{"id":73,"date":"2018-08-21T12:36:07","date_gmt":"2018-08-21T12:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.easybible.net\/?p=73"},"modified":"2018-08-21T12:36:07","modified_gmt":"2018-08-21T12:36:07","slug":"is-simply-believing-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.easybible.net\/?p=73","title":{"rendered":"Is simply believing enough?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paul tells us that if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.<\/em> [Romans 10:9] (All quotes are from MKJV).
\nThe implication here is that, providing you don’t hide your faith, and truly believe, then you are saved.
\nThere are a few verses in John’s gospel that support the idea that simply believing results in everlasting life:
\n[3:15]<\/span> …. whoever believes<\/strong> in Him should not perish, but have eternal life<\/strong><\/em>.
\n[3:16]<\/span> For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes<\/strong> in Him should not perish but have everlasting life<\/strong><\/em>.
\n[3:36]<\/span> He who believes<\/strong> on the Son has everlasting life<\/em> ….
\n[5:24]<\/span> ….He who hears My Word and believes<\/strong> on Him who sent Me has everlasting life<\/strong><\/em>…\u2026
\nIt’s easy to select these verses and feel comfortable in your salvation.
\nMy problem with this is that, over the years, I’ve come across situations, personally, on television, and reading online, where people who profess to be good Christians at times behave in a way that falls short of what would be expected of them. Putting it plainly, they, to varying degrees and at various times, are hypocritical in either word or deed. I know we all sin on occasions but, as Christians, these should be transient sins committed during a moment of weakness that we immediately regret, followed by a prayer for forgiveness. They should not be sins committed regularly as if they were somehow not bad enough to worry about. I can’t help wondering how hypocrisy affects salvation.
\nJames says You believe that there is one God; you do well: even the demons believe and tremble\u00a0<\/em>[James 2:19].\u00a0The demons believe, but their chance of everlasting life is zero, suggesting simply believing isn’t enough.
\nIs there a threshold somewhere between the demons attitude and being a committed, evangelising Christian which, when we cross it, we will have everlasting life? I doubt it, but I’ve no idea how we will be judged in this respect.
\nMy personal view is to accept that believing in Jesus also encompasses all that goes with it: acceptance of Jesus as my saviour, true repentance and keeping his commandments.
\nIf you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love\u00a0<\/em>[John 15:10]
\nWhether simply believing is thought to be enough or not, we should lead our lives as if it isn’t. Our belief in Jesus should be the foundation on which we build all that the gospels and epistles teach us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Paul tells us that if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. [Romans 10:9] (All quotes are from MKJV). The implication here is that, providing you don’t hide your faith, and truly believe, then you are saved. There are a few … <\/p>\n

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