What Does It Mean To Believe?

Scripture tells us that whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life, but modern Christianity seems to have an inaccurate understanding of what it means to believe (John 3:16).  Belief in Jesus is not merely the intellectual knowledge of Jesus.  We can know this because Scripture tells us that even demons have knowledge of God which causes them to shudder in fear (James 2:19).  We can also know because we are told that Simon the Magician believed, and yet his heart was still not right before God (Acts 8:13,21).  We are told that Felix the governor was "well acquainted" with Who Jesus was and with His teachings, yet he was not saved (Acts 24:22,24,25).  Even the rich young ruler followed Jesus for a time, going so far as to fall on his knees before Him and cry out, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17).  But when Jesus' answer required the young man to prove a genuine trust in Him, "he walked away grieving" because he wasn't willing to surrender (Mark 10:21,22).  So why does a proper understanding of what Scripture means when it says to "believe and be saved" seem to evade so many?  Perhaps because so many confuse belief with knowledge or with the simple assent to a set of facts.  But what, exactly, does Scripture mean when it says to believe? 

Believing is receiving.  The Apostle John said, "Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).  When we read this verse we see that belief in Christ is to receive Him.  To receive Christ, we must let go of one thing so that we can receive another, thus belief in Christ is a belief that will cost you.  It is the letting go of sin so that we can receive righteousness.  It is the letting go of what is false so that we can receive what is true.  It is the letting go of self, so that we can bear the image of Christ.  Ultimately it is the letting go of death so that we can receive eternal life as the children of God.  When your belief in Christ is one of trustful surrender that compels you to follow Him, you receive eternal life.

Believing is surrender.  When you let go and give your heart to Christ, you surrender.  A friend sent me a Facebook message a while back asking me about my thoughts in regard to a portion of an interview between Timothy Keller and a self-proclaimed doubting Christian.  The gist of the argument was:  Is it necessary for a Christian to believe the basic tenets of the Christian faith to be a Christian? which led me to meditate on the question, "What exactly makes a person a Christian?"  What sort of "belief" in Christ crosses us over the Rubicon into eternal salvation?  I find this question worthy of consideration at a time in Christendom when it seems that anyone who has an intellectual knowledge of Christ can call themselves a Christian.  A time in which people are told that simple acknowledgment of Christ and/or intellectual assent to a set of facts is enough to inherit eternal life.  When the reality is, true belief in Christ is a belief that compels us to cry out like Thomas, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28).  From that day forward, I am certain that Thomas was changed forever and he never looked back.  Genuine belief in Christ is a belief that compels us to surrender.

Believing is trust.  We surrender because we trust.  Jesus said, "...unless you believe I am He, you will die in your sins" (John 8:24).  He also said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God, believe in Me as well" (John 14:1).   Belief in Jesus is to trust in Who He says He is and to trust in what He says He has done and will do.  He is Lord and He has conquered sin and death and reconciled men back unto God through His atoning blood and He will give us the crown of righteousness and provide for us in the meantime (Rev 1:18; Heb 2:14; 1 Cor 15:56,57; Col 1:20; 2 Tim 4:8; Phil 4:19).  Belief in Christ is trusting in all of this, everyday, day after day.  It is trusting in Christ instead of ourselves or our own reasoning. 

We must understand that belief is not merely knowledge or acknowledgment, or even intellectual assent.  We must understand that belief in Christ is not simply our familiarity with His Name and His teachings, or our belief that He existed.  Belief is something that becomes a part of who you are and the foundation upon which everything in your life is built.  Belief is the compass that points the way and the rudder that directs it-- it begins in your heart and is shown by your actions.  Belief is not a simple affirmation, but trustful surrender.  Christ tells us that faith in Him is the only way to be reconciled back unto God, and the only faith that genuinely saves is one that receives, surrenders, and trusts.

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Eph 4:22-24)

"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life-- he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his cross and come after Me is not able to be My disciple....So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions." (Luke 14:26,27,33)

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it." (Matt 13:44-46)

"Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him." (John 12:25,26)

"My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me." (John 10:27)

"Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again...Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit... Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him...Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." (John 3:3,5,14,15,20,21)