John 3:36 (KJV) What Does It Mean to Believe?

John 3:36 (KJV)

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

A pertinent question would be, “What does it mean to believe?”

Christianity in America has devolved into an idea that believing is mental consent. It is, according to modern theology, the willingness to acknowledge the existence of Jesus Christ. On this basis, America has, for years, claimed to be a Christian nation. My contention is that this definition of belief is both shallow and unsupported in Scripture.

First, consider the devils
The Bible certainly affirms that they believe. We even have examples of those devils “witnessing” for Jesus. But the Bible says they tremble. They believe but it is not a saving faith. 

Second, consider the testimony of Christ 
His relationship with his Heavenly Father was such that he did what His Father commanded. He came to do God’s will and was quick to lay aside his own for the Father’s. 

Third, consider the testimony of the New Testament saints
There are no biblical examples of believers, except that they were abandoned to follow the Lord. We have examples of people like

Demas, but Paul’s remarks concerning him are pretty glaring. We have the record of the Judaizers, but again, Paul’s analysis of them leaves us questioning whether they were genuinely saved. If they had another gospel which is not the gospel, do we really claim them as brethren?

Undoubtedly there is room in the definition of “believe” for some differences of opinion. What we really can’t accept is that saving faith acknowledges that Jesus exists and stops there. Saving faith must believe that he is the Son of God, that He died and rose again, and that to be a believer is synonymous with being a follower dedicated solely to Christ. 

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John 3:36 (KJV) What Does It Mean to Believe?

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