Bible Study What is believing in Jesus?

[Gary Sullivan]

We often declare that faith in the person and work of Jesus alone brings salvation and that is true but it is essential to believe only in the Jesus of the Bible.
One of the most important salvation passages in Romans 10:9-10 states "If you confess with the mouth Jesus LORD and believe in your heart that God raised HIM from the dead, you shall be saved: 10 for with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
What we have in these verses is known as a kaism ie ABBA. Note it is mouth, heart, heart, mouth. The point is that the confession of the mouth and belief in the heart occur at the same time and when they do salvation is guaranteed. We believe Jesus(his human name) is LORD(ie GOD) and that God raised HIM from the dead. Which person of the Godhead does this mean? Well obviously God the Father but actually by also looking at John 10:17-18 the SON in his deity is involved and from 1 Peter 3:18 so is the HOLY SPIRIT.
The point of the Romans passage is that mouth confession on its own saves no one. Over the years millions have confessed Jesus as LORD but there is no internal faith because they carry on living as before. There are some dramatic statements made by both the LORD and Paul confirming this which I will deal with later in depth.
I want you to look at Matthew 15:7-9 where Jesus applies the words stated by Isaiah 29:13 -15 in his day to the Jewish religious leaders of His day.He calls them hypocrites. Notice what religious unbelievers do. They honor Jesus with their lips and they worship Him!! This occurs today. Look at the condemnation in that their worship is vanity ie no inward reality, and what is the reason? - JESUS states they are to fear if HIM if this is not based on His Word in the Bible but doctrines of men.
An easy example of this today is that lying church leaders state that women can teach the WORD to men under THEIR authority and yet this is expressly forbidden in 1 Timothy 2:12-14 and God in His grace explain why ie the fact that from the start of creation woman proved she was easily deceived. When Eve was sinless she was the one to be deceived and then Adam listened to the woman thus rejecting God's clear command not to eat of the forbidden tree! The point I.. that each doctrine in the epistles is to be obeyed as it is the command of God. We cannot decide the rules for living as GOD is the sole authority!!! Biblical headship has always existed. Men and women are equal yet women are subordinate to men in God's kingdom in both function and position.
People call Jesus LORD and yet disobey HIM! If Jesus the LORD was prepared to subordinate Himself to 2 infinitely inferiors in His childhood in Mary and Joseph in Luke 2:51 to fulfilling the Father's will, can we not obey such a simple command?

 

[Chopper]

Hi Gary. There have been unbelievers who visit this Forum now and then. I hope and pray that they will be led to your posts on salvation....The following quote from you is very good and needs to studied by our members who are a little sketchy on this subject....

An easy example of this today is that lying church leaders state that women can teach the WORD to men under THEIR authority and yet this is expressly forbidden in 1 Timothy 2:12-14 and God in His grace explain why ie the fact that from the start of creation woman proved she was easily deceived. When Eve was sinless she was the one to be deceived and then Adam listened to the woman thus rejecting God's clear command not to eat of the forbidden tree! The point I.. that each doctrine in the epistles is to be obeyed as it is the command of God. We cannot decide the rules for living as GOD is the sole authority!!! Biblical headship has always existed. Men and women are equal yet women are subordinate to men in God's kingdom in both function and position.
People call Jesus LORD and yet disobey HIM! If Jesus the LORD was prepared to subordinate Himself to 2 infinitely inferiors in His childhood in Mary and Joseph in Luke 2:51 to fulfilling the Father's will, can we not obey such a simple command?

Good reminder Gary.

 

[Gary Sullivan]

God Bless you chopper & thank you.

 

[for_his_glory]

We will know them by their fruit:
Matthew 7:
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

 

[ezra]

believing has to be in our heart not our mind

be·lieved, be·liev·ing, be·lieves
v.tr.
1. To accept as true or real: Do you believe the news stories?
2. To credit with veracity: I believe you.
3. To expect or suppose; think: I believe they will arrive shortly.
v.intr.
1. To have firm faith, especially religious faith.
2. To have faith, confidence, or trust: I believe in your ability to solve the problem.
3. To have confidence in the truth or value of something: We believe in free speech.
4. To have an opinion; think: They have already left, I believe.

 

[Runner]

We often declare that faith in the person and work of Jesus alone brings salvation and that is true but it is essential to believe only in the Jesus of the Bible.

True. The only historical record we have of who Jesus was and what He taught is in the Bible. Salvation through Jesus has to mean "through the Jesus of the Bible." Alas, tens of thousands of books and articles make clear that exactly who the Jesus of the Bible was and what He meant are not simple questions. Christians who try to turn them into simple questions often go the farthest astray.

