The Biblical Concept Of Belief 12-21-24
What does it mean to believe in Jesus? When the Bible says if you believe in Jesus you have eternal life, what does that entail? It simply means to think or to be persuaded that something is true.Understanding rewards requires us to understand the distinction between faith, or belief and what the Bible calls works.The majority of mainline churches of all denominations in America,teach that one must have "necessary works"or "works that follow"initial salvation.Salvation is indeed free,but the works that follow are necessary.If the works that follow are "necessary"then this logically elevates works as a condition of salvation.Two lines of thought are prevalent.One being that initial salvation is indeed free.However,if you do not begin and continue in good works, you will lose your salvation(Arminianism); or if you do not continue in good works, you were never saved in the first place(Calvinism).There are tributaries of these basic doctrines, but it boils down to those two explanations.Obedience to the Word of God is taught as a requirement to escape final condemnation.Submission,making and keeping a commitment, repentance, lifestyle change and so forth.In other words, my fundamental acceptance before God is in some way related to my conduct or lifestyle.I am making myself responsible for my salvation through my efforts or works.This is at the very center or core of all man made legalistic modes of thought.There is a rule or a set of rules that I as a believer must abide by to obtain final salvation.Legalism is guilty of two discrepancies.It tarnishes the work of the cross making it incomplete.More importantly, and perhaps of much more concern, it robs God of His Glory.If man can offer God anything for his justification, necessary works being such,God's Glory is diminished.God will not allow that.
This is an effort to redefine the simplicity of faith or belief.Look at this.
John 6:47
"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life."
Is there even a hint at any of the commands mentioned above in this verse?
Well,how do we move from believe in Jesus to repentance,obedience or some such requirement? A number of ways.The one I am most familiar in my walk is the well known head versus heart.The most difficult twelve inches on earth is the distance between my head and my heart.If I did not believe something in my heart it did not matter if I believed it in my head.This was known as mental or intellectual assent.Another distinction that was and is made is the issue of dead faith.If I did not have necessary works,my faith was dead.In some circles today it is called spurious or false faith.Sometimes the word trust is used as a distinction of faith.You must place your trust in someone or something.Using those types of words and phrases clouds the simplicity of childlike faith.
To "believe in" or "believe that" about Jesus is the essence of saving faith.Look at John 20:31.This verse is the purpose statement of the Gospel of John.As far as I know, this is the only book in the New Testament that has such a purpose statement.
John 20:30-31
"Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."
"...believe that.....by believing..."
John 8:24
"I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
"...unless you believe..."
John 16:7-9
"Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;.."
"....they do not believe in me..."
On and on and on.In the Gospel of John the word "believe" is used as the only condition for eternal life about 100 times.This usage of believe or faith expands to about 250 times in the New Testament as a whole.The concepts or ideas behind the words believe and faith are the same in the Greek and the English.Both languages describe the words as "thinking something to be true."Being persuaded or confident that what ever one is believing in,one is persuaded that it is true.In this context, faith or belief is the same idea as trust.There is no distinction.
Therefore,to "believe in," "believe this," "believe that," or"believe on,"Jesus is to believe something about Him.All the different phrases refer to the same act of saving faith.Look at the 11th Chapter of John.
In this passage,Mary and Martha's brother Lazarus has died.As Jesus enters the city,Martha runs to meet Him and they have an exchange.We will pick up their conversation in 25th verse.
John 11:25-27
"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
In this passage Jesus explains something about Himself that is true.He is the resurrection and the life.He then tells Martha that if she believes that, she will never die or if she does die a physical death, she will still live.Does she believe this? Look at her reply.
..."I believe that you are the Christ....." Now compare that with John 20:31. She believed something about Jesus was true and at that moment, she received eternal life.It was the"Christ" that could make the claim of eternal life.To believe that Jesus was the Christ was saving faith.
Jesus has this eternal life in Himself.Look at this.
John 5:26
"For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself."
John 5:21
"For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will."
Jesus has eternal life in Himself and He gives it to whom He will.In order to avail or obtain eternal life for one's self, one and only one condition is required.Indeed it is the only way that man may avail himself of the gift of God.One must come to God on His terms.Remember Cain and Able?Cain approached God with a sacrifice,but it was unacceptable.Why?It was not on the terms or conditions that God required.One last verse.
Matthew 5:13
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."
