BELIEVER

 

 

Acts 5:14 – “And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of menand women.”

 

 

INTRODUCTION

A.   reason for lesson – Series: “Who Are You? – Designation VS. Reputation”

 

B.   “Believe” – “Faith”

 

C.   Commonly used passages:

 

v      John 14:1 - Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

 

v      John 20:25 - The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

 

v    John 20:31 - But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

 

D.   But – Are YOU a believer in name only or in fact?????

 

 

Marks of a Believer:

 

1.     Baptized into Christ

 

v      Acts 8:37  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.

 

v      Acts 16:30 -31  And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

 

v      1 John 5:1  Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

 

 

2.     Justified

 

v      Acts 13:38-39  Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

 

 

 

 

3.      Hearts Purified

 

v      Acts 15:9  And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

 

 

4.     “The Just Shall Live by Faith” – Hebrews 10:38

 

v      Galatians 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

 

v      2 Corinthians 1:24  Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

 

v      2 Corinthians 5:7  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

 

v      1 Thessalonians 1:3  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

 

v      James 2:14-26 

 

 

5.     Be “of one heart” with Other Brethren

 

v      Acts 4:32  And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

 

v      Acts 2:44  And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

 

 

6.  Rejoices!

 

v      1 Peter 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory

 

        Definition of “joy”  

 

v      Romans 15:13  Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

 

       Definition of “rejoice”

 

 

 

7.  Counts Christ as Precious

 

v      1 Peter 2:7  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

 

 

 

8.     Does Not Draw Back

 

v      Hebrews 10:38-39 - Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

 

v      Philippians 3:8-14 - Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 

v      Galatians 5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

 

v      Ephesians 6

 

 

 

9.     Overcomes the World

 

v      1 John 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

 

v      1 Peter 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (verse 9)  Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

 

v      2 Corinthians 6:15  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

 

 

 

10.              Is Not Ashamed of Suffering for Christ

 

v      2 Timothy 1:12  For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

 

v      Philippians 1:29  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

 

 

11.              Is Looking For the Coming of Jesus Christ

 

v      2 Thessalonians 1:10  When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

 

v      2 Peter 3:10-12 - But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

 

 

12.              His Faith Will “Be Spoken of among All…”

 

v      Romans 1:8  First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

 

v      Ephesians 1:15  Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints

 

v      Colossians 1:4  Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints.

 

v      1 Thessalonians 1:7  So that ye were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

 

 

 

13.               Will Enter God’s Rest

 

v      Hebrews 3:18-19 - And to whom swore he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

 

v      Hebrews 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

 

Conclusion

 

So – Are You a Believer??????????