1 Corinthians 15
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
I truly love this portion of Scripture. It speaks of God’s grace “by which we are saved”. It is not the object of our faith but it draws us to Him that is – it draws us to the one true object of saving faith – Jesus - THE Christ, THE Son of God. We must remember that this is written as an apologetic for the risen Christ. It is not possible to believe in vain. Paul is simply pointing out the faith crisis a Christian would have if he were to cast away the truth of Christ risen. If Christ has not been raised from the dead, theoretically, then neither is it possible for anyone else to be raised from the dead and faith is reduced to a fatal endeavor, reduced to something inconsequential, vain and empty. A faith devoid of hope that is pitiable.
Ephesians 2
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
The gospel BY which we are saved is the gospel of God’s grace. It embodies His work, the only work necessary for eternal salvation. Eternal salvation is a gift that is received through faith. Saving faith that believes Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God - that believes Jesus is the one true God - exactly what His name implies “God is Salvation”. He “is” salvation, there is no potential implied in His name – when you believe Jesus is the one true God, salvation “is” yours regardless of what you have been told, feel or think to be true.
To believe the gospel is to be drawn to the Christ. Does believing the gospel save? No, you must believe in Him who is central to the good news. Believing the gospel brings one to the object of saving faith, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. It is not a post-requisite of saving faith, something to come to believe. It is not a co-requisite of saving faith – the knowledge of God’s grace prepares the human heart to believe. That being said, that belief in the gospel is a preparation of the heart, it is not a pre-requisite of saving faith, something to be checked off in the human mind or with human hands. God knows how and when – if there is a checklist, it belongs to him alone. We should never call anyone’s salvation - who believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God - into question. Whether they know they are going to heaven or not, whether they hold to the same doctrines you see as essential or not – they have life in His name.
John 20:31
31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
Who are to speak against the Word of God?
Can anyone be saved having never believed the gospel? Can anyone be saved having never had their heart prepared? Can anyone be saved having never been drawn?
John 12
32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.
It is clear that the Cross of Christ draws all people to Him. We don’t know that this is the exclusive means employed by God to draw people to Him in the Church Age. We do know that when we are faithful to present the gospel as is recorded in God’s Word, that whoever hears is being drawn – praise God and His grace.
Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
To deny that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God is to deny the Father and the Son – it is to deny, fail to believe in, the one true God. The deity of Jesus Christ is not an essential – it is THE essential.
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