The Bible says that the eternal salvation of an individual rests upon his or her faith in the Person of Jesus Christ. "But as many as receive Him and believe in His Name (His Person)," the Apostle John declares, "to them He gave them the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). The famous passage, John 3:16 states, "...whoever believes in Him (Jesus Christ) will not perish but have eternal life." It is absolutely essential to believe in Jesus Christ, His true person, to be saved.

Sadly, however, to believe is often misunderstood as just an agreement to certain facts about Jesus Christ. But it is more than that. Biblical belief or saving faith involves total trust and submission to Jesus Christ.

What Is Saving Belief?

True belief involves three aspects:

Knowledge - Faith is not bahala na, or "taking a blind leap in the dark," as someone has said. It is based on knowledge of the Word of God. One has to know what the Bible says about Jesus Christ before he can fully trust Him. Don't fail to note, however, that important as knowledge is, it is simply the first step towards faith. In itself, it cannot save.

Agreement - Obviously, one must agree with what he knows to be true of Jesus Christ before he can be saved. Again, agreement is a step higher than knowledge. Nevertheless, in itself, it cannot save. Many people agree that Jesus is God, and came down to earth in the form of man to die for our sins. Many even agree that Jesus is the only Savior worthy of our trust. However, they fail to go all the way to full faith. The third aspect completes saving belief.

Commitment - It means to wholly rely on what we know and agree to be true of Jesus Christ. It involves giving ourselves to Him. 

For instance, believing in Jesus Christ as God implies that He is sovereign and that He deserves our total submission. Commitment is making a decision to submit to Christ's sovereign Lordship.

Another example: Believing in Jesus Christ as God who came down to earth as man to die for the sins of mankind means that we should trust in His finished work and accept Him as our only Savior. To commit ourselves to that truth means to relinquish our trust in other saviors (even in our abilities) and totally trust in the sufficient work of Christ on the cross for our salvation.

What does Romans 10:9 say about salvation?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

According to Romans 3:28; Ephesians 2:8, 9; and Titus 3:5, can we trust in human effort (i.e. good works) to save us from our sins? What must a person who trusts in his good works do to possess salvation?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Your Response

Have you made a once-and-for-all decision to believe in Jesus as Sovereign Lord and only Savior? Have you relinquished your trust in your self and put your trust only in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross? You can do so right now through a prayer of commitment.

Below is a suggested prayer. Understand that it is not the prayer that saves, but your faith in Jesus Christ. This prayer must be the expression of your faith in Him.

If you have made a commitment of faith, let others know about it. Share this material with your friends if it has been especially meaningful to you.

Seek the encouragement of those who have made a similar commitment. It is important that we grow in our understanding of the Word and live out Christ's teaching. Fellowshipping with other Christians will help us accomplish that.

For more information, write to the author 

Nicky Joya
nsjoya@info.com.ph