There is a correct way to believe and have faith in God and his Son Jesus Christ. It is what I call saving faith. Saving faith is a faith that honors God and brings glory to his Son Jesus Christ.
Not everyone has saving faith, Jesus said, "Not everyone that says to me Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of my father which is in heaven" Matthew 7:21.
The will of the Father is that you trust and believe in his Son Jesus Christ for your salvation.
"Many will say to me in that day (judgment day) Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied (preached) in your name? and in your name cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? Matthew 7:22.
Here is a group of people that have a bad case of perverted faith. They believed that Jesus was "Lord" because they referred to him as Lord. Isn't that enough to make one a believer? The answer is no. These people were counterfeits. They looked like Christians. They talked like Christians. I'll bet that they even carried Bibles and quoted scripture.
Jesus said to them, "And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me you that work iniquity" Matthew 7:23.
How come Jesus never knew them? Jesus never knew them because they had never called on him to save them. They were trusting in something other than Jesus to save them. Perhaps they were trusting in their good works or their obedience to save them. Maybe they were Calvinist. "But Lord, Lord, was I not a Calvinist?" or maybe they were Catholics. "But Lord, Lord, didn't I take the sacraments?" Whatever it was, it was not about Jesus Christ. It was about them, "But Lord, Lord, didn't I?" They had some sort of faith, but it was not saving faith. It was a perverted faith. It was faith in themselves and their religion.
Not everyone has saving faith, Jesus said, "Not everyone that says to me Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of my father which is in heaven" Matthew 7:21.
The will of the Father is that you trust and believe in his Son Jesus Christ for your salvation.
"Many will say to me in that day (judgment day) Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied (preached) in your name? and in your name cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? Matthew 7:22.
Here is a group of people that have a bad case of perverted faith. They believed that Jesus was "Lord" because they referred to him as Lord. Isn't that enough to make one a believer? The answer is no. These people were counterfeits. They looked like Christians. They talked like Christians. I'll bet that they even carried Bibles and quoted scripture.
Jesus said to them, "And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me you that work iniquity" Matthew 7:23.
How come Jesus never knew them? Jesus never knew them because they had never called on him to save them. They were trusting in something other than Jesus to save them. Perhaps they were trusting in their good works or their obedience to save them. Maybe they were Calvinist. "But Lord, Lord, was I not a Calvinist?" or maybe they were Catholics. "But Lord, Lord, didn't I take the sacraments?" Whatever it was, it was not about Jesus Christ. It was about them, "But Lord, Lord, didn't I?" They had some sort of faith, but it was not saving faith. It was a perverted faith. It was faith in themselves and their religion.
