Believing Without Effect

From the Pastor: Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.” (I Cor. 15:1-2)

Apostle Paul preached the Gospel, which is the fact that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day, “by which also ye are saved.” Salvation does not exist outside of the boundaries of this fact, plus nothing and minus nothing. If this simple fact is tainted by adding anything or removing anything it become perverted and is no Gospel at all. One is only able to be saved by believing into this truth of the Gospel of Jesus as preached by the Apostles. This comes not by believing about but by believing into. It is being plunged into the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. This is the effect of the Gospel of Jesus.

The words “if ye keep in memory” from the language carries the thought of “having in one’s possession.” It is not just agreeing with the pronouncement of the Gospel; rather, it is possessing the Gospel which has been embedded by the Holy Spirit unto the birth of a new creature born out of God, saved unto the uttermost. We are saved IF we have truthfully in our custody the fact that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose by the power of God in a bodily resurrection.

“Unless” means “if not”; that is, if one is not in possession of the Gospel by the sovereign power and grace of Almighty God plunging him into the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, then all of his believing about and all of his religious activities has been for nothing. “Believed in vain” means “believed without effect.” That is to say, if one possesses in his spirit the Gospel a change will take place inwardly and outwardly conforming him to the righteousness of Christ Jesus. One saying he believes with no conversion unto righteousness is still in his sins, because his believing has had no effect. He possesses not the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.