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What Does It Mean To Believe On The Lord Jesus Christ?
When the Philippian
jailer asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Paul
and Silas answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:30, 31). What did they
mean? To believe means to have faith. In some instances
both are defined as trust.
Many kinds of "faith" are mentioned in the Bible. Some
by name and definition are
(1) historical faith is to believe in the existence of;
(2) intellectual faith is to believe what has been said
is true;
(3) trusting faith is to depend on for deliverance;
(4) the faith is a system of doctrines and practices
once delivered to the saints;
(5) faith, named as one of the spiritual gifts (1 Cor.
12:9);
(6) faith, named as one of the enduring gifts (1 Cor.
13:13); and
(7) faith as a way of life.
Can a person believe in the existence of God and die and
go to hell? Can a person believe what the Bible says is
true and die and go to hell? Let me answer these
questions with a question. Can devils be saved and go to
Heaven? James tells us "the devils also believe, and
tremble" (James 2:19).
Devils have more faith than most
people.
The devils believe there is one God. They also believe
what He has said is true. They believe He has prepared
hell for Satan and his angels, and they know they are
going to be there. That is the reason they tremble. In
like manner, a human can believe in the existence of God
and believe what the Bible says is true and still die
and go to hell. There is more to salvation than
believing that God is and that He will reward them who
diligently seek Him.
Let Us See What the Bible Says About
This
John 4:46-53
records an account of a man who was saved by grace only
after he had experienced three kinds of faith. Note that
in verse 47 the nobleman exercised a historical faith;
he heard that Jesus had come into Galilee, and he went
to Him. Note that when Jesus told him to "go thy way;
thy son liveth," the nobleman exercised an intellectual
faith in believing the word that Jesus had spoken to
him. But now note verse 53. When he knew that his son
became well at that very hour Jesus had said "thy son
liveth," this man exercised a trusting faith. He was
saved right then and there.
Hebrews 11:6 verifies this position. "But without faith
it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to
God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him." The historical faith
is seen in one's believing that God exists. The
intellectual faith is seen in believing that God will
reward them who diligently seek Him. But a person can
believe that God exists and that God will save him if he
diligently seeks Him and still not come to Him for
salvation.
True salvation requires three kinds of
faith.
Romans 10:13,
14 also confirms that true salvation requires the three
kinds of faith under consideration. Verse 13 declares
that "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved." Verse 14 then explains that a person
will not call on God until he believes in God's
existence and that God will answer his call.
My own personal testimony confirms the necessity of
three kinds of faith for salvation. I have always
believed in the existence of God. I have always believed
what the Bible says about Jesus Christ–that He is the
virgin born Son of God, that He died on the cross to pay
our sin debt, that He was buried and that He rose from
the dead. But I was lost and on the road to hell until I
was twenty-seven years old.
Why? Because I had never repented of my sin and trusted
the saving of my soul to Him. I had never seen myself as
God saw me–totally depraved and without any good in me.
I had always judged myself in the light of the morality
of other people. But the night I saw myself in the light
of God's righteousness, I cried out for forgiveness and
trusted Jesus to save me. He did; and what He did, He
did forever.
Dear Reader, have you ever asked God to forgive you and
trusted in Jesus to save you? I do not ask, "Do you
believe in God?" Even as the devils, you can believe in
God and die and go to hell. I do not ask, "Do you
believe what the Bible says about the death, burial and
resurrection of Jesus Christ?" Even as the devils, you
can believe all this and die and go to hell. I do ask,
"Have you ever seen yourself as God sees you–lost and
condemned? Have you ever asked Him to forgive you and
save you according to His gospel? If you have not,
please do so right now. You will never be sorry."
– Ray O. Brooks
<- Previous Page 2: The Plan of Salvation.
Page 1: What Must I Do
To Be Saved?
Page 2: The Plan of Salvation.
Page 3: What Does It Mean To Believe On The Lord
Jesus Christ?
