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Part 3 - The Fall and the Restoration
Restoration in Christ: Faith in Christ
The foundation of Christ leads to a rest in Him, for the believer finds
that God Himself accomplished the work of salvation. This rest does not
stand alone, but depends upon faith in the one who did the work. Faith
enables one to enter the rest. The writer to the Hebrews speaks of this:
"Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest
any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was
preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not
profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who
have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: 'So I swore in My
wrath, "They shall not enter My rest," ' although the works were finished
from the foundation of the world" (Heb. 4:1-3) (emphasis added). Rest
depends upon faith, and faith leads to rest.
Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life" (John 3:16). Although Jesus came to be a "Lamb that was slain" and
took away the sins of the world, this alone does not bring salvation and
everlasting life. Jesus completed the work of redemption, but one must
exercise faith in Christ to be saved. Faith is not just a one time event to
obtain salvation; it is something that must be continuing and enduring.
Faith is one of the four essentials in having a right relationship with God.
Jesus said, "I am ... the truth, ... No one comes to the Father except
through Me" (John 14:6). As the Truth, Jesus is the object and basis of
faith.
Believing in the name of the Son of God
The Apostle John wrote, "He who believes in the Son of God has the
witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because
he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is
the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His
Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does
not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of
the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you
may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:10-13).
The writer to the Hebrews again
speaks of faith: "But without faith it is impossible to please (God), for he
who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those
who diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6). This verse shows faith as that which
believes that God will reward, or give something in return for, those who
seek Him. The action of the believer is to believe and seek God. The action
of God is to return that which is needed by the believer. The one seeking
God must "believe that He is." This reflects the name of God, "I AM THAT I
AM." He is the Self-Existing One, not dependent on anyone or anything else.
In His fullness, He is able to become to those who seek Him that which is
needed. As such, He is the reward. God said to Abraham, "Do not be
afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward" (Gen. 15:1).
The reward of God is reflected in His revealed compound names. One can
rest in Christ when one seeks and believes Jesus for who He has said He is.
He is "the LORD Our Salvation." This is literally what the name of Jesus
means. He is "the LORD Who Sanctifies." He is "the LORD Our Righteousness."
He is "the LORD Our Peace." He is "the LORD Will Provide." He is and becomes
these and all other things to those who look to Him. To have faith in Christ is to believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder
of those who diligently seek Him. This essential element of a right
relationship with God is reflected in the third of the Ten Commandments:
"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will
not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain" (Deut. 5:11). Because of
the oneness of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, to have
faith in Christ is to have faith in Yahweh.
God will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. The Apostle
Peter said of the name of Jesus, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name
under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). A
saving faith that results in the forgiveness of sins and the removal of
guilt comes only through
faith in Jesus Christ. The names of God reflect the redemptive work of
Christ.
Submitting to God's understanding
The fall of man happened in part because mankind rebelled against having
faith in, and trusting in, God. Man relied upon his own mind and
understanding. In the restoration that is available in Jesus Christ, God
answers this rebellion with the cross and the requirement of faith. When
Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross, and follow Me," it included the denying of that part of
one's self, the mind. This means the elevation of God's understanding above
one's own with a resulting exercise of faith and trust in God.
The
denying of one's self does not mean that one must deny reason, education,
and understanding, but rather that one's understanding must be in subjection
to God whose understanding far exceeds that of His finite creation. If one's
conclusion to a situation leads to an understanding that is different than
that which God has revealed, then God requires that one submit to His
judgment in the matter by faith. Restoration from the Fall requires that the
rebellion of man's mind and understanding be answered to by faith and trust
in God.
A reasonable basis for faith
The requirement of faith includes that in the completed work of Christ,
and also that which concerns an on-going walk with God. Salvation comes not
from just believing the facts of Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection,
but from also believing that one's sins have been forgiven by that death,
and that one has new life in Christ through His resurrection. After
regeneration, God's principle is that "the just shall live by faith." God
does not reveal the individual future of the believer. He promises however
never to leave him, and to be a shepherd to him. This requires a cleaving to
God and trust in Him, and this is what is pleasing to Him. God has given a
reasonable basis for faith - His promises and the proven record
of His faithfulness and love. This is reflected in His name.
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