What Is The Right Faith For Me? Wallington Gospel Hall (Church, Christian) UK

What is the right faith for me? [back]

There so many different choices today that, usually, we can find something that we really like from the various available offers. Clothes and fast food shops or restaurants are big examples of this and even when buying cars or houses there are a great variety of options to suit your needs or desires. So what are you looking for in a faith that suits you? Or some might ask, “What is the right religion for me?” Is it:

a forgiveness that delivers from a guilt ridden conscience?
an underlying peace in your heart?
the assurance that all will be well after death?
a faith with a genuine guarantee rather than a vague hope?
a faith where the ultimate assurance does not depend on you but on some reliable source?

Whenever you are looking for something, and especially if it is an exceptional offer, it is the facts that need to be considered. A fact is that of out all the faith leaders Jesus Christ alone has conquered death. Confucius, Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha), Mohammed, Bahá'u'lláh (founder of the Bahá'í Faith) Zoroaster (founder of Zoroastrianism), the Hindu Gurus and others are still in their graves to this day. But Jesus, by His own power, rose from the dead and walked away from the tomb three days after being crucified and dying on a cross. Anyone with the power to overcome death deserves our attention.

The evidence supporting the resurrection of Jesus is overwhelming.

First, there were over five hundred eye witnesses of Christ risen from the dead! (1) Would five hundred witnesses to a fact be ignored in court?
Then there is the matter of the empty tomb (2). The powerful enemies of Jesus could have easily stopped all the talk of the resurrection by producing His dead body. However they did not do so because there was no dead body for them to produce! The tomb was empty!
Could Jesus’ disciples have stolen His body? To prevent such an attempt, the tomb of Jesus had been heavily guarded by armed soldiers (3). His closest followers, some of whom were fishermen (4), had fled in fear at His arrest before the crucifixion (5). Would they have been able to outwit and conquer the professional soldiers? Afterwards would they have suffered in their lives and become martyrs, as with James (6), for what they personally knew was a lie? (This is different to those who become martyrs for what they were taught was the truth.)

The simple fact is that the resurrection of Jesus cannot be explained away! {For more details see Is There Proof Of Christ's Resurrection? }. Again, anyone who has the power over death deserves to be heard.

But why did the Lord Jesus Christ die? “For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.” (7) Is it hard for us to be unjust? Not really. However one of Jesus’ closest followers, after being with Him for over three years, said “in Him is no sin” (8). Another close follower said, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (9) No one has ever found a sin or fault in Jesus’ life. Another believer in Him said “He knew no sin” (10). He never personally knew the experience of sin, which is one of the evidences of Him being the Son of God. As a result there was no injustice in His life and what He said and did was, and is, totally reliable.

Consequently when God says “God for Christ's sake has forgiven you” (11) He meant what he said. When “Christ died for our sins … and rose again” (12), He made it possible for you to “receive forgiveness of sins” (13). When writing to believers the Bible says concerning Christ “Who his own self bare our sins (i.e. their punishment or judgement) in his own body on the tree (referring to the cross)” (14) Therefore if you believe that Christ died to take the punishment for your sins then God can totally forgive you and remain just! When the Bible said “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (15), it does not say “save little sinners” because the verse finishes with “of whom I am chief.” Therefore any sinner can be totally forgiven and know their guilty conscience has been cleared!

With believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour comes peace with God. “Therefore being justified {meaning made right before God} by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (16). Notice that the verse says “We have peace with God” and does not say perhaps has peace or in the future will have peace but “we have peace” which is a present possession. That verse also says “peace with God” Who is the final judge of all the earth (17). As Christ loves you He died for you (18) with the consequence of “having made peace through the blood of his cross” (19) Due to Christ’s life being given up in death and His blood being shed you can now come into that peace with God.

The Lord Jesus said, “And I give unto them (My sheep – from previous verse) eternal life; and they shall never perish (that is to go to hell), neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (20) The Bible also says “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.” (21) So here is another amazing present possession of the believer in Christ, which is that they are given everlasting life by the Lord Jesus and will never go to hell. So all will be wonderfully well after death.

Perhaps you may ask “So that I can receive such favours from God what rules do I have to keep or good works to do?”

This might be a bit of a shock to you but the wrong things that you have done, said and thought, which God calls sins (22), make it impossible for you to earn your way to heaven and God. To illustrate this suppose a person commits a robbery and at court says in his defense “But since then I have paid all my taxes, been good to my family and helped other people.” Will the judge therefore let him off? No. This is because he must pay the punishment for that crime. The same principle applies to our sins and God. The Bible says “For by grace {undeserved favour} are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” (23)
While it is hard to realize that I can do nothing to earn my salvation, it is also remarkable that through God’s undeserved favour He forgives and gives salvation to those who trust in Christ.
This also brings liberty when I realize that my well being does not depend on my imperfect attempt at keeping certain rules and doing good works but on what Christ has already, completely and perfectly done for me when He died on the cross and rose again.

We also read, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” (24) This verse is not presenting a vague hope of perhaps receiving eternal life but the confident hope that it is actually their possession. Such have every reason to be confident because the person Who has made the promise, which is God, cannot lie. Guarantees are only as good as the people or companies that make them. The Person Who made this promise cannot, not just does not, but cannot lie because He is the everlasting God (25) and He is also Almighty (26).

Another verse says “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (27). While on earth the Lord Jesus said “Which of you convinces Me of sin?” (28) and no one had anything with which to accuse Him. Christ, being God (29), is immutable (unchangeable) as to His character which is seen by “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (30) As it is therefore also “impossible for God to lie” (31) so the ultimate assurance of God’s offer of eternal/everlasting life does not depend on you but on the reliable person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

When a person has trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour then they will enjoy what He has given them, and will have a new desire to follow Him.

So the answer to “What is the right faith for me?” is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and we gladly commend Him for your trust.

References:
The Bible –
(1) 1 Corinthians chapter (c)15 verse (v)6: “After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep {which is a picture of death as seen in John c11v11-13 etc}.”
(2) Luke c24v1-3: “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.”
(3) Matthew c27v62-66: “Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.”
And Matthew c28v2-4: “And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.”
(4) Luke c5v4-11: “Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at your word I will let down the net. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.”
(5) Matthew c26v56: “But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.”
(6) Acts c2v12: “So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "Whatever could this mean?" ”
(7) 1 Peter c3v18
(8) 1 John c3v5
(9) 1 Peter c2v22
(10) 2 Corinthians c5v21
(11) Ephesians c4v32: “And be you kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
(12) 1 Corinthians c15v3-4: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
(13) Acts c26v18: “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins.”
(14) 1 Peter c2v24
(15) 1 Timothy c1v15: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
(16) Romans c5v1
(17) see Acts c17v31 “Because he (God – v17) has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; whereof he has given assurance unto all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”:
(18) Galatians c2v20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
(19) Colossians c1v20: “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”
(20) John’s Gospel c10v27-28
(21) John’s Gospel c3v36
(22) Romans c3v22b-23: “For there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
(23) Ephesians c2v8-9
(24) Titus c1v2
(25) Psalm 90v2: “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.”
(26) Revelation 11v17: “Saying: "We give you thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The one who is and who was and who is to come, Because you have taken your great power and reigned.”
(27) Romans c6v23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
(28) John’s Gospel 8v46
(29) John’s Gospel c20v31, “But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name.”
1 Timothy c3v16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh,”
Hebrews c1v8: “But unto the Son he says, your throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of your kingdom.”
(30) Hebrews c13v8
(31) Hebrews c6v18 “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”