A Work Not Believed

 

A Work Not Believed

 

Acts 13:41

 

Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

 

True faith in the blood of the Christ of the Holy Scriptures is a miracle of the highest sort. True faith is the personal gift of God. God the Holy Ghost is He who is the giver of true faith by His personal action. It is He who imparts faith. He instills the belief that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ of God in the hearts of the elect of God and He does it by the preaching of the gospel in the ear of the children of God whose ears He has prepared to hear the truth concerning the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost not only teaches the historical facts about the death of the Christ but He causes the object of His saving work to understand the things that were accomplished in the death of the Savior.

 

The Spirit of God teaches the children of the covenant the means that God has used to perfectly justify His elect from all sins. This justification in the sight of God involves the saints of God being perfected by the imputation of the merits of Jesus Christ to them as their justifying righteousness. And those merits having been imputed to them because of the eternal covenant union that has (from eternity past) existed between the Savior and the saved. That union is set before all who read the scriptures; but it is made manifest to the children of the covenant who exclusively are given ears to hear it, eyes to see it, and a heart to believe the truth of it. Justification in the sight of God is through the merits of Jesus Christ alone. There are none of the sons and daughters of Adam who have a righteousness in themselves that is equal to the demands of the law of God.

 

The Law of God was given to the sons of men: “that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Romans 3:19). That is because all our attempts at holy exercises: “are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6). Reader all the sons and daughters of Adam are of one blood, as it is written: “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation” (Acts 17:26). And it is written: “..the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe” (Galatians 3:22). All the children of Adam are taken from the same lump of corrupted humanity, as it is written: “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonor” (Romans 9:21)? The children of God have nothing to boast of except: “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (I Corinthians 2:2), as it is written: “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (I Corinthians 1:30-31).

It is against this bondage of corrupt human nature that God invincibly calls His elect to eternal life in Jesus Christ. This is a miracle of the grace and power of God. It is a miracle of unspeakable grace that God calls any of the sons of men to salvation in Jesus Christ: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:10-18).

 

The apostle Paul has cited the subject verse in connection with the establishment of the gospel of the grace. As it is written: “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you” (Acts 13:38-41).

 

The work of the establishment of the gospel of pure grace that is not dependent upon the sinner for any contribution in any manner or degree is a thing that man according to his ruined nature will not believe. As it is written: “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned: “(I Corinthians 2:14). Not only are the things of God foolishness to the natural man; but the carnal mind despises and rejects them and is continually hostile to the mind of God, as it is written: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:7). God has established a work by His sovereign grace that no natural man will believe because of the corruptions of His Adamic nature. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the truth incarnate has said: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44). And again it is written: “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father” (John 6:63-65).

 

True faith is the gift of God and it is the evidence of covenant union with Jesus Christ from eternity past, as it is written: “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thessalonians 2:13-14). True faith is the evidence of eternal life, as it is written: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). It is the living that believe: “the dead knoweth not anything” (Ecclesiastes 9:5): “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:1-6).

 

Faith is exclusively the gift of God, as it is written: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). And again it is written: “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29). Reader if God has given you the gift of believing that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth, it is by His own purpose and grace and it is according to eternal covenant promise that He has visited you and instilled the faith of God’s elect in you. Therefore thou child of God, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as the whole of your salvation. It is not Christ and your faith, not Christ and your repentance, not Christ and anything that is from you or of you. Christ Jesus alone is God’s salvation, and being joined to Him the saints of God believe on Him, as it is written: “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (I Corinthians 6:17). Water baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God. It is our testimony that we, as the covenant people of God have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20), buried with Him (Colossians 2:12), quickened with Him and raised form the dead (Ephesians 2:5-6). If God has given you faith in Christ Jesus, then witness His infinite goodness and grace to you through believer’s baptism.

 

Reader, baptism is the believers acknowledgement of the truth of the doctrine of Christ. Churches that claim to believe the truth concerning Christ and His finished work while holding views that are in opposition to the scriptures are not submitted to the scriptures and they are not submitted to the righteousness of God. The spirit of error is widespread in these days. Before submitting to baptism by any religious organization you should acquaint yourself with the gospel that is set forth by their preacher, or preachers. Only attend and be active in a church that is of the truth. “Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding” (Proverbs 23:23).

 

AJ Ison

 

See the writer’s blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com hear the true gospel preached at www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting live at listed service times.