He opened the door of everlasting life to all them that believe in Him. His resurrection set God's seal on the unspeakable importance and value of His Death. Then "when He had by Himself purged our sins," He ascended, and "sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." From thence He will return to judge the world. And ever since He went, the Grand Message to man has been, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Now, one part of the question asked in Confirmation is, "Do you believe in Jesus?" The reply of those Confirmed is, "I do." "I do believe in God the Son who redeemed me and all mankind." "I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, and who, chiefest of all things-Suffered-was crucified, dead, and buried." "I believe in Jesus, who is my Ascended Priest, through whom I may always go boldly to the throne of grace (Heb. iv. 14-16), and who ever liveth to make intercession for me. (Heb. vii. 25.) I believe in Him as my King, who rules all things for His Church, and who will come C John vi. 44 again to judge the world. I come to Him, and give myself to Him to be my Saviour and my King." I put this in the fore-front, because that is its proper place. The Bible ever puts first this faith in Jesus Christ. And in the Catechism, the Creed (or short account of our belief), stands in the centre, between the "renunciation" and the Commandments, for the same reason. For no otherwise can we renounce, or obey, than in proportion as we believe; and the most prominent portion of the Creed is the Belief in Jesus Christ, of whom I have spoken. But I cannot draw one soul to Jesus Christ. It is the Father who alone can do this. And from Him I beseech you to crave so great a blessing. COLLECT. ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, grant me so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Thy Son Jesus Christ, that my faith in Thy sight may never be reproved. Hear me through the same Jesus Christ, to whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory for evermore. Amen. III. Faith's Supreme Importance. "Then said they unto Him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, this is THE WORK of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent."-JOHN vi. 28, 29. THE great theme of the Bible is that of which I have already spoken, that God sent forth His Son to be the Saviour of the world. In like manner God's Great Message to men now is, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." And, in strict accordance with this, the core and kernel of the Confirmation Question is, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" Of this, too, I have said somewhat, but you must let me take it up again now, for it is of supreme importance. St. John tells us that the very object of his writing his Gospel was that men "might believe that Jesus Christ is John xx. 31. |