Believing is the Beginning Not the End of Salvation!

In the recent weeks, we have been looking at the ongoing dialogue between Jesus and Jewish religious leaders who did not believe His message.  It all takes place in Jerusalem, and for the most part, they are trying to trap Jesus and discredit His ministry. 

 

However, what usually happens is that He refutes their claims and ends up making them look ridiculous which further multiplies their anger.

 

Today, we finish John 8, and I want to give you 5 signs of a true follower of Christ in this message that I have entitled, “Believing is the Beginning not the End of Salvation!”

 

 

31. A true follower of Christ perseveres in life, John 8:31.

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

 

Evidently, there were some Jews who may have been starting to give Jesus a listen.  We ended last week with verse 30 that said that many believed in Him. 

 

However, believing is just the beginning of salvation not the end.  In verse 31, Jesus pointed them to the next step in their salvation journey.   

 

The first evidence of a true follower of Christ is one who abides in His word or perseveres in life.  True followers may fall a way for a time but not forever.  All true followers of Christ return to Him before they die.

 

People ask me regularly if I think this person or that person was a Christian.  I always say it doesn’t matter what I think, but if they walked away from Christ and never returned, the answer would appear to be no.

 

John talks about some people who left the church he was pastoring in 1 John.  See 1 John 2:19. 

 

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

 

We have members of EBC who joined our church at one time but no longer attend.  Did they lose their salvation?  I would say that if they don’t return, they were never saved in the first place, and that should scare us to death because plenty of those people are close friends and family members. 

 

We ought to be do all that we can to minister to them and hopefully see them return to Christ and His church.  A true follower of Christ perseveres in life.

 

 

36. A true follower of Christ is pure in his living, John 8:32-36.

32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”  34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

 

Not only will a true follower of Christ persevere in life, but he will also be pure in his living.  Does that mean that Christians are perfect?  Does that mean that Christians don’t make mistakes?  No, it means that Christians are not slaves to sin.

 

In verse 32, Jesus said you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.  The truth is liberating. 

 

However, these Jews did not understand Jesus to be speaking spiritually but literally and physically.  In verse 33, they contended they had never been enslaved to anyone.  This statement makes you wonder.  Had they forgotten about Egypt?  Were they not enslaved to the Romans right then? 

 

Regardless, Jesus was speaking spiritually and told them that the one who commits sin, that is habitually practicing it with no remorse, is the slave to sin.  In verse 35, He used an analogy to illustrate that they would certainly understand. 

 

The slave is not a slave forever and doesn’t get to stay in the house.  However, the son is always a son. 

 

Wasn’t this true with Ishmael and Isaac?  Ishmael was the son of the slave woman and even though he was a son of Abraham, he was not the son of promise. 

 

The son of promise was the son of the free woman, Sarah.  That was Isaac, the son from which Christ eventually came.

 

Therefore, if the Son, that is Jesus, saves you, you are free from sin and no longer a slave to it.  That is exactly what Paul said in Romans 6:1-7. 

 

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.

 

Again, you are perfect as a follower of Christ.  You are a sinner but you hate sin and want very much to be pure in your living.

 

 

• A true follower of Christ has a paternal likeness, John 8:37-39.

.  37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38 I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”  39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.”  Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.

 

In talking about Abraham, Jesus challenged them on the point of being Abraham’s descendents because they were trying to kill Him.  Rather Jesus insisted they had another father in verse 38. 

 

Again, they didn’t get it.  They retorted that indeed Abraham was their father.  Jesus said to them, if that is true, then act like your father.  Demonstrate your paternal likeness.  After all the cliché says, “Like father, like son?”

 

Well, what exactly were they to imitate about Abraham?  See James 2:21-24. 

 

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

 

Abraham believed and obeyed.  He didn’t try to kill Jesus, yet that is what you’re doing.  A true follower of Christ has a paternal likeness. 

 

 

42. A true follower of Christ is passionate about the Lord, John 8:40-42.

40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41 You do the deeds of your father.”  Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”  42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.

 

However, in reality, the Jews were demonstrating paternal likeness, but their father was not Jesus’ father.  If so, they would love Jesus or they would be passionate about the Lord. 

 

Jesus was the Son of God.  He was God’s messenger.  He came from God and acted on God’s initiative.  However, they didn’t welcome Him.

 

The same is true today.  We have plenty of people who claim to believe in God. 

 

However, believing in God is of no benefit if you don’t receive His Son, Jesus.  True followers of Christ are passionate about the Lord meaning they love Jesus and obey Jesus.

 

 

47. A true follower of Christ is perceptive in listening, John 8:43-47.

43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

                  

These Jews did not understand Jesus because God was not their father.  Their father was the devil, and he is the father of lies and has been lying since Genesis 3.  They did not believe Jesus, and they couldn’t hear God because they were not of God but the devil.

 

The same is true today.  Isn’t it amazing how when witnessing to a lost person, they just don’t understand. 

 

Someone who is not a Christian doesn’t “get” the Bible.  It doesn’t make since.  It is illogical. 

 

Paul told us the same in 1 Corinthians 1:18 and 2:14. A true follower of Christ is perceptive in listening.

 

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

 

14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

 

 

Conclusion 8:48-59

48 Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”  49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. 51 Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”  52 Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ 53 Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”  54 Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. 55 Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”  57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”  58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”  59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

As a result, the Jews resorted to character assassination.  In verse 48, they called Him a Samaritan and said that He was demon-possessed. 

 

Of course, He wasn’t a Samaritan, and He wasn’t demon-possessed.  He was doing the will of the Father, and if they wanted to spiritually live forever, they would have to keep His word or in other words believe and obey. 

 

However, they went on with their attacks because they didn’t understand in verse 52.  The earthly Jesus had not seen Abraham, but the preincarnate Christ had, and Abraham was glad and welcomed the Messiah.  Actually, Jesus said He was before Abraham because He was God.

 

This they couldn’t handle.  It was blasphemy, and they were ready to carry out stoning right then and there, but it wasn’t God’s time.

 

So what about you?  Are you a true follower of Christ?  Will you preserve in life?  Are you pure in your living?  Do you have a paternal likeness?  Are you passionate about the Lord?  Are you perceptive in listening?

 

You may be a member of EBC, but are you a member of heaven?  You may be a regular church attender, but we you live in heaven for eternity? 

 

If you are not a true follower of Christ, today will you call on the Lord and be saved?  If you are, will you begin living like it?