Unsaved BelieversbyBrett Hickey, sermon #11201 of 5
Unsaved Believers
Have you ever heard of an unsaved believer? Many contend that once a sinner believes in Jesus, confesses that Jesus was the Son of God, prays to Jesus and worships Jesus that He is guaranteed salvation. But, is this true? There is a fascinating story in Matthew, Mark and Luke where one believed in Jesus, confessed that Jesus was the Son of God, prayed to Jesus and worshiped Jesus without being saved. Let’s read the account in Luke 8:26-39:
“Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him [“worshipping him”—Mark 5:6]1 , and with a loud voice said, ‘What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You [the Greek word translated “beg” here is translated “pray” twelve times in the King James Version], do not torment me!’ [As Alexander Maclaren puts it, Jesus’ “mere presence makes the flock of obscene creatures nested in the man uneasy, like bats in a cave, who flutter against a light.”] For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him. And they begged Him [the Greek word for “begged” here is translated “pray” six times elsewhere] that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him [or prayed] that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned. When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned. Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.’ And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.”
We see something peculiar about human nature. Here we have a naked man camping out in a cemetery, cutting himself with stones and hollering nonsense day and night. Then, we find a herd of two thousand hogs (Mark 5:13) charging into a lake and drowning. Someone said, “The community can live with a crazy, naked man living in the cemetery, but they throw Christ out of their community.” Sound familiar? Drinking, drugs, profanity, prostitution, pornography, premarital sex, adultery, and perversion doesn’t seem to bother people much, but bring up Jesus, the Bible or prayer and people become offended and even infuriated.
Our story about deviled ham brings home a truth the Spirit reveals in James 2:18-20, “But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” We want to notice more unsaved believers in the New Testament, after our song…
While we obviously want to be careful in drawing conclusions from demonic behavior, we should also remember that the Holy Spirit refers to the believing, trembling demons to stress the difference between living faith and dead faith. (James 2:19)
Meanwhile, the New Testament presents to us a number of unsaved believers. Take for example, the Rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-22. He obviously believed in Jesus, “Now behold, one came and said to Him, ‘Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?’ So He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ He said to Him, ‘Which ones?" Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder,' ‘You shall not commit adultery,' ‘You shall not steal,' ‘You shall not bear false witness, ‘Honor your father and your mother,' and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' The young man said to Him, ‘All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”
Before Jesus issued the challenge, a parallel passage in Mark 10:21 says, that Jesus, "looking at him, loved him." Although the rich young ruler clearly believed in Jesus, initially "running [to Jesus and] kneeling before Him " according to Mark 10:17, when he left Jesus, he was wealthy in this world's goods, but spiritually impoverished.
We find more unsaved believers in John 12:42-43, "Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." In his Word Pictures of the New Testament, A. T. Robertson explains that “These actually "believed on him" …in their convictions, a remarkable statement as to the effect that Christ had in Jerusalem as the Sanhedrin plotted his death.” Many rulers had the intellectual honesty to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but remained unsaved because they were more concerned with human acceptance than Divine approval. They couldn't bear to lose their place in the Sanhedrin. Believing, yet lost.
Toward the close of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus delivered a stunning statement about unsaved believers in Matthew 7:21-23, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" Can you believe it? These people do MUCH MORE than believe. These are very confident followers of Christ, if we can use that phrase. Standing in judgment, they call unto Jesus as if they have had a longstanding relationship, "Lord, Lord." Then, they rattle off a list of religious activities they had performed in the name of Jesus Christ. They had carried out what had appeared to be impressive religious works—they had even preached, but Jesus dismisses these believers in disgust calling them strangers who practice lawlessness. They fooled a lot of folks, but the charade is over. Religious, but rejected. Believing, but abandoned. What a waste! Where did these folks go astray? They were involved in religious activity, but they were wrong.
Jesus says in verse 21, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." Apparently, they failed to learn the Lord's will or having learned it, opted to pass on it. Perhaps the last word in this passage sheds the most light on the problem. Verse 23, "...Depart from Me, ye that work iniquity." The word "iniquity" partially obscured the meaning from me for years. I guess I really never wrapped my mind around the word "iniquity," but just looked at it as a synonym for sinfulness. That it is, but it carries a broader meaning that that. The New King James Version translates the passage, "you who practice lawlessness!" (KJV) Lawlessness? It's interesting how Thayer translated the original word here: "the condition of without law because ignorant of it and/or because of violating it; contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness." Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words includes in his definition of the noun here used, "the rejection of the law, or will, of God and the substitution of the will of self." This should set off flashing red lights, considering how many believers disparage the idea of keeping the law of Christ. Jesus says that such believers are NOT ONLY unsaved, but that he never knew them.
