TO BELIEVE OR NOT TO BELIEVE

Because of a lack of faith in God's Word, the "first Adam" sinned, and as a result, a sentence of death was passed unto all men. Ironically, by placing one's faith in the Word who is God, that is, the "last Adam," man is promised to one day be like God (1 Jn. 3:2). The Apostle Paul wrote: "And so it is written, The first man, Adam, was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45). Another interesting irony is that just as you and I needed to do nothing to be born spiritually dead, we can do nothing to be born again. Paul stated it well:

"For until the law, sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by One man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 5:13-21).

Religion can be defined as believing one can somehow gain God's favor by following a list of rules. Christianity, by that definition, is therefore not a religion. The Gospel, the "good news," insists that all that is necessary for man to be saved from eternal damnation has already been done for him. Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures; Jesus was buried according to the Scriptures; Jesus was raised to live again according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3-4). God gives man the faith necessary to believe God has provided all that is necessary to have eternal life; "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8). Believe it or not! Better yet, believe Him or not!