Do You Know What It Means
To Believe in Jesus?

1. Because everyone has sinned. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23.

   Sin is missing the mark, failing to measure up to the standard of God’s perfection. Because we cannot save ourselves, the Bible says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” 1 Timothy 1:15.

   Because from God's perspective, all of us have sinned, there are no "good" people. Romans 3:10 says, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.”

   Even the best we can do is viewed as “filthy rags” in God’s sight, Isaiah 64:6. That's why we cannot be saved by our good works. Salvation is “not of works, lest any man should boast” Ephesians 2:9.

2. Because our sins require a penalty. The penalty or wage we receive for being sinners is death and separation from God. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death" (eternity in hell, separated from God’s presence).

   In Mark 9:45 Jesus says the lost will be “cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched.” Revelation 20:15 warns us, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” That is the penalty God imposes for our sins.

3. Because Jesus died in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. What did we do? We sinned against God. “Against thee, and thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight” – Psalms 51:4.

   What has God done to pay for our sins and provide a way back to God for us? Jesus Christ died, paying for our sins with His sinless blood and His life, taking our sins and our judgment upon Himself. God raised Jesus from the dead, proving that God the Father accepted Jesus' payment for our sins.

1. I must believe in Jesus as the One Who died in my place. The Bible says, “Christ died for our sins” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. This means the reason Jesus died was to pay the penalty that my sins deserved.

   "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God"
   1 Peter 3:18. Jesus took the punishment I deserved and Jesus died in my place.

   He died as me, for me, in my place, enduring the penalty that I deserved for my sins. This is the most incredible display of love I can imagine. “But God commendeth (demonstrates) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

2. I must believe in Jesus as the One Who paid the penalty for my sins. That is why Jesus can now save me from hell. The Bible tells me, [Jesus] "Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised for our justification." Romans 4:25.

3. I must believe in Jesus as the One Who rose from the dead the third day. 1 Corinthians 15:4 says, “That he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures.”

   The resurrection of Christ proves that Jesus paid sin’s penalty in full and guarantees that God the Father has accepted Jesus’ payment for my sins.

1. To believe in Jesus means to rely on, to rest in, to trust in. The idea is to make a commitment.

   Belief means reliance or trust. Faith, trust, reliance conveys the idea of making a commitment to Someone. When a person relies or trusts in another person to accomplish a specific task for them they are committing themselves to that person wholeheartedly.

2. To believe in Jesus means believing more than historical facts. Many people only believe in the historical facts of Christ’s death and resurrection. They have a generic belief that He died for the human race, but they have never personally trusted Jesus alone for salvation.

   Believing in Jesus Christ is to make a decision at a definite point in time, a deliberate choice to trust Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

   There is a vast difference between believing about Jesus and believing in Jesus Christ for salvation. Faith accepts the fact that Jesus died and rose again to give salvation. But it does not stop there.

   Faith depends on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for salvation. Faith involves a definite decision of your will to trust Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

3. To believe in Jesus means you have passed from death unto life. There will be a definite inward change in the way you think and act, the way you approach life.

   You have not truly believed in Jesus Christ or expressed genuine faith in Christ until you make a personal choice to trust in Christ alone for your salvation.

1. A Chair - You may believe that a chair will support your weight, but until you sit on the chair and commit yourself to the chair for support, you have only expressed intellectual assent, not true faith.

   Just as true faith sits on the chair, so to truly believe in Jesus means you commit yourself to Him.

2. A Lifeboat - In 1912 the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank. Hundreds of people drowned because there were not enough lifeboats. Some of the available lifeboats had room for more people but some Titanic passengers drowned anyway because they didn't get in the lifeboats.

   Jesus is your lifeboat on the sea of life. But its not enough to view Jesus as your lifeboat. You have to get in the lifeboat if you want to be saved.

   Just as true faith gets in the lifeboat, so to truly believe in Jesus means you get in Christ by receiving Him into your heart by faith.

   
   

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   Jesus is
   our Bridge

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3. A Bridge

   If you're driving along the highway and you come to a bridge, how do you know its safe to cross?

   Do you stop your car at the edge of the bridge or do you drive across? Experience tells you that thousands of cars and trucks have crossed this bridge safely. You may believe the bridge is perfectly safe but your belief is meaningless until you have enough faith to drive across the bridge yourself.

   Just as true faith crosses the bridge, so to truly believe in Jesus means to trust Him.

4. An Elevator - You're visiting the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. You may believe that the elevator will carry you safely to the Sky Bridge observation deck but until you step into the elevator, your belief is only theoretical. You are not really trusting the elevator to carry you to the top until you get on the elevator.

   Just as true faith gets on the elevator, so to truly believe in Jesus means you trust His finished work of salvation instead of your own efforts.

5. An Airplane - You may believe an airplane can take you to Los Angeles but until you actually get on the airplane, you're not going anywhere.

   Just as true faith gets on the airplane, so to truly believe in Jesus means you're relying on Him instead of relying on yourself.

6. A Parachute - Now let's say you're on the airplane and both engines quit. There's a parachute on the seat beside you but just believing in the parachute will not save your life. You have to put on the parachute if you want it to save you.

   Just as true faith puts on the parachute, so to truly believe in Jesus means you put Him on or in plainer words, accept Jesus as your Savior.

   Will simply believing facts about the parachute save your life? Of course not. And simply believing facts about Jesus will not save your soul.

   Just as you have to actually put on the parachute for it to be effective, so, you have to put on Jesus Christ. The belief that saves your soul puts on Jesus Christ instead of just believing facts about Him.

   Mental assent (mere intellectual knowledge) does not save you but believing in your heart does save you.

The Bible says, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." -Romans 13:14, ESV

To believe in Jesus, what is sometimes called saving faith, goes beyond just believing facts with your head. Belief that saves actually "puts on Christ," trusting Him in your heart by faith alone.

Genuine belief (saving faith) relies on Jesus alone for salvation (without any human works being involved) because Jesus paid the penalty for your sins.

God our heavenly Father wants you to know absolutely that He accepted Jesus' payment for your sins. To help you know that, God raised Jesus from the dead. That's your clue that God is satisfied with the payment Jesus made.

Now, if you want to be saved, you must be satisfied with Jesus' payment for your sins and stop trying to earn God's grace. Believe in Jesus as the only sin payment that God will accept.

The way I believe in Jesus is by receiving Him into my heart by faith.

John 1:12, "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name."

Acts 16:31, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”

John 3:15, “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

Today, right now, is the perfect time to receive Jesus as your Savior. Repent (change your mind about your sins) and trust Jesus Christ to forgive your sins today. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13. Please Pray This Prayer "Lord Jesus, Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner and I need your forgiveness. I believe that You shed Your blood on the cross to pay for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead to prove that God the Father accepted Your payment for my sins. I open the door of my heart and receive You as my Savior. Lord Jesus, please help me live for you all the days of my life. Thank you Jesus, for saving me from my sins. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

Problems are a normal part of everyone’s life. But your new life in Christ will bring peace to your heart and a settled assurance that God is your refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Your guidebook is the Bible.

Remember, when you trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, its as if God stamped your sin debt,

“Paid In Full By The Blood Of Christ.”

Your sins are all forgiven and now you can have fellowship with God.

You are free to live a new life in the power of Christ. Let the adventure begin!

Find out for yourself, Who Is Jesus?

Discover that repentance means to change your mind.

God saves you forever - here's what happened.

Many Christians wonder, How can I tell others about Jesus? Here is helpful information about How To Witness for Jesus.

These short, interesting videos help you get over your fear of witnessing.

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