After the cross, the apostle seems to be dealing with the same class when he writes in Titus 1:16,
“They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.” Unsaved believers! I want to be sure that I am not one of them. Perhaps we have another group of unsaved believers in Hebrews 10:38, “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him." Barnes’ Notes says the following on the idea of "drawing back" in this passage: "the unbeliever, or he who renounces his religion, will incur the Divine displeasure. He will be a man exposed to the Divine wrath; a man on whom God cannot look but with disapprobation. By this solemn consideration, therefore, the apostle urges on them the importance of perseverance, and the guilt and danger of apostasy from the Christian faith. If such a case should occur, no matter what might have been the former condition, and no matter what love or zeal might have been evinced, yet such an apostasy would expose the individual to the certain wrath of God. His former love could not save him, any more than the former obedience of the angels saved them from the horrors of eternal chains and darkness, or than the holiness in which Adam was created saved him and his posterity from the calamities which his apostasy incurred.”
In Luke's great history of the church, Paul gets in hot water with the Jews and is rescued by a commander in the Roman army. While awaiting trial in custody of the Roman authorities, Paul is providentially provided the opportunity to preach the gospel to powerful men. First, Paul meets Felix the governor of Judea. The Bible says in Acts 24:24-25, "And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, ‘Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.’" Here was a man who, though in a position of authority, was so stirred by Paul’s preaching that the prospect of judgment frightened him. He believed the message, but put off a serious response to a convenient season that likely never came. Unsaved believer! Don’t make the same mistake; don’t put off your salvation waiting for a convenient season.
Next, in Acts 26, Paul presents the gospel to King Agrippa and Festus, the governor, while retelling his conversion. The climax comes in verses 24-29, “Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, ‘Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!’ But he said, ‘I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that YOU DO believe.’ Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You almost persuade me to become a Christian.’ And Paul said, ‘I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.’" (italics mine)
It’s impressive to me that Paul boldly confronted the King, “Do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe!” As a Jew, Paul knew that King Agrippa believed the prophets. Albert Barnes writes of the point Paul made behind this confrontational statement, "Since thou believest the prophecies, and since I have shown that they are fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, that he corresponds in person, character, and work with the prophets, it follows that his religion is true."
Back to Agrippa’s response in Acts 26:28: “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” (KJV)
Some of the saddest words in the New Testament. Obviously, Agrippa knew that this was not merely fantasy on Paul’s part. If so, Agrippa would have told Paul he thought it was ridiculous—but he did not. Agrippa instead said you almost persuade me. In other words, your message is persuasive, but I am not quite prepared to act on it. He must have believed that Jesus was the Christ.
I wonder how many viewers today are in the same place as Agrippa. Do you believe the prophets, the apostles? Of course you believe, and yet, you have not acted on your faith. You have stubbornly clung to your present life, unmoved by the story of Jesus. You may not understand the message as well as Agrippa, though. Agrippa knew that believing was not enough to make him a Christian. Believing alone doesn’t make one a Christian. You must have a living, ACTIVE faith. The Holy Spirit says in James 2:24, 26, “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only…. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Almost a Christian is not good enough. Almost a Christian leaves one lost in sin.
We discover more unsaved believers in 2 Peter 2. These individuals are more pitiful than those who never fully embrace Christ because they "escape the pollutions of the world," (2 Peter 2:20) they know "the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," (v. 20) they know "the way of righteousness," (v.20) but throw it all away for the illusion of freedom. 2 Peter 2:19-22, “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: 'A dog returns to his own vomit,' and, 'a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.'"
The apostle Paul warns (Galatians 5:4) of the same demise for those seeking to be justified by the law of Moses instead of abiding in the "law of Christ." “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” Martin Luther accurately evaluates this admonition in his commentary on Galatians: "The words, 'Ye are fallen from grace,' must not be taken lightly. They are important. To fall from grace means to lose the atonement, the forgiveness of sins, the righteousness, liberty, and life which Jesus has merited for us by His death and resurrection. To lose the grace of God means to gain the wrath and judgment of God, death, the bondage of the devil, and everlasting condemnation." Unsaved believers. Be sure you are not one of them!
Living faith will produce a willingness to repent – to change your life. Acts 17:30, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent…” Living faith will lead to a confession of Christ – Matthew 10:32, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.” Living faith ends in baptism for the remission of sins – Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Don’t settle for less than the baptism taught in the New Testament; many man-made baptisms are being practiced in the name of God. Don’t settle for less than God’s way. Contact us and we will help. We’ll be back, after our song…