it exactly right, but is Christ enough? And the preacher replied, he said, if he's all you have, he is enough. It is not Christ and something else. If you have Christ and something else, you have too much. You will not make it through that narrow way.

All I can ask to anyone listening to me, anyone who may hear me, all I can ask this to myself is, Do I believe on Jesus Christ? Do I believe the record God gave of his son? If you do, scripture says, thou shalt be saved. You will be saved by God, and he will see to it that you know it.

Amen. Dear Lord God, help thou our unbelief, dear Lord. Help us. Show us your son, dear Lord. We desire to see your son, dear Lord. It's not about us, dear Lord, cause us to glorify your name because you deserve all the glory, dear Lord. All these things we ask in Christ's name, amen.