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Am I trusting in Jesus Christ alone to make me right with God? Is He my only hope for eternal life, or am I trusting that the sincerity of my heart or my good works will open heaven’s gates for me?
Colossians 2:6–7 says, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” True church members receive Christ personally as prophet, priest, and king (for that is what “Christ” means). We receive Him by Spirit-given faith (John 1:12). This faith is active trust; it rests upon God in Christ for salvation. William Ames (1576–1633) writes: “Faith is the resting of the heart on God…. We believe through Christ in God.”1William Ames, The Marrow of Theology, trans. John D. Eusden (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1968), 80–81 (I.iii.1, 8). Paul tells us that we must continue as we have begun; we must go on trusting in, resting on, and looking to Christ.
A church member would be disturbed if he discovered his name was missing from the church membership directory. How much more should we be concerned to be sure that our names are written in the Book of the Lamb! Do not assume you are a believer because of a response you made or something you experienced years ago. Ask yourself, “Am I trusting in Jesus Christ alone to make me right with God? Is He my only hope for eternal life, or am I trusting that the sincerity of my heart or my good works will open heaven’s gates for me?”
Read: Fifteen ways to exercise faithful church membership
Excerpt From
Beauty and Glory of Christ’s Bride
Joel R. Beeke
