Do you believe in God, or do you believe on God? There is a difference between these two questions. James would say in James 2:
James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
The devils also believe, did God save them? Believing in God and believing on God are two different things. I first and foremost want to say that this belief does not save us, but this belief is proof of salvation. What is meant by the question believing on God?
Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Galatians 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Here Pual tells us that Abraham believed God. Paul is getting to the core of our faith. We believe what God has said. There is a particular part of God that separates those who believe in God from those who believe on God. Paul shows us this dividing line in Romans 10.
Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Paul speaks of Israel’s zeal for God. They believe in Him, but they do not believe in what He has said. They are ignorant of one aspect of God. Paul illuminates this to us here. He says they are ignorant of the righteousness of God. They are ignorant, they do not know the truth of the righteousness of God. Being ignorant of this righteousness, they go about trying to establish their own righteousness. Why are they ignorant of the righteousness of God? This righteousness must be revealed.
Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
It is to the glory of God to both conceal a thing and to reveal a thing. A sovereign God can reveal His truth about His righteousness to who He chooses.
Mankind inherently feels that God exists. Even if God has not revealed Himself, look at all the religions seen across our world. Each has its own goal of how to be right with God. Within Christianity there are many beliefs of how one can make themselves right with God. The question we are asking is how can we be right with God? How can we be seen as righteous? Some say it takes baptism, others a sinner’s prayer. Others will say walking an aisle, following the law in some circles, and even faith in God. Faith today has been made into a condition. What Paul is telling us about the righteousness of God is that it is not conditioned on the activity of the sinner. Righteousness is imputed to the sinner absent his or her input. Just as sin was not imputed in any way associated with our actions, righteousness is imputed in the same way. Righteousness was imputed long before any of us today were born so faith cannot play a role. This shows that it must be by grace. We are justified freely. All you need to do is have faith. I do not know how many times I have heard that statement. It is free but you must do this. Today there are many ways that man has devised to be right with God. The problem is in man’s nature he goes about to establish his own righteousness. This is no different than in the day of Paul. The truth of the righteousness of God is kept from some and revealed to others. God is no different today than He was then.
Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
Those for whom this message is meant will believe. By the power of God they will believe.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Except a man be born again he cannot believe this message of the righteousness of God. It takes an act of God for man to see and to hear. Romans is Paul’s step by step instruction manual about the righteousness of God. It shows how God justified His people. You must see that it is not instructions on how to be saved, it is a book about how God has saved. For some to preach that you can be made right with God by any condition, be it great or small, they are ignorant of the righteousness of God because that righteousness has not been revealed to them. Without the truth of God’s righteousness, how can you worship God in spirit and in truth? You cannot worship God outside of truth. Why would God withhold His truth from His people? There is no scriptural basis to say God ultimately withholds the truth of His righteousness from His people. Those ordained will believe. It may not be today or tomorrow, but they will believe. There are not multiple truths in scripture. God is not open to interpretation. Search the scriptures, study who God is and if He reveals this message of the earned, established, and imputed righteousness of God by Jesus Christ that Paul has laid out in Romans, then count yourself a believer. Did God condition salvation on the fulfillment of a condition in man or did He in fact condition salvation on the fulfillment of a condition in Christ? If you say Christ, then add nothing to the finished work that He has performed.