08/26/2026
Last week we began to answer the question, “What does the Bible mean by believe?” We discovered that it begins with intellectual acknowledgment, but that isn’t all that’s necessary. Biblical belief must move to personal acceptance.
Let’s see what our resource, I’m Glad You Asked, has to say about this.
***
“As we saw in our examination of John 1:12, believe equals receive. The concept of receiving Christ is consistent with several other passages in Scripture.
“Now I make known to you, brethren, the Gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand” (1 Cor. 15:1). “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3). “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Col. 2:6). “And with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved” (2 Thess. 2:10). The notion that biblical belief equals receiving Christ is further substantiated by the way salvation is described as a gift in several passages (Rom. 5:17; 6:23 Eph. 2:8-9).
Inherent in the idea of a gift is that it must be received from the giver, and this is true of the gift of salvation. Biblically, believing and receiving are synonymous, and John 1:12 uses both terms with the clear intent of equating the two actions.
Imagine parents who want to give a gift to their young son. As they hold it in their hands, their son gazes at it, overwhelmed by his parents’ love, and profusely thanks them for the gift. Yet the gift remains in the parents’ hands. What’s the problem? The son has done everything but receive the gift by reaching out and appropriating it from his parents. So it is with the gift of salvation—God extends His gift, and every individual must personally receive it from Him.
A person can doubt Christ and His credentials, or he can believe that Christ was who He said He was. But until He claims Christ’s offer for himself, he is no better off than the person who doesn’t believe at all.
A man and a woman came before a clergyman to be married. The clergyman asked the bride, “Will you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“Oh,” she answered, “he’s really handsome, isn’t he?”
So the clergyman tried again, “Will you take this man as your husband?”
“Oh, I think he’s so nice,” she replied, and then added, “I think he’ll be a wonderful husband and provider.”
It’s obvious here that the bride needs to say, “I do.” When she has said, “I do,” the groom becomes her husband, but not before. She must accept him, just as each person must go beyond mere acknowledgment of Jesus Christ. Each individual must receive Christ not just as the Savior of the world but as his personal Savior.
Picture a man who falls from a cliff. As he plunges down, he reaches out and grabs a small limb. He hangs on, looks up, and sees the sheer precipice above. He looks down and sees jagged peaks reaching up for his straining body, and begins to despair. Suddenly, he sees an angel above him and begins to scream, “Save me!”
“Do you believe I can save you?” the angel asks.
The man sees the strong wings, the mighty arms. He says, “Yes, I believe you can save me.”
“Do you believe I will save you?”
The man sees the compassionate, merciful face. “Yes, yes, I believe!” he cries.
“Then,” says the angel, “LET GO!”
Still clinging, the man yells, “Is there anybody else up there?”
You see, you may believe that Jesus can save you. That’s essential, but it is not enough. You may be confident He will save you. That’s also necessary, but it is not real belief. To trust in Jesus Christ is to let go of every other confidence, of every other trust, and of every other security, and to cast yourself on Him as your only hope of salvation."
***
Have you believed in Christ?
Have you received Him personally as your Lord and Savior?
Praise the Lord. Now, let’s help others understand what it means to believe.
https://mailchi.mp/5dc455ddee06/what-does-the-bible-mean-by-believe
