John 3:16 boldly proclaims, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This is probably the most recognized, most quoted, most cherished and most misapplied verse in scripture. So the compelling question is, what does it mean to believe?
Is belief simply acknowledging the historicity of Jesus Christ and living with the same appreciation for him as other historic figures, such as Albert Einstein, Plato or Isaac Newton? Or does belief in Christ constitute completely embracing Him and everything He said as truth and compel one to live differently from those who don’t believe?
This concept challenges the notion of saying one believes and the assumption that eternal life is granted based upon this confession whether there is evidence of repentance or not. So in this brief examination of what it means to truly believe in Jesus Christ I want to draw our attention to the Greek word used that is translated as “believe” in this particular passage of scripture.
The ancient Greek word used is pisteuō which stems from the word pistis, or “belief.” The word pistis is derived from the word peithō, which means to persuade or to be persuaded. The word pisteuō implies deep trust and confidence. Trust is defined as: a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.
So when we read John 3:16 with this in mind, it means to trust in Jesus and have confidence in Him. It means that you are willing to risk your eternal destiny based upon His promise. It means that you will take to heart what He said and taught and live according to His words. It means surrendering to His lordship and being loyal to His sovereignty.
The disciples followed Jesus. They said they believed in him, yet when he was crucified, they scattered in fear and even denied Him. Judas betrayed Him. It wasn’t until He resurrected that they entered into a state of trusting Him and being willing to die for Him. Jesus told Thomas, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29).
It is the comprehension of what it means to believe that reconciles faith and works. If faith without deeds is dead (James 2:17-26), then those who claim to believe in Christ, yet fail to exhibit evidence of being born again in the way they live are still dead in their sins (Ephesians 2:1-10). We are saved with the intent of doing good works and this signifies that our salvation is authentic.
Now, if we trust Jesus, we will trust His promise. John 14 begins, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you may also be where I am.” (John 14:1-4).
If we trust in Jesus we accept everything He said as truth. In John 8:31-32, Jesus said this: “If you hold to My teaching you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” And in John 15:4, He says “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.”
Abiding in Christ
Some translations use the word “abide” which comes from the Greek word menō and can mean dwell or rest. It means fully embracing Jesus and living for Him. John instructs us, “See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what He promised us – eternal life.” (1 John 2:24-25).
John continues in verse 28, “And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.” One day we will all stand before Jesus and confess that He is Lord. As we anticipate that meeting, let us ensure that we are completely free of apprehension. In 2 John 1:9 we are told bluntly. “Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” There is no need to be unsure of where we stand if we remain faithful to Jesus.
“This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus walked.” (1 John 2:6). Abiding in Christ is the most fundamental attribute for those who profess to be Christian. The apostle Paul Wrote, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6-7).
This means living our lives “dialed in” to Jesus. We facilitate this by reading His word, fellowshipping with other believers, Bible study, prayer and regularly worshipping with others and having communion with them. When we commit ourselves to focusing on Christ in these ways our thoughts will be dominated by what we have seen, heard and done as we contemplate what we have learned.
We then become living testimonies to the salvation that only comes through Christ Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 3:3, Paul likens this to a letter of recommendation, “You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” As children of Abraham (through faith) we inherit the promises of God’s laws and through Christ we can have them written in our hearts and minds (Ezekiel 11:19; Ezekiel 36:26; Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10). Not dead hearts but hearts and minds that have been made alive spiritually.
Live By The Spirit
Paul instructed the church at Galatia to live by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-17), and thereby not gratify fleshly or worldly desires. In essence this is also abiding in Christ, resulting in production of the fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.” (Galatians 5:22-23a).
When we live in this fashion, we will see Jesus in everything. And when we walk in this manner, we will be cognizant of the elderly woman needing a hand to get to her car and not walk by without helping. We will give generously to charities that help orphans and victims of violence and natural disasters. We will function from a premise of brotherly love and love for God and His Son.
Luke 8:16 records Christ’s words, “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.” Unless Christians exemplify the love of Christ they cannot bear fruit in a dark world. We are called to profess the truth and not to supress it. We are called to spread the good news of the gospel and unless we live in a way that conveys our belief in Jesus, we cannot show Him to others.
Similarly, in Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus taught, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
When we abide in Christ, He abides in us. When we live in Him, He lives in us. When we become Christians the Holy Spirit enters into us and dwells within us (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16;2 Timothy 1:14; and Romans 8:9, 11). In John 14:23, Jesus is recorded as saying, “If anyone loves Me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
These words are trustworthy and we can bank on the fact that when we truly believe in Jesus Christ we will never walk alone. When we are dialed into Him we can discern His instructions and respond in a meaningful way. James 4:8 confirms this, “Come near to God and He will come near to you.”
When you live by the Spirit, your spirit will align with Him and you will experience intimacy with Him at the very core of your being. He will guide you to discipline your thoughts and subsequent actions and give you peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7). This transformation is repentance in action and it cannot occur unless there is sincere and authentic belief.
Saying you believe and living your belief aren’t necessarily synonymous. For one person Christianity can be simply a religion they identify with. It is a common perspective that lacks conviction (and the power to save). For another it is a “oneness” with Jesus that is so much a part of their life that it is at times difficult to determine where they end and He begins. This is the very same intertwined oneness that Jesus enjoyed with our heavenly Father and prayed for His followers to have (John 17:20-26).
Authentic belief is transforming belief. It is radical belief.
