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Jesus Christ said,
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
If we take Jesus at His word, then we can conclude that believing in Him is the means by which a person is given eternal salvation. It's that simple.
Believe in Jesus and you shall be saved!
Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the whole world (John 1:29; 2 Cor. 5:19; 1 John 2:2). He has removed the sin barrier which separated man from God. All that remains is for us to receive God's gift of everlasting life.
How do we receive eternal life? Again, we take Jesus at His word. Jesus says "He who believes in Me has everlasting life" (John 6:47). It's that simple. Believe in Jesus and you shall be saved!
Some may say, "that sounds too easy... all I have to do is believe?" Christianity is unique in this sense. All other religions of the world require their followers to do good works or maintain a certain level of personal holiness. Naturally good works and being a holy person are good things. But Christianity declares that no good works and no amount of personal holiness can help you take one step toward heaven (Eph. 2:8-9). In Christianity, there are no strings attached to salvation. Eternal life is given to those who simply believe in Jesus for it.
When you believe in Jesus you will never die spiritually. You will go to heaven when you die, and spend eternity in God's Kingdom. Eternal life is life that can never be lost. As one theologian put it, "If eternal life isn't eternal, then it has the wrong name!"
Can I know if I believe something? Of course! The Apostle Paul made the following remark about the Lord Jesus: "I know whom I have believed" (2 Tim. 1:12). The word believe in Greek is the word pisteuo. It's a simple term that means to have faith in, to believe in, to have confidence in. When you believe something, that means you have an inward conviction that what you believe is true.
There was a story told of D. L. Moody, the great 20th century American evangelist, who was counseling a woman who was unsure whether or not she was a Christian. Moody turned to John 6:47 and asked her to read the passage.
"Most assuredly, I say to you,
he who believes in Me has everlasting life." Moody asked the woman, "Do you believe in Jesus."
The woman answered, "Yes."
Moody asked, "Do you have everlasting life?"
The woman replied, "I'm not sure."
So Moody asked her to read John 6:47 again.
"Most assuredly, I say to you,
he who believes in Me has everlasting life."
Again, Moody asked the woman, "Do you believe in Jesus."
Again, the woman answered, "Yes."
Again, Moody asked, "Do you have everlasting life?"
Again, the woman replied, "I'm not sure."
Finally, Moody asked her to read John 6:47 one more time.
"Most assuredly, I say to you,
he who believes in Me has everlasting life."
For the third time, Moody asked the woman, "Do you believe in Jesus."
For the third time, the woman answered, "Yes."
Finally Moody asked, "Do you have everlasting life?"
And suddenly God's truth dawned on the woman whom he was speaking with. For years she had worried about whether or not she was a Christian. And all along, all she had to do was take Jesus at His word! From that day forward, the woman had full assurance that she was a child of God because she knew she believed in Jesus Christ.
You too can have full assurance of your salvation. You too can know for sure that when you die you will spend eternity with God forever. How can you have this confidence? Believe in Jesus and you shall be saved! |
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