"Belief in Jesus" must begin with a belief about yourself - i.e., that you are a sinner in need of God's forgiveness. If you don't believe this, what you believe about Jesus is irrelevant. This is implied in Romans 10:9 - confessing that Jesus is Lord is to confess that you are not the lord even of your own life and that you have a need for the forgiveness God offers through Jesus.

We believe Jesus (his human name) is LORD(ie GOD) and that God raised HIM from the dead.

The "i.e. GOD" part is not self-evident. I am struck by how consistently (not 100% of the time, but consistently) the NT writers carefully distinguish between God and Jesus the Lord. The early Christians had a clear notion that Jesus was their Lord, the Son of God, and divine - but not such a clear notion that He was God, as in the Second Person of the Trinity.

Over the years millions have confessed Jesus as LORD but there is no internal faith because they carry on living as before.

Certainly, belief in Jesus cannot be a matter of mere intellectual assent. As Billy Graham teaches, to believe in Jesus implies trust - to actually trust in His teachings and His living Spirit as the guide for your life, Yet we have all known (or at least I have) people who were sincere Christians but whose outward lives were pretty far from a model of Christian living and whose fruits of the Spirit were all but invisible. The standard response, of course, is: "Well, you should have seen what a mess he was before he was a Christian!" There is no doubt a lot of truth in this, which is why I think that whether someone "really believes" has to be between him or her and God and is not for us to evaluate.

An easy example of this today is that lying church leaders state that women can teach the WORD to men under THEIR authority and yet this is expressly forbidden in 1 Timothy 2:12-14 and God in His grace explain why ie the fact that from the start of creation woman proved she was easily deceived.

I find it to be such an odd juxtaposition between the theme of your thread ("What is believing in Jesus?") and the citation of these verses as an example of "not believing in Jesus" that I suspect you really wanted to write about 1 Timothy 2:12-14 more than about believing in Jesus. For starters, this obviously isn't Jesus speaking. Paul doesn't even say "The Lord forbids." He says:

Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint. (1 Timothy 2:9-15, NASB)
​

As many scholars have suggested, Paul was addressing a localized problem. There is no reason to suppose that he was setting down (even in his own name and on his own authority) a flat rule of "no women teaching or exercising authority over a man" for all Christian congregations for all time. There is especially no reason to believe this in the face of his references to female deacons and to women who pray and prophesy. Few Christian males have as much enthusiasm for this supposed "rule" as for the "rule" of no braided hair, gold, pearls or costly garments for women. Few pay any attention at all to the verse that women "will be preserved through the bearing of children," whatever it is supposed to mean.

My point is not to debate the meaning of 1 Timothy 2:12-14, merely to note that I find these much-disputed verses to be a curious choice to illustrate the difference between those who believe in Jesus and those who don't.

​

 

[iLOVE]

We often declare that faith in the person and work of Jesus alone brings salvation and that is true but it is essential to believe only in the Jesus of the Bible.
One of the most important salvation passages in Romans 10:9-10 states "If you confess with the mouth Jesus LORD and believe in your heart that God raised HIM from the dead, you shall be saved: 10 for with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
What we have in these verses is known as a kaism ie ABBA. Note it is mouth, heart, heart, mouth. The point is that the confession of the mouth and belief in the heart occur at the same time and when they do salvation is guaranteed. We believe Jesus(his human name) is LORD(ie GOD) and that God raised HIM from the dead. Which person of the Godhead does this mean? Well obviously God the Father but actually by also looking at John 10:17-18 the SON in his deity is involved and from 1 Peter 3:18 so is the HOLY SPIRIT.
The point of the Romans passage is that mouth confession on its own saves no one. Over the years millions have confessed Jesus as LORD but there is no internal faith because they carry on living as before. There are some dramatic statements made by both the LORD and Paul confirming this which I will deal with later in depth.
I want you to look at Matthew 15:7-9 where Jesus applies the words stated by Isaiah 29:13 -15 in his day to the Jewish religious leaders of His day.He calls them hypocrites. Notice what religious unbelievers do. They honor Jesus with their lips and they worship Him!! This occurs today. Look at the condemnation in that their worship is vanity ie no inward reality, and what is the reason? - JESUS states they are to fear if HIM if this is not based on His Word in the Bible but doctrines of men.
An easy example of this today is that lying church leaders state that women can teach the WORD to men under THEIR authority and yet this is expressly forbidden in 1 Timothy 2:12-14 and God in His grace explain why ie the fact that from the start of creation woman proved she was easily deceived. When Eve was sinless she was the one to be deceived and then Adam listened to the woman thus rejecting God's clear command not to eat of the forbidden tree! The point I.. that each doctrine in the epistles is to be obeyed as it is the command of God. We cannot decide the rules for living as GOD is the sole authority!!! Biblical headship has always existed. Men and women are equal yet women are subordinate to men in God's kingdom in both function and position.
People call Jesus LORD and yet disobey HIM! If Jesus the LORD was prepared to subordinate Himself to 2 infinitely inferiors in His childhood in Mary and Joseph in Luke 2:51 to fulfilling the Father's will, can we not obey such a simple command?

