Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | John 3:16 ¶ "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 3:16 ¶ "For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. |
Bible Question: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO *BELIEVE* IN JESUS CHRIST? Are we talking about mental assent to a set of facts? Or a warm fuzzy feeling when you pray or think about Jesus? Or a belief that Jesus existed, as did George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, etc.? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO *BELIEVE* IN JESUS CHRIST? |
Bible Answer: Grace and Peace to All For a person to believe in Jesus, the Father must draw that individual to Christ. For it is written no man can come to the Father, except through Christ and no man can come to Christ except the Father draws him. Christ is the gate, the door, the way, the truth, the life. God can draw anyone whom He wills to Christ, for nothing is impossible for God. It is God who does the calling, drawing or leading of a person to the only way to salvation. It is God who gives a person the faith to believe in the completed work on the cross and the reality of His resurrection. We read that faith is a fruit of the Spirit. In order for a person to bear this fruit that person has to be indwelt by the Spirit. For Jesus said, that He is the vine, we are the branches, apart from Me you can do nothing. Without the working of the Holy Spirit there is no fruit produced by self effort. The branch (believers) bear the fruit, the vine (God) produces it. Again it is God who gives us the faith to believe, He is doing the work. It is written that no one is righteous, no not one, there is none who seeks after God. Once again it is God who does the work of drawing and gives us the faith to believe in Christ, the only way to life. Without the Spirit, we are dead in our sins and transgressions, we can't hear, we can't see or understand the the words of the Spirit. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and that person cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. So without the Spirit we are dead. What does a dead person need? Life. Where is this life found? In Christ Jesus who is alive, raised from the dead, indwelling all His saints, all of His church, all of His body. We are all members one of another, if Christ be in you. How? Through faith, a fruit that He produces in us. Faithful is He that began the good work in you, and faithful is He that will finish it. As a child of the living God, co-heirs with Christ, ambassadors of reconciliation, forgiven saints, born again of the Spirit, lets remember: One may plant the seed, and another may water it, but it is God who gives it life. Again, God does the work and God will receive all the praise and glory for His wonderful work of salvation. Thank you Father for giving us your life, eternal life, through faith in Jesus Christ, the only one born alive, your only begotten Son, the Righteous One, who laid down His life for us , so that He could give His life to us, so that He could live His life through us. Peace unto you all. Your Brother in Christ |