Originally posted on 5.6.20
It is easy for people, who may lack teaching on the doctrinal parameters of the New Testament, to confuse belief in Christ in the Gospels— that is, belief in Christ in His lifetime— with belief in Christ in the Christian era, which came after Jesus shed his blood, rose from the grave, and ascended to heaven in order to redeem mankind from their sins and to pour out His Spirit upon them. This is precisely why the examples of salvation prior to the cross— for example, the thief— look so very different from the examples of salvation on, and subsequent to, the Day of Pentecost. Calvary produced something much more dramatic in salvation experience than ever existed in prior history. Beginning on the Day of Pentecost, people who had faith in Christ could be born again of water (remission of sins by baptism in the name of Jesus) and of the Spirit. This was not available before, even while Jesus lived on earth. Salvation in the Christian era consists of this necessary new birth experience. To fail to receive what Calvary has purchased and made available is the fail to receive the efficacy of the cross. Though a person could still have faith in Jesus, it would amount to a pre-Calvary faith in Him, which is inadequate under the New Covenant ushered in on the Day of Pentecost.
Saving Faith In Christ During His Lifetime
Saving faith in Christ during His lifetime involved believing in Him as the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. While that sounds really simple, it was a huge and risky step to take. First of all, the Jews had a misconception about the Messiah’s role that Christ did not fulfill. Therefore, since He did not immediately meet their expectations as a conquering Messiah, many rejected Him on that basis. Secondly, the Jewish leadership did not accept Him as the Messiah and threatened ostracism from Jewish religious culture to anyone who believed in Him (John 9:22). These obstacles would have been insurmountable for weak souls. Consequently, relatively few truly accepted Him as the Messiah. Only about one hundred and twenty people gathered in the Upper Room to await the promised Spirit.
What does it mean biblically to believe in Jesus in the Christian era?
In the Christian era, there is far more revelation regarding Christ to be accepted than prior to Calvary. To believe in Christ now (actually, since the Day of Pentecost) means three things. They are:
1/ To believe in His Person— that is, that Jesus was the long-awaited Jewish Messiah, according to Jewish prophecy.
2/ To believe in His atoning work on Calvary— His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 3:25).
3/ To believe what Christ prescribed for Christian salvation. The tenets of salvation that were preached on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38) were all mandated in the Great Commission (Hebrews 2:3). Therefore, they are essential to Christianity and are the faith response of those who believe in Jesus and His work on the cross.
Importance Of The Third Point Of Faith
In many cases of modern faith in Christ, the third point of faith gets left out. That’s sad because its importance cannot be overstated. The third point of faith is actually what particularly defines us as truly Christian. If we don’t fulfill what Jesus taught about salvation, we literally reject Him as Savior and His atoning work on Calvary. The first two points of faith do not avail us if we reject what Jesus prescribed for salvation (Hebrews 2:3; Romans 8:9).
Therefore, it is necessary, not only to believe in Jesus, and not only to believe in what He accomplished for us on the cross, but also to believe what He taught and commissioned His Apostles regarding the tenets of salvation, which are based on His death, burial, and resurrection. The Great Commission is a mandate of Christ. Therefore, the tenets of salvation that are contained in the Great Commission are a mandate as well.
Moreover, the third point of faith has another defining aspect. It is what makes us Apostolic Pentecostal, or Catholic, or Presbyterian, or Methodist, or Baptist, etc. Many who confess Christ believe the first two points but following through on what He precisely required for salvation is essential, too (John 3:5; Hebrews 5:9). The third point is what defines the various denominations.
In the New Testament, the many denominations that exist today, including most of the ones we just named, did not exist. The common faith of the day, as Jude styled it, was the Apostolic faith, which was once and for all delivered to the saints on the Day of Pentecost (Jude 3) and was universally accepted by all the Apostles (Acts 2:42).
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said He would build His Church. And, in the book of Acts, we get to see it.