For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?, John 5:46, 47.
I have good friends of mine who have found ways around the conundrum that Jesus Christ sets before us here. Jesus openly wondered how his listeners could believe on him if they didn't believe Moses's words. They just point people to Romans 10:13 and get them to pray a prayer for salvation which they interpret as calling on the name of the Lord. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? Romans 10:13, 14.
It doesn't matter to them that Jesus Christ himself cries foul. How shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed? That just doesn't seem to be a problem to the modern Fundamentalist soul winner. They just get their prospect to nod that he or she truly believes that Jesus died for their sins. To the modern soul winner a prospect saying that they believe is all the proof ever needed that they truly believe. The person who has been asked about his or her belief has not a compass nor guide to understand true belief and so relies on the soul winner to define belief.
Jesus Christ gave us that compass. He predicated true belief upon belief in Moses. The Apostle Paul further explained that when he said, Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith, Galatians 3:24. It was not my faith in Jesus Christ that brought me to him. It was the grace of God that made me tremble at the law I'd spurned that brought me to Christ.
I took many trips to the office as a young school boy. Most of those trips saw me with my head cocked to the side and my teacher with a firm grip on my ear dragging me to that office. I was brought to Jesus Christ with Moses having that firm grip on my ear. Instead of being lead into Mr. McConnell's office for my inevitable spanking with a wooden paddle, I was led to the cross where I was made to understand the penalty for my sin and the grace of God in having Jesus Christ pay for it.
Years I spent in vanity and pride caring not my Lord was crucified, knowing not it was for me he died on Calvary. ’twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. When I came to believe Moses and the law, I was given the grace to fear. It really doesn't matter what you or I think about repentance. A person is saved when the Holy Ghost is satisfied with their repentance. Jesus told us that if you don't believe Moses you can't believe him.
Again, the Apostle Paul explained that to us. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God, Romans 3:19. According to Paul, every mouth must be stopped by the law of God. When the English speaking world had but one bible, most men instinctively understood the law of God. Today, it takes time to convince men that there is a bible and that God will hold them accountable for what it says.
For those of you annoyed or upset about what I have written, take a look around. In the Fundamental Church where you gather, are there new converts who someone in your church won to Jesus Christ? Fundamental Baptist churches boast of soul winning all of the time, but it has been 20 years since most of them ever got a convert to stick around with a changed life.
That is one of the reasons that I labor to make those with whom I speak to know that there really is an infallible bible and that God will judge them out of its pages. That is also one of the reasons that I have converts who have utterly changed lives and that those same converts come to church.