Belief
The commission of Christ to the apostles required that they "go into all the world and preach the gospel" (Mark 16:15). The first responsibility of those who heard the gospel was to believe (Mark 16:16). The second chapter of Acts is the record of the first sermon preached under this commission. The part recorded in verse thirty six expresses the requirement to believe in these words "Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified." In this first sermon under the commission "knowing assuredly" or "believing" that Jesus is Lord and Christ, is required.
Belief And Man's Will
The very fact that God requires man to know assuredly or believe that Jesus is Lord and Christ is sufficient evidence to prove that man can believe. It is within your power to believe. Belief of the fact that God has made Jesus Lord and Christ is within the power of every responsible being. You, my friend, by the exercise of your will and other faculties can come to the conviction that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. I am well aware that there have been, and are, those who deny that man can by the exercise of his will, come to believe, but this is not true. Even in the every day affairs of life we can find many examples to prove that man can believe and that the will of man does play a part in man's coming to believe. It is within the power of man to believe or to disbelieve. To illustrate: Suppose a crime is committed. We know that some one committed the crime, but we have no belief as to the identity of the guilty. Now, is there a possibility, by the exercise of volition, to come to a belief in the identity of the guilty party? Yes, we would apply our intelligence to the task of finding the guilty and bringing him to justice. Those responsible for running down law breakers would gather all clues and follow the trail indicated by those clues. When sufficient evidence had been collected, the suspect would be brought to trial and all the evidence presented to a fury and the jury would be asked to consider the evidence and come to a belief as to the guilt or innocence of the one on trial. (Illustration used by Alexander Campbell in the debate with Robert Owen) Faith depends on evidence. Our evidence in this matter is the testimony of the qualified witnesses, the inspired apostles of the Lord. Many have rejected Christ, refused to believe on Him, without considering the evidence.
What Is Belief?
The word "faith" and "belief" are used interchangeably in the Bible. This is illustrated in Heb. 11:6. "Without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe ". Believing that God is and that he rewards those who seek him is faith. Another example of the two words used interchangeably is found in Matt. 8:10 and 13. The centurion is commended for his "great faith" (v. 10) and then in verse 13 it is spoken of "as thou hast believed."
Believe is used in a comprehensive way and also in a specific way. Failure to recognize this truth has led many people to accept the false doctrine of justification by faith alone. Sometimes believe is used to include all the conditions of salvation which God has imposed. This use of believe is seen in Acts 19:4, 5. In this fourth verse we learn that John the Baptist had said to the people, "that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus". When they "heard this", "they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus". This shows that being baptized by the authority of Christ is involved in "believ(ing) on him that should come after". Another illustration of this inclusive or comprehensive use of believe is found in Acts 16:31, 34. In verse 31 in response to the jailor's question, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?", the answer is, "believe on the Lord Jesus — ". Verse 33 tells us that the jailor "was baptized" and then in verse 34 his actions including baptism are described as "having believed in God". Everytime that justification or salvation is ascribed to faith or belief, without the other specific conditions of repentance, confession and baptism being named, the terms are used in the comprehensive sense which includes the specific condition.
The Bible denies that one is justified by "faith alone" (Jas. 2:24-26). From the context it is clear that the word, "faith", in this place is used in its limited or specific sense. Mark 16:16 is another example of the specific use of the word, "believe". In this passage another specific condition of salvation (baptism) is named. Another case of the word being used in the specific or limited sense is the rulers who "believed on him: but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue — " (John 12:42). These people "believed on him", but their refusal to confess him condemned them (Matt. 10:32, 33). The devils believe (Jas. 2:19). That this is not the faith that saves, surely needs no proof. The faith by which one is justified is faith which obeys every command of God.
How Does Belief Come?
Having learned that faith or belief is essential, that it is within the power of man to believe, and what faith is, we now study, how does belief come? Or what are the means whereby man believes? It has been stated that faith is based on evidence. This is affirmed in many passages of scripture. The language of our Lord in John 17:20 teaches it "Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word." This language of our Lord indicates that faith must be preceded by "hearing the word". This is also taught in Acts 15:7, "Brethren, ye know that a good while ago God made choice among you that by my mouth, the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe." Peter here teaches that the believing of the Gentiles was preceded by the hearing of the word of the Gospel.
