I Believe in Jesus

Many today claim to believe in Jesus.  You hear it on the radio, TV, highways and bi-ways… pretty much everyone believes.  Christians believe in him as do Muslims, Buddhists, new-age, and old-age.  Homosexuals, bisexuals, nudists, fornicators, adulterers and idolaters… they all believe in Jesus.  It is very common for someone to bless the Lord (in whom they claim to have faith in) on one side of his mouth while cursing on the other… sometimes at the same time in the same sentence.  Most all politicians believe… it would be political suicide to NOT believe.  Even atheists mention the name of Jesus when cursing (and they usually turn to Him in fox-holes and on test day). 

The real questions here are:  What does it really mean to believe in Jesus?  Does belief in Him save you from your sins?  If you claim to know him, do you really?  What are the evidences of knowing Him?  What happens when a man/woman truly puts his full confidence in Jesus?  Does simply repeating a prayer after a preacher mean you are a Christian?  Can you be a believer without repentance? 

Jesus in Mark 1:15 preached his first sermon which was short and to the point: “Repent ye and believe the gospel.”  The greek work for “believe” is Pisteuo which means “to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in.”  When a person truly believes in Jesus, he:

-          Believes he is the only begotten son of God

-          Believes he is the Messiah

-          Believes he is the Savior of the world

-          Believes he is the only way to heaven

-          Believes he died on the cross for us and rose again on the 3rd day.

Unless a person believes that Jesus is and did all of these things, this person’s faith and belief is on the wrong things.  A person must be fully persuaded and put his confidence in the work that Jesus did on the cross.  Simply believing in all of these things puts a person on level with the devil.  He is fully persuaded of these things too.  In fact, according to James 2:19 the devils believe and they tremble.  Faith without works is dead. 

Works do not save a man from hell.  Works do not justify a man before God.  Truly putting your faith in Christ does that.  However, a man that has truly put his full confidence in Christ will have a change in his life.  If a man were to stand in middle of the road and have an encounter with a Mack truck, he would no doubt have a few major changes in his life.  How much bigger is our Lord than a Mack truck?  A believer will begin to bare good fruit.  Jesus said in Matt 7:16 that you will know them by their fruits.  If you have put your faith in Christ, you will begin to bare good fruit in your life.  John 3:3 says that you must be born again in order to get to heaven.  You must have a new life in Christ.  When you put your faith in Him, you will be born-again.  Ez 36 talks about where God will put in his people a new heart… a heart of flesh.  He will put his spirit within us.  He will cause us to walk in his ways.  Becoming born-again is exactly what Ezekiel was talking about.  God changes our lives completely.  If you claim to be a Christian and nothing has changed in your life, you aren’t a Christian!  And, if you are not a Christian, you are hell-bound.

Jesus also said, “repent!”  Repentance is to change your mind.  To think differently.  When a man truly changes his mind, his actions follow.  When a young man goes to the dentist for the first time, he is going ignorantly and thus thinks that all will be pleasant.  However, once the drills start whirling and once the dentist begins picking and prodding, the young man realizes that this definitely is not a good experience.  He repents of his opinion.  He has changed his mind.  And, no doubt, the next time Mom says it’s time to go to the dentist; the young man is nowhere to be found.

True repentance results in change.  A truly repentant person stops his sin… otherwise he really wasn’t repentant.  If a person claims to know Christ and yet doesn’t stop his sin, this person hasn’t experience the Holy Spirit rebirthing him and this person hasn’t repented.  When a man realizes his exceeding sinfulness and is shamed by it, this is a step towards repentance.  When a man cries out for mercy and cries out for the Lord to change his sinful desires, this man is on the road to repentance.  When a man refuses to continue in a sinful habit because he knows the price that Jesus paid on the cross for that sin, this man has repented.  

Faith without works is as dead as belief without repentance.

Simply repeating a prayer after a preacher doesn’t save you.  Only putting your faith in Him does that.  Too many people think that since they prayed a little prayer when they were 9 years old that they are eternally secure.  The problem with this is that unless this 9 year old truly repented and believed, he wasted his time.  True faith costs something.  It’s easy to believe in Jesus when it doesn’t cost anything.  How about if you have a gun to your head and unless you deny Christ you will get your brains blown out.  Will you believe then?  How about if somebody offers you $20 Billion to deny your faith… will you serve Jesus then?  What if Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments?”  To the homosexual, that would mean to give up his homosexual activities.  Do you love Jesus enough to give him EVERYTHING?  If not, then you truly haven’t been saved and are hell-bound.

Turn to Jesus.  Put your actions where your mouth is.  If you claim to know Him, act like it.  If you are acting like a sinner, perhaps you are one.  If you curse like the world and engage in sinful activities like the world… it’s probably because you haven’t truly repented.  James tells us that if a person cannot control his tongue, his religion is in vain.  The Apostle Paul tells us that we should not let any corrupt communication proceed out of our mouth.  And yet, scores of “believers” pollute the air with language that would make the boldest sailor blush.  

Finally, putting your faith in Jesus isn’t about going to church on Sundays and Wednesdays.  It’s not about how much $ you put in the offering plate.  It’s not about good works like picking up trash in your neighborhood or helping your neighbor with the groceries.  All of these things are good, but these things aren’t what it’s all about.  It’s all about having a close, intimate relationship with Jesus.  It’s about loving Jesus to the point where you don’t want to hurt him.  It’s about your every move and your every desire revolving around what Jesus wants you to do.  It’s about total surrender to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  It’s about his ways, not your ways.  It’s about the fruit of the Spirit, not the works of the flesh.  Surrender to Him today…