We are going to look more in Matthew when we begin talking about rewards proper.This passage,however,is relevant for our discussion about the nature of saving faith.This is one of the few times salvation is discussed in Matthew.The Gospel being a discourse to Jewish believers about the establishment of the Kingdom .But here,Jesus is talking about entering the Kingdom,not establishing it.Jesus uses a word that is somewhat misleading in the English.That word being "hard." While tribulation may be a cause,a better translation of the word would be pressed down or compressed.The way is compressed,which would result in affliction.In context though,Jesus is talking about the way of entrance being compressed.In other words,there aren't many ways,but a compressed way to enter the gate; the gate being the Kingdom of God.We will learn in John that Jesus is saying that He is the only way.
What are you saying Ronnie? Just this. In order to obtain deliverance from eternal condemnation and avail ourselves of eternal life, we must come to God on His terms.Those terms being a belief in Jesus as the Son of God,the Christ,and the giver of eternal life.He paid the penalty for our sins,He was resurrected, and He has life in Himself.He gives this life to whomever He will.All He requires is that we believe.
A final, comical example to grasp the concept of believing.Every time I look up,I see something that I have been told is the sky.Now,in my experience,I have also been told that the sky is blue.All these ideas or concepts have been told me since I was a child.So,today,when I look up,I see the blue sky.I BELIEVE that is the truth.I have confidence in and trust that that is the truth.Well,Ronnie what about if it is overcast? No problem,I have already been alerted to the fact of overcast skies.I also believe that to be true.I did not do anything to ascertain those facts.I could have read them in a book if no one had ever told me.My point is this.I was not required to make any type of commitment.I did not have to get up and roll over on the floor every day,in order to enjoy the blue sky.All that was required was to believe that it was the sky and that the sky was blue.That is the essence of saving faith.Also,no matter what else I might try to add to to my belief system, any addition will never, never, ever, ever,change the fact that the sky is blue.That is what it means to believe.
Now,I will be the first to say that one does not have to believe the good news of a salvation that is absolutely free and absolutely eternal.But,and in my opinion it is a big but.BUT,in order to believe that some type of works are required to avail and maintain salvation, you are going to have to harmonize the verses teaching free and eternal with those that require works.I believe the verses teaching free and eternal outnumber those that do not by about 10-1.Remember Jesus said that"scripture cannot be broken.It is a daunting task and to be truthful,I do not believe that it can be done.To harmonize those verses however,is rather easy when one allows for a doctrine of rewards.Rewards are not man's invention.They are not some theologian's effort to win an argument.No matter what persuasion you belong to,no matter what you have been taught,rewards are a Biblical truth.The problem we have is determining what the reward is.What do you mean Ronnie?Just this.The folk that believe some type of work is required, see Heaven as the reward.We believe and then we persevere and endure for our reward.....Heaven.But,my question is "How can heaven be a reward, when it requires effort as all rewards do."That is the essence of a reward.The Biblical sense of reward is a payment for service rendered.How,then,can salvation be free?If our only reward is eternal life in heaven,where is the"free gift"that Paul speaks of in Romans?
How many times were you told that salvation is free but discipleship is costly? How many times have you told someone else that very same thing?I personally have been told and taught that very thing all my Christian life.Where and how did we begin to add repentance, lifestyle etc.,to the salvation side of the equation? This is my thought on that subject.We,as the church,in my generation at least, have neglected the study of God's Word.For sure we read devotionally.But,do we study the Bible?As a whole,I do not believe we do.As for me personally,I did not undertake the study of the Bible until a few years ago.I read devotionally for most of my Christian life.It took an"incident" in church to set me on the course of finding out"why I believe what I believe."My quest goes on and will continue until God takes me home.
Well Ronnie doesn't doctrine divide? Yes,it does.And sometimes it is humbling and even painful to be shown that I am wrong in certain of my beliefs.Joseph Garlington wrote a book many years ago entitled"Right or Reconciled."I read it and it was a great book.His book however dealt more with relationships than doctrine.While there is great truth in that title as it relates human interaction;when it comes to sharing and teaching what God's Word says,I would rather be right than reconciled.Remember the Apostle James words.Teachers will receive the stricter judgment.So,with that said,read this post carefully.We must grasp this idea of belief for the doctrine of rewards to make any sense.We must be able to recognize when verses are talking about justification(salvation)and sanctification(discipleship).On the next post, we will begin looking at the concepts and doctrines of Biblical rewards.Hope you will still be interested.
All we must do is believe.
God Bless.