What part does the Holy Spirit play in progressive sanctification? How does the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus work in the Believer who is in Christ? (Romans 8:2)

 

[Runner]

What part does the Holy Spirit play in progressive sanctification? How does the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus work in the Believer who is in Christ? (Romans 8:2)

I'll assume you're actually asking me and not just posing a rhetorical question. I think the Holy Spirit plays almost the entire role in progressive sanctification. We can sincerely want to follow the gospel path, but without the Holy Spirit we are in no better position than the OT believers who sincerely wanted to follow the law. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the added supernatural element that provides both guidance and power.

Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit works with what He is given. Genetic influences, childhood rearing and home life, cultural influences, personal temperament and proclivities, and other factors make each believer unique. It's very difficult (IMO ) to look at anyone and judge from what you see whether he or she really "believes" in the sense we are talking about here.

We are delivered from the law of sin and death, as Romans 8:2 states - but, so long as we are in the flesh, not completely from our own natures and our unique genetic influences, childhood rearing and home life, cultural influences, personal temperament and proclivities, and whatnot. Often the Holy Spirit accomplishes a great deal "in spite of us" rather than "with us."

I had an elderly neighbor who had become almost like a father to me by the time he died at 87. He had been the most hell-raising, whore-mongering, alcoholic, foul-tempered, wife-beating terror anyone had ever seen, and virtually the entire town hated him and would never forgive him. He still had a frightening, explosive temper and was not someone you would have been likely to think was a Christian. But he was - a very deep Christian who was doing the best he could with the hand he had been dealt. I got to know him very, very well, and I have no doubt the Holy Spirit was doing what He could within the context of this man's mess of a life.

 

[Gary Sullivan]

Runner I hope this gives you the answer you are looking for & thank you for asking & pointing out this point.

Sanctification is a setting apart unto God and that it is threefold: positional sanctification, in which the believer is viewed by God as already completed “in Christ,” being united with Him; progressive sanctification, in which the believer retains his sin nature throughout this life, needs to grow in grace, continually becoming more and more conformed to the image of the Son of God; and ultimate sanctification, in which the believer is fully sanctified in his state as he already is in his position, which will only occur when the believer sees the Lord and will be like Him.

Wherever there is the presence of sin, there is conflict. Paul wrestled with this conflict in Rom 7:15-25. This passage shows us that resolving this conflict is a process. It involves God making us more "set apart" from our wrongdoings and more like Him.

For the believer, there must be a constant and ever-increasing sense that although sin remains, it is not in control. It is one thing for sin to live in the believer, but it is quite another for the believer to live in sin.

The Holy Spirit is the continuous agent of sanctification, who works within us to subdue sinful impulses and produce fruits of righteousness, or right actions (Rom 8:13; 2 Cor 3:17-18; Gal 5:22). This process is sanctification.

The basic meaning of sanctification is "to be set apart." The Hebrew word (qadosh; שודק) has a basic meaning of "separation." As a moral term, sanctification is translated as "holiness" or "purity." The term in Greek (hagios; ἅγιος) is translated as "holy", as in "Holy" Spirit, or "saint." In the spiritual sense of a believer's life, sanctification means "to be set apart for God," or to be made more holy through conforming to the image of His Son.

Sanctification is a work of God's grace. The whole person is enabled to die to sin and live according to God's will. Justification occurs at the moment of salvation, whereas sanctification is a process. When our lives are over, we will enter into God's presence glorified, free from the presence and power of sin—already justified, fully sanctified.

In the spiritual sense of a believer's life, sanctification means "to be set apart for God."

God Bless

 

[Runner]

Runner I hope this gives you the answer you are looking for & thank you for asking & pointing out this point.

Actually, that was iLove who asked the question, but I like your answer!