Faith’s Object: Jesus
Christ
What is the object of my faith? What am I to believe in to
receive the gift of eternal life and live with God in heaven? What must I do to
be saved?
The object of faith for the sinner is Jesus Christ. We
receive “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those
who believe” (Romans 3:22). We are “being justified as a gift by His grace
through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (v. 24).
Jesus Christ alone is the object of your faith for the
forgiveness of sin. On nothing else can you trust to have all your sins
pardoned.
God is a just God, and He must punish sin. God at the same
time is merciful and wills to pardon and forgive those who believe on Jesus
Christ. How can He be just and exact the penalty for sin? How can He be merciful
and accept the sinner? How can He be just and at the same time justify the
believing sinner?
The Biblical solution to our sins problem is substitution,
which is essential to God’s plan of salvation. God looks upon Jesus Christ as
though He had been all the sinners in the world wrapped up into one. The sins of
His people were taken from their persons and actually laid on Jesus Christ when
He died on the cross. God in fiery judgment met the sinner and punished Him.
“The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). God poured out His wrath against sin
on His own Son. Christ was not the actual sinner, but the sins of all His people
were all imputed to Him. They were charged to His account personally and
spiritually. The justice of God met Jesus Christ on the cross as though He had
been the actual sinner. Jesus received the punishment for His people’s sins. God
extracted from His Son the last atom of the penalty for our sins. He drank the
last drop of judgment against us.
Today we look upon Jesus Christ as our substitute who died
in our place. We put our trust in His saving work for us. We are delivered from
the curse of the law because Jesus died for us. Jesus Christ has paid the wages
of sin in full.
Jesus was the “just” dying for the “unjust.” He was the
“righteous” one dying for the “unrighteous.” Jesus Christ is the vicarious
substitutionary sacrifice dying for the sins of all those who will trust Him for
the remission of their sins. Jesus endured once and for all the punishment for
our sins. He has put away our sins forever by the sacrifice of Himself on the
cross.
Therefore, the object of our faith must ever be in Jesus
Christ. Saving faith can never be in ourselves because we are sinners, already
condemned and under the judgment of God. A person dead in trespasses and sins
cannot offer God anything to merit salvation.
“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ
died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in
that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (v. 8). Therefore, God now
offers us His free gift of salvation. “For the wages of sin is death, but the
free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (6:23).
The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses the person who puts his
faith in Jesus. The waters of baptism cannot wash your sins away. Only the blood
of Jesus can do that. If the blood of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, cannot
cleanse us of every sin surely water cannot. Trust in the blood and the
righteousness of Jesus Christ to save your soul. Nothing else will do.
The object of the sinner’s faith must be Jesus Christ who
is the substitute for sinners. The sinner has no other plea but the blood of
Jesus that was shed for him. Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and
because we are sinners, we qualify. We come confessing ourselves to be sinners
and trusting Jesus Christ alone and His atoning death alone to save us. We come
with nothing in our hands but the cross of Jesus and His redeeming blood. Jesus
and Jesus alone can save your soul. “Wash me, Savior, or I die.”
Believe on Jesus Christ and His blood will make you clean.
It is not faith in Jesus Christ plus baptism. It is not faith in Jesus Christ
plus church membership. It is not faith in Jesus Christ plus your good works. It
is not faith in Jesus Christ plus anything you do. It is faith in Jesus and His
saving grace alone that will save your soul. Put your trust in Jesus and you
shall be saved.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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