1066. Saved

Saved

"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" (Act_8:37).

All of the old manuscripts do not contain this verse; yet it is surely implied, even if it was not written. What was the result of Philip's message? The treasurer of Ethiopia believed and was saved.

That which saved him was not his deep concern; it was not his trip to Jerusalem; it was not his patient continuance in his search for Christ; it was not the earnest message of the evangelist. The Ethiopian was saved by accepting Christ. He believed in the Lord Jesus, and he was saved. Let us notice the two word's, "believed" and "saved."

1. He believed. Some one asks, "Can simple faith save a soul from death?" That is just what the Bible says. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

"Then what is faith?"

It is more than a mere assent to certain statements concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. Where is he who does not believe the fact of Christ's death, and resurrection? So also do the demons believe and tremble.

Belief includes intellectual assent, but it goes deeper in. Saving faith involves what the older theologians called "affiance." Affiance means a plighted faith–the pledge of the heart toward Christ.

The Bible puts it this way: "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness." "With the heart" involves the affections. Heart faith means a confiding trust, an allegiance to the one believed in.

This is just what happened with the Ethiopian. He heard of Christ and understood His Calvary-work. He then believed, trusted in Christ, and was saved.

2. He was saved. Oh, the depths of this word! Saved; Yes, saved! Saved from sin, saved from hell, saved from a wasted life; saved unto God, saved unto service, saved unto eternal life.

He was traveling the downward way, but grace found him. He was living for the things that are seen, but Christ was revealed unto him. He was saved!

Does the word mean nothing to you? Ask the one who was caught in the whirl of the maddened waters as the ship went down; he felt himself engulfed forever; his brain crazed with fear; and then, someone saw him coming up and caught him and he was saved–ask him what it means to be saved.

Does the word mean nothing to you? Go to the eunuch and ask him what it means. He was a great man with the queen of the Ethiopians, but he saw himself as lost. He felt himself going out into a long eternity without one ray of hope. He went to Jerusalem for to worship, but was returning unsatisfied. He sought through the Word for help. The Spirit all the time was digging in. Then Philip came along and preached unto him Jesus. How graciously the light shone in, and the darkness fled away. He was saved! He can tell you what it means.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR