The Plan of the Ages

God’s Dispensational Dealings with Humanity

Man’s One Responsibility

Lesson XXXV

February 26, 2006

I In this Dispensation of Grace, man has one responsibility before God

God is not asking men to keep the Ten Commandments

God is not asking men to live up to the Sermon on the Mount

God is not asking men to keep the Sabbath day

God is not asking men to be good and do the best they can

John 6:28-29 God is asking men to believe on His Son

II John tells us the purpose for writing his gospel

John 20:31 that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God

John 1:7 the first time the word believe is found in the book

John 16:7-9 of sin because they believe not on me

III John never says believe and pray to be saved

Acts 11:14 who shall tell thee words whereby thou shalt be saved

So before Peter came, Cornelius was not saved

Acts 10:2 Cornelius was devout, feared God, gave alms, prayed to God

But all the while He was not saved

Luke 18:13 God be merciful was a prayer before the cross.

God has been merciful, that prayer is not needed today

IV John never says believe and repent and confess your sins to be saved

1 John 1:9 if we confess our sins, is written to believers, not the unsaved

Acts 16:30-31 what must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ

Putting repentance and forsaking sin before believing is foreign to John

One may repent and not believe, but one cannot believe and not repent

V John never says believe and confess me before men to be saved

Romans 10:10 is very clear, with the heart man believes unto righteousness, with the mouth confession is made of that which has been received

John 8:24 if ye believe not ye shall die in your sins

VI John never says believe and be baptized and ye shall be saved

1 Corinthians 1:14, how could Paul say that if water baptism is essential to salvation?

Mark 16:15 believeth and is baptized…it does not say in water!

1 Corinthians 12:13 it is the baptism into Christ that saves

VII John never says believe and make restitution to be saved

John 3:15 believe and have eternal life

John 3:16 whosoever believeth

John 3:18 he that believeth is not condemned

VIII Conclude

Romans 1:16 every one that believeth

Romans 3:21-22 upon all them that believe

Faith believes God

Unbelief calls God as liar