Pastor Jeff on the Radio

Guest (Male): You're listening to Pastor Jeff Schwarzentraub with Pastor Jeff Ministries. On today's program, Pastor Jeff begins his message, "Real Saving Faith," from the series, "Stay the Course," and shows you what real saving faith looks like and why understanding it is the most important question you'll ever answer.

Our mission is to challenge people to respond to the word of God, and you're in the right place to grow in your walk. We invite you to visit pastorjeff.com, where you'll find a wealth of resources and can sign up for Pastor Jeff's weekly devotional emails delivered right to your inbox. Now, let's hear today's message from God's word with Pastor Jeff.

Pastor Jeff Schwarzentraub: I'm so thrilled to be starting a new series today called, "Stay the Course." One of the first things you need to understand if you're going to stay the course is to ask yourself, "Where is it that I'm going?" If you don't know where you're going, it's going to be hard to know whether you're on course. As we begin this series, we're going to talk about how it is that you can stay the course in your faith because it's really important. Many people that think that they're starting out well don't understand where it is that they're going and end up shipwrecking their faith over time. We don't want that to happen to anybody here.

One day, no matter who you are, you need to know you will stand in front of the Lord Jesus Christ to give an account for your life, and the question is, "Are you ready?" It's the most important question that you're ever going to answer on this side of heaven. Are you ready to meet the Lord Jesus Christ? Because one day that will be you all by yourself with nobody else there to give an account for what you believed about the person and work of Jesus.

That's why even Jesus said, when he was on the earth, "Not everyone that says, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom." He said, "On that day there will be many that will say, 'But Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not cast out demons? Did we not heal people?'" In other words, there will be those on that day when they meet Jesus, "Did we not attend church? Did we not do good things?" And then what's he going to say? "Depart from me, you worker of iniquity, for I never knew you."

Even the Apostle Paul, when he writes to the Corinthian church, he asks them this question, "Examine yourself. Make sure you're in the faith." He's writing to a group of churches. He's writing to church people. He's writing to people like you, saying, "You better think about this one. You better make sure you get this one right, because this is a guarantee that's going to happen. You will stand before the Lord, and what are you going to say when you get there?"

Life is short. Eternity's long. You better be ready. If you're going to stay the course, you need to make sure that that is a bedrock and you know where you're going and you know how to get there. That's what we're going to talk about today is real saving faith. Throughout this series, we're going to talk about how you can keep that faith, how you can grow in that faith, how you can avoid false teachers that are teaching you something other than the faith, how you can look forward to Christ's return in your faith. How is it in this tide of uncertainty in which we live that we can stay the course with Jesus? That's what this whole series is about.

That is why you can read the book of Second Peter in about five to ten minutes. We're going to spend about nine weeks in this book to give you a thorough understanding of what God's trying to say because there's nothing more important in your life than staying the course with Jesus Christ all the way to the end. Amen?

I want to encourage you to open up your Bibles to Second Peter. We're going to read the first four verses today, and Lord willing go through those. You need to understand while you're turning to the book of Second Peter, Peter, out of all of the disciples that Jesus has, is one of those that was closest to him. Peter, James, and John were closest. Peter was one who was quick to speak, slow to listen. Peter was one who seemed to have all the answers.

After he was restored by Jesus after Jesus Christ's resurrection, Peter preached the first sermon. This is later in Peter's life. This is right before Peter died, probably somewhere in the mid to late 60s, maybe about 67 AD. This book was written so that Peter, as a stalwart in the faith, as one that Jesus has called, is giving a word of exhortation to all those who believe on how it is that they can stay the course. Let's read these first four verses together, and then we're going to unpack what real saving faith is.

The word of God reads, "Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust."

In these short four verses, as Peter is writing to those who believe, he's going to unpack what real saving faith looks like. Today I want to highlight five of those truths as we're going through this today. I want you to ask yourself, "Are these five true of me?" When you hear each point, say, "Is this true of me? Am I growing in this?" Because if you're not, examine yourself. Make sure that you have real saving faith. Because there are people that attend church all the time that don't have real saving faith.

God wants to make it crystal clear to you. Don't just listen to this and say, "I wish so and so was here today." Don't just listen to this and say, "This is for other people." Listen for yourself first, and if this is true of you for all five, then you will know what to look for in other people as you are out witnessing.

