“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John, ch. 3, vv. 16–17*).
Apostle Paul tells his jailer: “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts, ch. 16, v. 31). This man and all his household accept the invitation and join God’s family. Saving faith contains three elements: knowledge, conviction, and trust. Today, let's focus on the component of "knowledge." To accept Christ as our Savior, we need to know who He is, what He has done, and why it was necessary.
Who is Jesus Christ? He is God—the Son of God. Christ renounces His divine rights, takes on a human form, and lives on earth (see Philippians, ch. 2, vv. 6–7).
What has He done? The Lord Jesus lived a sinless life, qualifying Him to become our substitute: His death on the cross opens a way for us to be forgiven and to have peace with God.
Why is this necessary? We cannot save ourselves, as our "good deeds" are tainted by our sinful nature, also known as our "flesh." However, when we trust in Christ's redemptive work for us, we become part of His family.
Understanding and accepting the answers to these questions is crucial for true faith, but knowledge alone cannot lead to salvation. We must also have conviction and trust, which we will discuss in our next weekly message.
Link to the original article: https://www.intouchuk.org/read/daily-devotions/what-it-means-to-believe-in-jesus-2
* Bible quotes are from Bible, the new translation from the original languages © Bulgarian Bible Society 2013