SHSS: What is Belief?
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But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
This is super common though, right? We use belief in a lot of different ways. Do you believe in Santa Claus? Do you believe in magic? Do you believe in ghosts? Do you believe in God? Is Paul says, “if you are pretty sure Jesus exists/existed, then you will be saved?” That doesn’t seem quite right…many people believe in the “historical Jesus.” Are they saved?
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Repent and believe, now that’s different. True belief, Biblical belief, saving belief includes repentance. They are parts of the same whole.
Hebrews 11 is filled with people who are great examples of faith/belief. But for each of them, actions flow out of that belief.
It is not so much about a one-time conversion experience. I, like the author of this book, kept asking Jesus into my heart because I didn’t really feel saved and because I really wanted to make sure. Until Syler took me out for a bagel and explained to me that I didn’t need to keep doing that.
If you are seated right now, there is a point when you transfered your weight from your legs to the chair. Do you remember that? Not really that important. How do you know that you made that decision at one point? BECAUSE YOU ARE CURRENTLY SITTING!
So, are you resting in Christ right now? Is He the Lord of your life? Are you repentant for your sins? Then you are seated. If those things aren’t true, then you aren’t.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
There is nothing magical about saying a prayer. That can be a tool, but it is not essential. And many who have “said a prayer” have since walked away with false confidence.
Ben and I talking with Sirenity and Lilly. Sirenity is worse off than Lilly.
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.