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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. |
Subject: What does it mean to believe. . . ? |
Bible Note: I agree with your definition as you give it in your first sentence. I think your definition floats. May I add one thing? According to John MacArthur, "Salvation is conditioned solely on faith in Jeus Christ." He goes on to list "The False Additions to Faith." They include: 1) surrender, 2)baptism, 3) repentance, and 4) Confession. . . . He explains, Repentance "is a VALID condition for salvation when understood as a synonym for faith. It is a FALSE addition to faith when understood as a prerequisite, requiring the the cleansing of the life in order to be saved" (p. 2073, Ryrie Study Bible Expanded Edition, Moody, 1986, 1995). To repent means much more than to have feelings of remorse. One can feel badly about his sin, but never change. Just feeling badly about your sins does not save anyone. Also please note what the word repentance actually means: To repent is "to change the way you think and act." Surely one does not have to change the way he thinks and acts BEFORE God will save him. Salvation WILL change they way you think and act. Changing in this manner is the RESULT, not the CAUSE, of salvation. |