He who believes in Him (Jesus) is not judged (condemned); he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:18
Faith is an essential part of each of the pieces of armor. We put on the belt of truth by believing scripture. We receive the righteousness of God by faith. And we stand in the truth of the good news by believing in Jesus as well. Everything that we do in our Christian life comes down to faith. Today’s passage deals with the important issue of salvation and reminds us that faith is what separates those who are heaven bound and eternal life with God from those who are bound for hell and eternal separation from Him.
The words “faith” and “believe” both come from the same root word in the original language. In other words, the original hearers of the text would equate “having faith” to that of “believing.” These words together appear approximately 450 times in the New Testament, almost twice the number of times we see the word “love.” The matter of faith is not a side issue or footnote to scripture rather it is the main event. How we respond to what Jesus did on the cross determines the course of our lives now as well as in eternity. I call faith “an appropriate response to a loving God.” Literally, it is the issue of faith that determines which eternal direction we will take. Today’s passage is a stark reminder of that reality.
Those who are bound for heaven are not people who have lived better lives than others. Neither are they religious people who hold to some strict, ritualistic tradition. Rather, Christians are sinners who have acknowledged their spiritual state, admitting that they need a Savior, and have called on the Lord to do just that…save them (Romans 10:13). We do not “change our ways” to come to Christ. We come to Him and it is His presence that brings about a change of heart, mind, and attitude. It is this spiritual transformation that leads to a change in behavior (John 3:3). It is not the change in behavior that saves us rather the behavior is a result of a life already saved.
Jesus is clear when He says, “He who believes in Him (Jesus) is not judged (condemned).” Paul reiterates this amazing truth when he spoke the following words:
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1
When we are saved, we belong to Jesus and the family of God. It is in Him that we find perfection and righteousness. We are forever released from any condemnation because the punishment that is due ourselves has been paid for by Christ. The righteous dying for the unrighteous, that is what is at the heart of the gospel. And when Jesus saves us, He saves us completely.
But the opposite of this spiritual reality is also true. Jesus says, “He who does not believe has been judged already.” Notice that it is not that these people have more sin in their lives or have somehow transgressed the Law in a more egregious manner than the rest of mankind, no, these people who are under condemnation, having been judged already, are in that spiritual state because they are unbelievers. In other words, they have not received salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.
This group of people could include the prideful; who refuse to admit their sin and need for a Savior. But this group can also include the religious; either those who follow a belief system denying the Lordship of Jesus or those who simply believe that their religious actions will somehow earn them the right to go to heaven. Either way, unbelievers will not inherit eternal life.
Jesus makes it clear as to why, “Because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Anytime we see the word “because”, we are being instructed as to why something occurs. In this case, the reason why some people will go to heaven is because they have received salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. And for those who do not go to heaven? It is because they have not believed.
With so much at stake, it is no wonder the enemy will do anything in his power to silence the proclamation of the gospel. We know that he veils the gospel in order to keep people from hearing it and becoming saved (2 Corinthians 4:4, Luke 8:12). But his tactics do not only apply to the life of the unbeliever. Christians can come under the same attack when the enemy attempts to sow seeds of doubt about our salvation and eternal security. I view this as one of the most common attacks against believers. The enemy knows that we belong to Christ but he will still attempt to convince believers that they have done something to justify the undoing of their justification. This is where faith comes into play.
Paul describes faith as a shield that is “able to extinguish all of the fiery arrows of the enemy.” These arrows can come in the form of doubt. But as we arm ourselves with the truth of God’s Word and remember that our salvation is by faith and not by works, we can successfully extinguish these accusations (Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 6:16).
Scripture paints a picture of the church as a strong, secure, and effective people (2 Corinthians 3:4, Hebrews 4:16, Ephesians 3:11-12). We are not to wander around day-to-day wondering if we are saved or not. Our salvation comes by faith in Jesus and when we admit our sin and need for a Savior, calling on God to save us according to His grace and mercy, He does! Let’s take up the shield of faith and be ready for the battle, knowing that our shield is highly effective in extinguishing all of the enemy’s attacks!
Taking up the shield of faith means:
- Understanding that our faith can extinguish all of the fiery arrows of the enemy
- Giving us confidence and security regarding our salvation
“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:40
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