The Purpose Statement
The goal is belief that results in life.
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. —John 20:30-31
In concluding his Gospel, John provides us with a clear statement of purpose. He didn’t record every miracle Jesus ever performed; he selected specific signs to lead us to one essential conclusion: that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. The signs chosen by John are enough. The goal is belief that results in life.
Today’s passage, again, presents a singular condition for receiving this life: believing. It does not say “believing plus works,” “believing plus keeping traditions,” or “believing plus perfection.” The sufficiency of faith is the very point of the passage. If we feel the need to add our own efforts to the finished work of Christ to be saved, we are essentially saying that the message John wrote about is insufficient. We are implying that Jesus’ sacrifice was not quite enough to bridge the gap between us and God.
If one thinks that believing in Jesus is not enough, then he does not believe the saving message. To add anything to God’s grace and our faith is to subtract from the completeness of Christ's work. I like the way Paul, through divine inspiration, stated it in his letter to the Galatians: “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” (Gal. 2:21)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for the clarity of Your Word. Thank You that the path to eternal life is not paved with our own imperfect efforts, but is opened solely through faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Let my heart be convinced that believing in Him is truly enough for salvation. May I live today with the freedom of someone who knows they are fully accepted by grace alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
View all messages in the series at: www.faithsaves.us/t/enough-faith-series