True Salvation

2003-09-24 10:18

If they think that they can possess eternal life just by 'hear-and-believe' faith, they are not in full assurance of faith; They need milk, not solid food. As the Bible says, Hear-and-believe faith is like seed, but 'know-and-believe' faith is like glorious fruit of the seed. If you sowed seed but could not reap any fruit from it, you did not do true farming.

Hear-and-believe faith lets you have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, but know-and-believe faith lets you obtain salvation through which Christ is formed in you. For hear-and-believe faith, the Bible says in Romans 10:17, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." And for know-and-believe faith, the Bible says in 1 John 4:16, "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."

Now this is eternal life: that we reach unity in hear-and-believe faith and in know-and-believe faith, and then attain to assured salvation. It is written in Ephesians 4:13-14, "until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming."

Therefore, it is written that in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first--hear-and-believe faith--to last--know-and-believe faith. And also it is written in Hebrews 10:38, "But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him."

Many people have tried to find eternal life only in John Chapter 3 Verse 16. But this is eternal life: John Chapter 17 Verse 3. John Chapter 3 Verse 16 is like seed, and John Chapter 17 Verse 3 is like fruit which will be gathered into the barn. Seed is the beginning of fruit, and the fruit is the end of the seed. The Bible says in Revelation 22:13, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

For farming, if there is only sowing without reaping, it turns out to be a vain effort. In true farming, if there is sowing, and there should be reaping. The seed given to workers by the Lord is not for eating, but for planting in fertile soil. It is for pleasing the Lord who gave it. However, there are so many people eating it, not planting it. The seed is not for eating, but for sowing.

The fruit, not the seed, will be gathered into the barn. It is written in Matthew 21:43, "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit."

If they have only hear-and-believe faith without know-and-believe faith, their faith is the faith that is not accompanied by action, does not obey the gospel, and will be shipwrecked after all. It is written in 1 Timothy 1:19, "holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith."

By only hear-and-believe faith, we cannot let a good conscience, the mind of Christ, be in us. Know-and-believe faith lets us have the mind of Christ. Today, many of those who believe what they heard are ruthless because they don't have know-and-believe faith, and as a result, don't have the gentle and humble heart of Christ.

Therefore, the Bible exhorts us in 2 Peter 1:2, "Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." And also, it exhorts us in 2 Peter 1:5-7, " For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love." Truly blessed are those who obey and submit to this word of exhortation.

Let's chew the cud again. The Bible says that hear-and-believe faith is not fully assured faith. Hear-and-believe faith is the faith through which whoever believes in him 'shall have eternal life', just as it is written in John 3:16, ""For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." However, know-and-believe faith is 'the very eternal life'.

Without the fully assured faith, nobody can draw near to God, just as the Bible exhorts in Hebrews 10:22, "let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water."

In 1 Timothy 2:4, the Bible says, "who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." And also in 1 Peter 2:2, it says, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation."

Therefore, Romans 1:17 says, "For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'"

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). Amen. Thank you, Lord.

The least brother, Kim Yun-gu