What does it mean to “believe” in Jesus?
I’ve spoken with many who’ve no problem saying they “believe in Jesus” yet as we continue to talk I realize they really don’t know what it means to “believe.” They’ve defined believing in Jesus differently from how the Bible defines it and have been deceived by an easy-believism, the teaching that says something along the lines of “just believe in Jesus and you’re all good.” This teaching is not only misleading, but it’s also destructive. This is not to deny that believing in Jesus is at the heart of our response to the gospel message, but it is to impress upon us the need to search out what it means to believe in Jesus.
The call to believe in Jesus is beautifully articulated in what’s probably the best known verse in the Bible, John 3:16: 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
The word “believe” (pisteuo) appears 98 times in the gospel of John. Here are several key points we learn in studying these occurrences:
1. Believing is more than recognizing Jesus existed. Some people think of believing in Jesus to be equivalent to their believing in the fact that Abraham Lincoln existed. But Jesus told the skeptics in his own day, that though they see him, they still don’t believe in him.
John 6:36 –But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
2. Believing entails acknowledging what Jesus taught and claimed to be is true. When many disciples were leaving Jesus because his teachings were too difficult to swallow, Jesus asked the 12 if they were going to leave too. Peter said to Jesus
John 6:69 – “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (i.e. his teaching), and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (i.e. who he claimed to be…God).
3. Believing entails embracing the truth that Jesus came to die for YOUR sins. We need God’s forgiveness that’s only found in believing Jesus. Jesus tells the religious leaders of his day:
John 8:24 – “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he (i.e. Son of Man) you will die in your sins.”
4. Believing entails obeying what Jesus taught. Walking in obedience is discipleship. When people in Jesus’ day believed in him, he made clear that they understood that believing in him meant living for him.
John 8:31 –– Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, [then] you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 10:26-30 – You do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
The message of John 3:16 is one of hope. Jesus came and lived a perfect life and died on the cross to pay the price for our sins. Because of the sin in our hearts that totally affected our being, we deserve to be separated from God for eternity…Jesus, by his death bridged that gap! He rose from the dead having victory over sin. For more on John 3:16-21, listen to a message I preached on Christmas Day.
***This is by no means a comprehensive study on the word “believe” in John, let alone the New Testament. Still, I pray the Lord uses it to deepen your understanding of what it means to “believe” in Jesus and spur you to action, to follow hard after Him.
Grace and Peace.
