Sep 26
9
EXCEPT YE BELIEVE
John 8:24
Our Lord Jesus plainly declared, “Except ye believe that I am he, ye
shall die in your sins.”
These are sobering words. Our Lord did not say, “Except ye try harder,” “Except ye become religious,” or “Except ye do enough good.” He said, “Except ye believe.” But believe what? We must believe that Jesus Christ is who He declared Himself to be, and that is the eternal Son of God, the promised Messiah, and the only Saviour of sinners. We must believe that our sin, which is against Him only, has left us guilty before our
great God and that there is nothing we can do to remove that guilt. Our only hope is Christ.
To believe in Christ is to abandon every hope of saving ourselves and rest entirely upon Him. He lived the righteous life we could never live, died the death our sins deserved, and rose again in victory. His
righteousness is sufficient, His sacrifice is finished, and His salvation is freely given to all who believe.
There is no salvation apart from Christ. “Neither is there salvation in any other.” (Acts 4:12)
The question is not whether we are religious, moral, or sincere. The question is whether we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:31)
Except ye believe, there is no hope. But believe on Christ, and there is salvation, forgiveness, and everlasting life.
David Edmondson