That faith comes by hearing the gospel is taught in the parable of the sower. In explaining the parable Christ said, "The seed is the word of God. And those by the wayside are they that have heard; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved." (Luke 8:11,12) Christ tells us that the seed sown by the sower is the word of God. He further says that the devil takes this word away from the wayside heart. What end does the devil have in view to cause him to be concerned with removing the word from the heart? Christ said it was to prevent their believing and being saved. The devil is just as interested in removing the word from our hearts today. He knows that the word is the way by which mall believes. No word of God received into the heart — no faith in God and Christ.
Another passage that teaches that faith comes by hearing the gospel is John 20:30. "Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples which are not written here, but these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name." Why did the Holy Spirit guide John to record the signs that Jesus did? John wrote, "These are written that ye may believe". The evidence upon which our faith in Christ is based is testimony — the testimony of fully qualified witnesses. The great contributing cause of unbelief is the failure to consider the evidence. Many are not familiar with the testimony of the apostles.
Finally, on this point, consider Horn. 10:14-17. "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? even as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things! But they did not all hearken to the glad tidings. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." In this reference the apostle teaches that the order of faith is preaching, hearing and believing. He indicates the impossibility of calling on the Lord without believing by inquiring, "How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?" He indicates the impossibility of calling on the Lord without believing by inquiring, "How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed" and next, "How shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard?" The conclusion to this line of reasoning is, "So belief cometh of hearing and hearing by the word of Christ."
How clear and reasonable then is the order of the commission. First, "Go preach the gospel" — Why? That men may believe and call on the name of the Lord in obedience. Let me remind you that the responsibility of those whom Christ commissioned was to preach the gospel to every creature. Their responsibility was to preach the gospel; your responsibility is to believe, repent and be baptized — and it is God's promise to forgive those who so obey.
Having seen that man's faith is dependent upon the evidence presented — that is, the gospel preached — the things written, it is very clear that faith is bounded by the word of God. Where the word has not gone, faith cannot exist. If God imparted faith to man in a direct and miraculous way and not through the preaching of the gospel, why did Christ commission the apostles to go into all the world and preach the gospel? Why do religious groups send missionaries far and wide to preach? It is God's arrangement that "belief cometh of hearing and hearing by the word of Christ". God did not arrange to infuse belief into the heart of man by a direct operation upon the man. Peter says, "of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him." (Acts 10:34) Christ's commission is not partial. It does not respect the person of anyone. Belief is to come to all in the same way — by hearing the gospel. The apostles were to preach the gospel to all creatures. God "made no distinction between" the Jew and the Gentile but cleansed their hearts by faith. This faith came to both alike. (Acts 15:7) "Brethren, ye know that a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe." If God imparts faith directly to the human heart, what about those that do not believe? Upon what basis and by what rule does he give it to some and withhold it from others? It is impossible to please God without faith. "And without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him" (Heb. 11:6). Hence, those from whom God withholds faith cannot be pleasing to God, can't come to him. Is such an arrangement fair? No, it is not. It is a human arrangement, not God's. God is fair; he is no respecter of persons and in harmony with his character, has provided that man can believe by hearing the word of the gospel and the gospel is for all — "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mk. 16:15). This is also taught by Paul in Rom. 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek". These passages clearly teach that the gospel is for all — and that it is the power of God unto salvation to all that believe it. In view of the claim that it is the power of God unto salvation, how can anyone that claims to believe it turn to some other means for salvation? To do so is to manifest shame of the gospel.
The resurrection of Jesus is God's declaration that Jesus is the Son of God. He was declared to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead. (Rom. 1:4) The New Testament which is the testimony of the witnesses to the fact of the resurrection of Jesus is the evidence by which we believe. A fair and earnest investigation of this testimony will result in belief of the fact that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God. When one truly believes that Jesus is the beloved Son of God, he will gladly hear him by submitting to all that he requires. He has required that you believe, repent, confess Christ, and be baptized for the remission of your sins.
To fail to obey the Son of God is unbelief and remember that Christ said that, "he that believeth not shall be condemned".