De Jager
Puritan Board Junior
The Bible is crystal clear - "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved", and "...that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life".
It's just one word - believe. However, I know that it's not that simple. It's not just believing that Jesus existed/exists. It's not just a mental assent. It's more than that. What does it mean to believe? And do I believe?
Here is my situation in life:
I believe that God's word paints a true picture of my spiritual state. I believe that I am fallen in Adam, and that this corruption and my own resulting sins will ruin me and have me heading for God's punishment, and that God's punishment will be just because He is a just God. This is not just a merely intellectual assent, but it creates a real fear in me. This is something that I want to avoid, if at all possible.
I believe that Jesus Christ, born of a woman, born under the law, fully God and fully man, lived a perfect and holy life, which Adam did not and I could not. I believe that he also died a criminal's death for sins he did not commit, and that he is "the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the World". I believe that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.
I believe that Jesus Christ rose on the third day, bodily, and was seen by many witnesses. I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I know that if I am to ever be saved, it can only and must only be through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ. For me to be saved, I must be united to Christ in his death and resurrection, wherein my sins are laid upon him and his righteousness is laid upon me. Any good works I have are not good enough and will only condemn me as they are all tainted with sin, even the best of them. In fact, I have no desire to be saved in any other way than what is prescribed in the Bible. I don't want to present God with my "good works" because I know they are tainted. The Scriptures present such a beautiful picture of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ and I have no desire to be saved in any way but through and by him.
I know that Jesus Christ calls us to follow him. He calls us to give up our sins. I sense in myself a desire to flee from sin. I sense in myself a battle between two forces - the pull to sin and gratify my sensual desires, and another force, which causes me to resist - even when no one is looking and I could "get away with it". I cannot sin and be comfortable in it. Furthermore I have noticed in my life a real desire to live a godly life, and I have noticed progress in certain areas. I am not the same man now that I was at age 18.
Finally, I know that whatever it means to believe, that I cannot work it up in myself. Faith, we are taught, is the gift of God. Therefore, if I am to believe and thus be saved, it must be worked in me by God himself. It is belief (faith) that unites to Christ and all his benefits.
Perhaps all that I have written indicates that I do in fact believe. I hope so. I think that if I truly understand what it means biblically to believe, and then recognize that in myself, then it will give me a great sense of assurance. Then, the promise of John 3:16 will really come alive to me, and I will be sure that I truly do believe, and have everlasting life. So, in summary, I ask two questions:
1) What does the Bible mean what it says "believe"?
2) Does my description above fit the biblical definition of belief? Why or why not?
I would really appreciate your help...and prayers. I hesitate to say that I am getting the upper hand in the battle for assurance of faith, but I think it might be happening. Oh that God would work a hearty assurance in me...so that I might be used by him. Oh that he would preserve me from my own sloth in the task of making my calling and election sure.
It's just one word - believe. However, I know that it's not that simple. It's not just believing that Jesus existed/exists. It's not just a mental assent. It's more than that. What does it mean to believe? And do I believe?
Here is my situation in life:
I believe that God's word paints a true picture of my spiritual state. I believe that I am fallen in Adam, and that this corruption and my own resulting sins will ruin me and have me heading for God's punishment, and that God's punishment will be just because He is a just God. This is not just a merely intellectual assent, but it creates a real fear in me. This is something that I want to avoid, if at all possible.
I believe that Jesus Christ, born of a woman, born under the law, fully God and fully man, lived a perfect and holy life, which Adam did not and I could not. I believe that he also died a criminal's death for sins he did not commit, and that he is "the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the World". I believe that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.
I believe that Jesus Christ rose on the third day, bodily, and was seen by many witnesses. I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I know that if I am to ever be saved, it can only and must only be through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ. For me to be saved, I must be united to Christ in his death and resurrection, wherein my sins are laid upon him and his righteousness is laid upon me. Any good works I have are not good enough and will only condemn me as they are all tainted with sin, even the best of them. In fact, I have no desire to be saved in any other way than what is prescribed in the Bible. I don't want to present God with my "good works" because I know they are tainted. The Scriptures present such a beautiful picture of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ and I have no desire to be saved in any way but through and by him.
I know that Jesus Christ calls us to follow him. He calls us to give up our sins. I sense in myself a desire to flee from sin. I sense in myself a battle between two forces - the pull to sin and gratify my sensual desires, and another force, which causes me to resist - even when no one is looking and I could "get away with it". I cannot sin and be comfortable in it. Furthermore I have noticed in my life a real desire to live a godly life, and I have noticed progress in certain areas. I am not the same man now that I was at age 18.
Finally, I know that whatever it means to believe, that I cannot work it up in myself. Faith, we are taught, is the gift of God. Therefore, if I am to believe and thus be saved, it must be worked in me by God himself. It is belief (faith) that unites to Christ and all his benefits.
Perhaps all that I have written indicates that I do in fact believe. I hope so. I think that if I truly understand what it means biblically to believe, and then recognize that in myself, then it will give me a great sense of assurance. Then, the promise of John 3:16 will really come alive to me, and I will be sure that I truly do believe, and have everlasting life. So, in summary, I ask two questions:
1) What does the Bible mean what it says "believe"?
2) Does my description above fit the biblical definition of belief? Why or why not?
I would really appreciate your help...and prayers. I hesitate to say that I am getting the upper hand in the battle for assurance of faith, but I think it might be happening. Oh that God would work a hearty assurance in me...so that I might be used by him. Oh that he would preserve me from my own sloth in the task of making my calling and election sure.