TRUE FAITH WILL BE SHARED WITH OTHERS

When His disciples were asked what must be done in order to be saved, their response was simple and clear:  BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (Acts 16:31)!  The word translated "believe" is the Greek πιστεύω (pisteuō), which occurs 264 times in the Greek concordance of the KJV.  It is always a present tense verb, and it is action resulting from its root πίστις (pistis), a feminine noun, which is translated "faith" 239 times.  In other words, when one has faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is evidence that he or she believes.

In Philip's encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch, notice that when the eunuch had declared his faith in Christ, his belief was manifested in his desire to be baptized.  Philip "...opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.  And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?  And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.  And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him" (Acts 8:35-38).

The Apostle Paul explained how one comes to faith.  He wrote:  "....The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the Word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:8-10, 17).

Paul also stated that when a person trusts in Christ, there is a change that takes place, both in the person himself, and in his responsibility to serve the Lord; he wrote:  "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the Word of reconciliation.  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 17-20).

Does your faith manifest itself by your sharing the Gospel?