The first is this: that real saving faith transforms pride into humility and service. Is that true of you? If you have real saving faith, it will transform your pride into humility and service. Notice how Peter starts this book under the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. "Simon Peter." How does he call himself? "A bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ."

Peter, one of the twelve apostles. Peter, one of the three in the inner circle. Peter, that got to see Jesus do all of his wonderful miracles. How does he first and foremost identify himself? In our English translations, it's translated bondservant. Some of your translations may say servant. A bondservant was one who chose to be in servanthood. But that's not the word. The word is the Greek word "doulos," which means slave.

You know what slave means? Slave. That's what it means. The reason we don't use that in many of our English translations is because of the sin of slavery that took place in our country. But the reality is the way Peter identifies himself is as a slave, and that's even lower than a servant. He doesn't identify himself as one of the twelve. He doesn't identify himself as one of Jesus' favorites. He doesn't identify himself as Peter, James, and John. He identifies himself first and foremost as what? A "doulos," a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What's a slave? A slave is one who's dependent, unqualified, available, waiting, willing, obedient. You say, "Well, what am I?" You're a slave too if you're a born-again believer. First Corinthians chapter 6, verse 20 says, "You were bought with a price. Therefore, honor God with your body." If you are born again, it's because Jesus Christ bought you with his blood, and you are no more and no less than a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ. Does that offend you? Or does that give you great joy that you have the privilege of serving the King of the universe as his willing slave?

Notice what else he identifies himself as. "Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ." Apostle literally means "one who is sent." In the first century, Jesus had twelve apostles. Of all of his disciples, he had twelve. To be an apostle, you needed to see the resurrected Christ with your own two eyes and verbally be told by him to go. That's what qualifies you as an apostle. That's why there's no modern-day apostles.

I believe the gift of apostleship still exists. Every time I've taken a spiritual gift inventory, apostleship comes up first. Apostleship is a spiritual gift as one sent by God to a place where Christ is not known, so you're not building on someone else's foundation. Go and spread the good news in an area where it's not. That's what fires up someone that has the gift of apostleship, but there are no modern-day capital-A apostles that speak in such a way that's authoritative. The word of God is closed. The word of God is authoritative. Amen?

Here's what I want you to see. Peter identifies himself first and foremost as a slave. "I'm a slave of Jesus, and I'm identifying with Jesus because here's what he calls me. He calls me an apostle. He's gifted me as an apostle. I'm a slave who does what Jesus tells me to do. I'm a slave that identifies with Jesus. That's what I am." Real saving faith will give you that heart. Real saving faith, you'll come out and say, "I'm a slave, and I identify with what Jesus says I am."

"I'm forgiven. I'm holy. I'm righteous. I'm good." How do you know that? Because I'm a slave, and that's what Jesus says that I am. I am not ashamed of the gospel. It's the power of God for salvation unto everyone who believes. I'm not afraid to tell you about Jesus. I'm not afraid to talk about Jesus because Jesus is the reason that I have life. I am a slave, and I identify myself with him.

It means this: if you have real saving faith, you're first and foremost a Christian who happens to have other roles. You're first and foremost a slave of Jesus Christ who happens to be a mom. You're first and foremost a slave of Jesus Christ who happens to be a dad. You're first and foremost a slave of Jesus Christ that happens to be an attorney or happens to be an athlete or happens to be a coach. You're first and foremost a slave of Jesus that believes everything about Jesus, that's not afraid to talk about Jesus, walk with Jesus, do Jesus-centered stuff because Jesus is the center of your life.

That's what real saving faith does. Not necessarily instantaneously, but progressively over time, there'll be a growing desire to be more available and more willing and more serving and more identifying with who Jesus is. It won't embarrass you if somebody says, "Are you a Christian?" Of course, I'm a Christian. I'm a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever he says, I do. If his word proclaims it, that's what I'm going to become. I'm going to orient my life around who he is. I'm dependent upon him. I'm not ashamed of him.

I didn't come from a family that talked like that. I wasn't born again until I was 18 years old. When I was around people who talked like that, that was new to me. I remember when I was getting ready to go into ministry and trying to seek the Lord and ask him, "Is this what you have for me?" I didn't go to a church that talked like that. I wasn't around people like that. I remember one time I had to go meet a guy at a restaurant that had run a college ministry, and there were all these college students around and we were eating dinner, and he looked at me and he said, "Jeff, tell us what Jesus Christ is doing in your life right now."

