Believing in Jesus means accepting Him as Lord and Savior and trusting in His sacrificial death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. The Bible teaches that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23) and the penalty for our sin is death (Romans 6:23). However, God demonstrated His love for us by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place (John 3:16). When we repent of our sins and believe in Jesus, we receive forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life with God.
Here are some key aspects of what it means to believe in Jesus:
Acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God
Believing in Jesus starts with acknowledging who He claimed to be – the Son of God. Jesus made radical claims that went beyond any ordinary religious teacher or prophet. He claimed to be equal with God the Father (John 10:30) and stated that anyone who has seen Him has seen the Father (John 14:9). His followers worshipped Him as Lord (John 20:28), and He forgave sins – something only God can do (Luke 5:20). To believe in Jesus, we must accept His divinity and acknowledge Him as the Son of God.
Relevant Bible verses: Matthew 16:16, John 1:1, John 1:14, John 10:30-33
Trusting in His Sacrifice for Sin
The heart of the gospel message is that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Though Jesus was sinless, He willingly took upon Himself the sins of the world and allowed Himself to be crucified (1 Peter 2:24). His perfect life and sacrificial death satisfied the wrath of God against sin (1 John 2:2). When we believe in Jesus, we are placing our trust in His finished work on the cross for our salvation. We renounce all hope in our own goodness or ability to earn favor with God.
Relevant Bible verses: Romans 5:8, 1 Corinthians 15:3, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 3:18
Receiving Him as Lord and Savior
Believing in Jesus means surrendering to Him as both Lord and Savior. As Savior, Jesus frees us from slavery to sin and delivers us from the penalty of sin, which is eternal death (Romans 6:23). As Lord, Jesus becomes the highest authority in our lives. Believers submit to His leadership, values, and teaching (Luke 6:46). Turning our lives over to the loving lordship of Jesus results in radical transformation as we are sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Relevant Bible verses: Romans 10:9, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 2:9-11, 1 John 2:3-6
Following Him in Obedient Faith
Saving faith in Christ involves more than mental assent to the facts of the gospel. Even demons believe in the existence of God and Jesus (James 2:19), but they are not saved. True faith inevitably results in a life of discipleship and obedience to Christ. Believers love Jesus and follow His commands (John 14:15). While works cannot earn salvation, they give evidence of genuine faith (James 2:14-26).
Relevant Bible verses: Matthew 7:21-23, John 14:21, Ephesians 2:8-10, James 2:14-26
Being Born Again by the Spirit
When someone believes in Jesus, they experience a spiritual rebirth. Salvation is not merely a change in status but a renewal of heart and mind. The Holy Spirit comes to indwell the believer, producing new attitudes, desires, and actions. There is an inward transformation as old things pass away and all things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). This rebirth empowers believers to bear spiritual fruit in their lives for God’s glory.
Relevant Bible verses: John 3:1-8, Romans 6:4-11, Romans 8:9-17, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Receiving Eternal Life
The Bible describes unbelievers as dead in their trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). Through faith in Christ, the spiritual death sentence on us is commuted and we pass from death into life (John 5:24). By grace through faith, we receive the free gift of eternal life with God. Believers do not need to fear death or condemnation because their eternal destiny is secure in Christ (John 3:36).
Relevant Bible verses: John 3:16, John 5:24, John 11:25-26, 1 John 5:11-13
Being Declared Righteous
On our own, none of us can measure up to God’s perfect standard of righteousness (Romans 3:10). But when we trust in Christ, His righteousness is credited to us (Romans 4:22-25). By faith, believers are declared righteous in God’s sight. This justification is an immediate and permanent change in status before God. Christians can have tremendous assurance knowing that they have been made righteous and acceptable to God through Christ’s sinless life and atoning work.
Relevant Bible verses: Romans 3:21-26, Romans 5:1, Romans 8:1, Philippians 3:9
Becoming a New Creation
At the moment someone first believes in Jesus, they become a new creation. The old sinful self dies and the new self comes alive in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). God begins His sanctifying work to renew every believer’s mind, desires, and conduct to be more like Jesus. Though this transformation process continues over time, believers are immediately counted as saints and adopted into God’s family as His beloved children.
Relevant Bible verses: John 1:12-13, Romans 6:3-14, Romans 8:14-17, Ephesians 1:3-8
Receiving the Holy Spirit
A key aspect of salvation is receiving the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. The Bible describes believers as temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Spirit guides, instructs and empowers Christians for godly living. He produces spiritual fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23) and gives gifts for ministry (Romans 12:6-8). The Spirit guarantees our eternal inheritance in Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Relevant Bible verses: Romans 8:9-11, 1 Corinthians 2:12, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Ephesians 1:13-14
Being Reconciled to God
Sin separates people from God and results in hostility toward Him (Romans 8:7-8). At the cross, Jesus removed the barrier of sin that stood in the way of a relationship with God (Ephesians 2:14-16). When someone believes in Jesus, they are no longer God’s enemy but become His dearly loved, adopted child. Fellowship and communion with God is restored as believers are reconciled into a right relationship with their Heavenly Father.
Relevant Bible verses: Romans 5:10-11, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Colossians 1:19-22
Joining God’s Family
The Bible describes the church as the family of God, made up of those adopted through faith into His household (Ephesians 2:19, 1 Timothy 3:15). At conversion, believers become fellow citizens of God’s kingdom with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of family membership. Believers encourage each other, pray for each other, serve one another, and spur one another on to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Relevant Bible verses: Romans 12:4-5, Galatians 6:10, 1 Peter 2:17, 1 John 3:14-18
Looking Forward to Eternity with Christ
For believers, life does not end at the grave. Jesus promises to resurrect and glorify all who trust in Him for salvation (John 6:39-40). At Christ’s second coming, the dead in Christ will be raised and believers who are alive will be gloriously transformed. We will dwell in resurrected bodies on a restored paradise of a new earth where there will be no more sin, death, pain or tears (Revelation 21:1-5). This unfading hope motivates believers to live faithful lives.
Relevant Bible verses: Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Titus 2:11-14, 1 Peter 1:3-5
In summary, believing in Jesus encompasses repentance from sin, trusting completely in His atoning sacrifice for salvation, committing one’s life to His lordship, and being indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit. This results in a radical transformation into Christlikeness as believers are reconciled to God and adopted into His family. All who believe in Jesus as the Son of God and Savior can rejoice in the promise of eternal life with Him.
