Prepared to Believe

The demonstration of God’s love in Jesus’ death on the cross prepares the sinner to exercise saving faith. This can be seen in the main subjects of the chapters in Ellen G. White’s Steps to Christ that lead up to Chapter 6, “Faith and Acceptance.”

Jesus’ cross reveals God’s love.

John 15:13 (MEV)

13 Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Romans 5:8 (MEV)

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Galatians 2:20 (MEV)

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

1 John 4:10 (MEV)

10 In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Jesus’ cross reveal’s the sinner’s great need.

John 1:29 (MEV)

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

Ephesians 1:7 (MEV)

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace,

Romans 6:6 (MEV)

6 knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we should no longer be slaves to sin.

1 Peter 2:24 (MEV)

24 He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. “By His wounds you were healed.”

Jesus’ cross leads the sinner to repentance.

Zechariah 12:10 (MEV)

10 And I will pour out on the house of David and over those dwelling in Jerusalem a spirit of favor and supplication so that they look to Me, whom they have pierced through. And they will mourn over him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly over him as a firstborn.

Galatians 6:14 (MEV)

14 God forbid that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.

Jesus’ cross leads the sinner to take ownership of their sin.

Isaiah 53:4–6 (MEV)

4 Surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed.

6 All of us like sheep have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way, but the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Romans 4:25 (MEV)

25 who was delivered for our transgressions, and was raised for our justification.

Galatians 1:3–4 (MEV)

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

Jesus’ cross leads us the sinner to fully surrender control of their lives to the will of God.

2 Corinthians 5:15 (MEV)

15 And He died for all, that those who live should not from now on live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Having been made aware God’s love and their need of forgiveness and regeneration and having met the conditions of repentance, confession, and surrender the sinner is to believe God’s promise, receive their fulfillment, and give thanks to God for fulfilling His promises. God’s promises apply first and foremost to His full and free salvation, sins forgiven, power to live an obedient life, and wisdom and skill of working with God to win souls to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.