I'm like, "That's a forward question." At dinner? We're going to talk about Jesus? It just seemed a little forward. It seemed a little too much. But I realized in hindsight he was walking with Jesus. He was hearing Jesus. He was loving Jesus. That's what he was talking about. The longer you walk with the Lord, you won't be able to keep him inside. He won't be someone that you can just set to the side and be this quote "Christian chameleon" that can come to church and act like a Christian and not act like a Christian because his life will begin to consume you.

If people say, "Tone the Jesus thing down," how can I? He died for my sins. He rose from the grave. He's ruling the universe. He's my God, and I'm willing to serve him anyway. There's a growing desire for that. That's how you know you have real saving faith over time. That becomes a part of your life. It transforms your pride into humility and service.

Now, notice this: apostle wasn't just a title. Apostle was what he did. "You call me an apostle? Good. I'll go where Christ is not known. I'll proclaim your word. I'll get arrested. I'll be crucified like you were, Jesus, but I'm going to do it upside down because I don't feel worthy to be crucified like you were. I'll go do whatever you tell me to do because I'm your slave. If you tell me to go, I go. You tell me to stay, I stay. That's my role. You want me to be a pastor? I'll preach your word. You give me the gift of encouragement? I'll encourage the saints. Give me a gift of intercession? I will intercede for every... I'll do what you want me to do, Jesus, even if it costs me my life."

There's a growing desire of humility that way. Humility means I am who Jesus says I am, and I'm willing to do what Jesus says he wants me to do. Amen? Is that true of you? Just ask yourself. Rhetorical question. If you have real saving faith, it is. For every true believer, that's true.

Second, it does this: real saving faith celebrates the gift of Christ's righteousness. This is important. Real saving faith celebrates the gift of Christ's righteousness. Notice who he's writing to. "To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ." What's he saying? What's the same kind mean? It means of equal value. Those of you that have the same faith regardless of what nationality you have, regardless of what ethnicity you have, regardless of where you grew up or what neighborhood you're from, if you have the same faith as what I'm talking about, here's how I know you have the same faith: because you have the righteousness of Christ.

Christ is the only one that can give you his righteousness. That's what separates Christian faith from every single other faith in the world. And who do we get that from? Our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. What does that mean? Jesus is both Lord and Savior. Jesus is God. He's always been God. He will always be God. And what are you celebrating? You're celebrating this gift that you've received by faith.

If it's a gift, let me tell you what you didn't do. You didn't earn it. What we celebrate about the gospel, what we celebrate about the good news is not anything we did to earn it. You didn't find Jesus if you're a Christian; he found you. You didn't do good things if you were a Christian; it was God who did a good thing for you. There's nobody here that's deserving of what God's done. It's a gift. And if he gave you the gift and you've received the gift, it's an irrevocable gift. No one's going to snatch you out of God's hand. You belong to him for all eternity.

You celebrate that gift. What's the gift? The gift is Christ's righteousness. Here's what I need you to understand. We teach the gospel wrong. We teach the gospel wrong in that we tell non-believers, unregenerate people that, "Hey, why don't you come to Christ? There's the promise of health and wealth and prosperity and influence and fame and a better life. Don't you want that?" Every unregenerate non-believer wants that. Name one person you would meet today that doesn't want to be more healthy, more rich, more prosperous, more influenced, more fame. Everybody wants that. That's what the unregenerate mind wants.

That's not what's offered, and that's not the gospel. Because if that's the gospel, then God owes tens of millions of believers an apology. Your life may get worse after coming to Christ. Inevitably it will get more difficult after coming to Christ. Here's what the gospel promises. The gospel promises the righteous life of Christ for those who are dead and forgiveness of sin for those who are wicked. That's the gospel. So, the good news is only for people who are dead and wicked. If you're neither spiritually dead nor wicked, there is no good news for you. That's who he's for.

Let me be clear on this, because this comes across harsh sometimes, and I'm telling you this because I love you. The gospel is only for dead people, spiritually. The gospel is only for wicked people. If you consider yourself a good person, I have no hope for you. If you consider yourself alive and you have a good life, I have nothing to offer you. The only offer I can make you today is if you're spiritually dead and you're wicked. Now, before you get up and leave, I'm talking to you.

Romans chapter 3 tells you and me about you and me. There is no one righteous, not even one. That's all of us. That's you. There is none who understands. That's you. There is none who seeks for God. That's you. All have turned aside, together they have become useless. That's you. There are none who does good. That's you. There is not even one. That's you. You're not good. You're useless. You can't find God. "Well, I found God." You found the God you made up in your mind. You didn't find the real God.

