Belief Is Essential, But Belief Is Not Enough

After feeding the five thousand with the five barely loaves and two fish John writes: (John 6:14-15) Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone. This miracle – along with all the others – clearly demonstrated that Jesus was the Messiah, the Prophet that Moses had spoken of in Deut. 18. Who else could He be? But it is not enough to be convinced that Jesus is “truly the Prophet” spoken of in the book of Moses. For concerning this prophet God said: (Deut 18:18-19) … I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. This Prophet would speak the word of God and God expected that word to be listened to – obeyed. Peter confirms this Acts 3 when he said to the Jews: (vss. 22-23) Moses said, “THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.” It has never been enough to only believe that Jesus is the Prophet like Moses, the King spoken of in prophecy (cf., John 2:23-25; 12:42). The believer must be prepared to accept whatever teaching He might present; even if it contradicts his preconceived notions or long held beliefs.

In the days of His earthly sojourn many were compelled to believe on Him because of the miracles He worked. But most of these unprepared to listen to his teaching – to abide in whatever He would say. This is aptly illustrated in John 8. In vs. 32 we learn that as spoke “many came to believe in Him.” It was in response to this faith that Jesus said the following: (vs. 32) “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”“If you continue in My word", said the Lord, “then you are truly disciples of Mine.” Jesus did not speak these words to unbelievers but to men who had come “to believe in Him.” Their faith, though absolutely required, could not set them free by itself; while standing alone their faith was useless (cf., Jas 2:20). So Jesus tells them that along with faith they must “continue in [His] word.” Those believers who do this “are truly His disciples” and they will know the truth,” and made free by it. But notice how unprepared these believers were to accept this saying: (John 8:33) “They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, “You will become free”’?” Instead of receiving His word with submissiveness, they challenged the truthfulness of His words.

To be a true disciple the believer must persevere in Jesus' word no matter how much it contradicts his cherished beliefs; even the apostles needed to learn this. Peter, for example, after making his wonderful confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, was offended when the Lord said that He (Matt 16:21) “must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.” This doesn’t make any sense to the apostle – how could this happen to Jesus, the Messiah and Son of God – and so he takes the Lord aside and rebukes “saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.’” With regard to the purposes of God with regard His Messiah, Peter thought that his conception of that purpose was clearer than the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s response to this was scathing: (vs. 23) "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." Here is wisdom dear brethren and friends: Believers must learn once and for all that no man may confess that Jesus is the Messiah, the Prophet like Moses “and still permit himself the luxury of disagreeing with whatever in His message does not suit his taste, views and hopes. This very disagreement with the Lord of all the earth and heaven is nothing less than minding the things of men at the expense of the will, purposes, plans and methods of God.” (Harold Fowler, The Gospel of Matthew, vol. 3, p. 541) Peter needed to learn this and so do we! In Mark Jesus goes on to the teach about the cost of discipleship and concludes the teaching with these words: (Mark 8:38) “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

No man can be saved in his unbelief. But contrary to our Calvinist friends no man will ever be saved by his faith alone.