THE RESPONSE OF FAITH 

Faith is very simple, yet it is a very comprehensive thing and involves in its operation the mind, the heart, and the will. Faith includes belief, which is the assent of the mind to the things written in God’s Word concerning the Savior. We believe He is the Christ, the Son of God, who died for our sins. Faith includes trust, which is the heart’s consent to Christ’s gracious work. We not only believe the things the Word teaches about Christ, the Savior, but we believe on Him. We put our trust and our dependence upon Him alone for our salvation. But faith also includes appropriation, which is the decision of the will to receive Christ Jesus. Faith enables me first to perceive Christ as the Savior of all men and then to receive Him as my own personal Savior. Faith leads me to believe that “God so loved the world that whosoever believeth in him should not perish” and then leads me to receive Him who loved me and gave himself for me.

We see, then, that salvation is far more than mere assent to the doctrinal truth of the Bible, for one could believe every word in the Book and still not be saved. It is also far more than mere church membership, for one could perform every ordinance and ceremony the church requires and still not be saved. Salvation centers not in a doctrine nor an ordinance but in a Person and he only is saved who has put his trust in Christ as Savior to the point of receiving Him into his whole being as the Savior from his sins.

Such salvation is typified for us in the redemption of the children of Israel from their awful bondage to Pharaoh and their deliverance from the terrible judgment of death in Egypt. Because of Pharaoh’s rebellion toward God, the firstborn in all the land were to be smitten with death. God gave definite instructions to the children of Israel through Moses as to what they were to do to avert this terrible sentence of death upon their households. They were told to take a lamb without blemish, slay it, and put the blood upon the two side posts and on the upper doorpost of the house. As God passed through the land of Egypt at midnight, He would pass over every house upon which He saw the blood, and into that home, the plague of death would not come. “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” The only thing that saved the firstborn in any household on that memorable night was the blood of the lamb on the doorpost.

Since God’s dear Son laid down His life in death on Calvary’s cross, the sinner’s only shelter from the wrath of God is under the cover of His precious blood. God has told us that we are “redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” and asks us to take the blood of Christ to cover all our sins by faith. As He looks upon each of us today, He sees us either with or without that covering.

Matthew 26:28

“For this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

1 Peter 1:18-19

^{18 “}Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; ¹⁹ But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

The cross of Christ is the only place where God and the sinner can meet, and the Lamb of God is the bond of union. The sinner looks up and trusts in the shed blood of the Savior. God looks down and says, “I see the blood and will pass over you.” Faith has responded to grace, and the Savior and the sinner are made one at the cross.

My friend, whoever and wherever you are, have you crossed God’s bridge of salvation? Have you responded to the unsearchable riches of God’s grace as manifested in Christ through faith? Have you believed on Him and received Him into your life as your own personal Savior? Are you resting safe and secure today under the sheltering cover of the blood of the Lamb of God? If not, will you not right now look up in faith to Him?

“I take, O Cross, thy shadow,
   For my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than

The sunshine of His face,
Content to let the world go by,
   To know no gain or loss,
My sinful self my only shame,
   My glory all the Cross.”

Source: “Life on the Highest Plane” by Ruth Paxson

Dear Lord, may someone who reads this message have a change of heart and turn to You in faith.