Because the righteousness of Christ is only dispensed to dead, wicked people. You have to come to the place where you realize you are spiritually dead and wicked and you have a resume from the time you started breathing to prove that you're dead and wicked. And some of you, it's pretty evident to everybody that you're dead and wicked. But to others, you've hidden it in your own pride that says, "I'm not as bad as some of those other people out there." That's dead and wicked too. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

The reason that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world is not because you were good and he's looking to improve your life; it's because you're dead and you're wicked and you're facing an eternal judgment in hell. So, God the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Jesus Christ fulfilled the law, stretched out his arms on the cross, took the full wrath of God on the cross in your place for what you deserve, for all your deadness and wickedness, and then he rose from the dead showing that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and offers that to anybody who would recognize their wicked and dead and come to him. That's good news.

So, here's my question: do you celebrate the gift of Christ's righteousness in your life? That's what I'm celebrating. I'm not looking to meet Jesus and telling him what I did and I was a pastor and I preached. I don't care about any of that stuff. Here's what I want to tell him: "I was dead and I was wicked and you made me alive, and that's all I'm hanging on to." That's the gospel. Amen?

God made him who had no sin to become sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. If you recognize you're dead and you recognize that you're wicked, then you bring all your sin to Jesus and in exchange for your sin, he gives you all of his righteousness. What gives us the same faith as somebody in another country, what gives us the same faith as somebody different socioeconomically, what gives us the same faith is that we all recognize we're dead and wicked and we needed Christ to save us and he did it on the cross and he rose from the dead and he's the one and only one that could do that.

That's why this is important to get. Because you have a lot of faiths out there that talk about Jesus in a similar way that don't believe the Jesus I'm talking about. I was on an airplane once. It's been two decades ago. I remember it was the first time I ever tried witnessing to a Mormon. There was a mom and a girl. They admitted they were Mormon, and I didn't know much about the Mormon faith at the time, and I was asking them, "Do you believe in Jesus?" They said, "Yes." I said, "Well, do you believe Jesus died on the cross for your sin?" "Yes." "Do you believe he rose from the dead?" "Yes." "Do you believe he ascended into heaven?" "Yes." I was stumped. And they said, "You know what? What you really need is the Book of Mormon. We're going to send it to you."

I got off the plane, I started doing research. I'm like, "What did I miss? What did I miss?" And what I missed is they don't believe that Jesus Christ is Savior and God. And had I known it then, I would have said, "Do you believe Jesus Christ has always existed and has always been God?" They would have said, "No." "Do you believe Jesus as God incarnated himself as God and came?" "No." We believe, they think, that Jesus was the good son and the devil was the bad son, and Jesus became a god and we can become gods too. I don't believe that. You say, "Well, I know a Mormon that believes what you believe." Then they're a bad Mormon. They should come to our church.

I grew up in the Midwest. Most of the people I hung out with were Roman Catholic. Roman Catholic doctrine doesn't teach this. You can be Roman Catholic and be saved if you believe this, but Roman Catholic doctrine doesn't save. Roman Catholic doctrine says you need more sacraments, you need to go to mass more often, you need to do more confessions. If you do, do, do, do, do more, more, more, more, more, then you'll get out of purgatory quicker. That doctrine doesn't save. That doctrine sends to hell.

You say, "Well, I know a Catholic that believes that Jesus' righteousness is the only thing that saves." Then they're a bad Catholic. And they need to be here. Do you understand what I'm saying? It's the righteousness of Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other way but through Jesus and what the word of God proclaims. Amen?

Guest (Male): Thanks for listening today. That was Pastor Jeff with his message, "Real Saving Faith," from the series, "Stay the Course," showing you what real saving faith looks like and why you should understand it is the most important question you'll ever answer.

Thanks for joining us for today's program. Before you go, a quick reminder that when you give a gift of support today, we'll thank you with a copy of Pastor Jeff's brand-new book, "Holy Identity: Becoming Who You Are in Christ." This isn't a rule book; it's a transformative guide to living from the identity Christ has already declared over you. You'll discover how to reject lies, stand firm in a compromised world, and walk in the freedom and power God intends. So, request your copy today at pastorjeff.com when you give to help others experience the truth and hope of God's word. That's pastorjeff.com. We'll see you next time.