As I was studying Romans 10 to teach the young adult group at my church I came upon verse 9, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” This is God’s simple way to be saved from His wrath on the basis of God freely giving life and forgiveness through putting one’s faith in Jesus Christ. Yet, is it enough to just believe that Jesus existed? Or is it enough to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and Savior of the world in your head?

I have had a family member that does not  know Jesus look me straight in the eye and say I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins. Yet, there is no fruit at all in their life regarding being born-again, being a new creation in Christ, or having a relationship with the living God. So what gives? They said they believe, didn’t God say whoever believes in Jesus will be saved? I think C.H. Spurgeon helps with the confusion,

“We believe everything which the Lord Jesus has taught, but we must go a step further, and trust him. It is not even enough to believe in him, as being the Son of God, and the anointed of the Lord; but we must believe on him . . . The faith that saves is not believing certain truths, nor even believing that Jesus is a Savior; but it is resting on him, depending on him, lying with all your weight on Christ as the foundation of your hope. Believe that he can save you; believe that he will save you; at any rate leave the whole matter of your salvation with him in unquestioning confidence. Depend upon him without fear as to your present and eternal salvation. This is the faith which saves the soul.”

Ah, this helps me so much. I have tried to clearly communicate what believing really means to several, but Spurgeon does a masterful job here. Someone can’t just acknowledge Jesus’ existence or who He was, but a person must trust in Him alone as their only hope for salvation. I hope this will help someone else who has battled the same problem I have encountered, and that we would be mutually encouraged to continue to share the good news of Jesus Christ with more and more people because it is the Gospel of Christ that is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe, and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. If you have not trusted in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, than you can do that right now and be forgiven and saved. I pray that you would even now. God bless you.

*** This is something I found written by G. Campbell Morgan that I thought was extremely helpful,

“As a matter of fact, we never really believe anything until we surrender ourselves to it. It is possible to say, “I believe in God the Father Almighty.” Do we? Saying it in the sanctuary does not prove it. The life through the week proves the reality of the faith affirmed, or disproves it. Intellectual conviction is not saving faith; but apart from it there can be no saving faith. We must have the facts, grasp them intellectually, and then yield to them”

I would add to this that the last phrase is the most important part of what Morgan is saying. We must yield to the truth of Jesus, and come to a humble turning away from our old ways, and turn to Jesus alone for our salvation, trusting only in Him , and yielding completely to Him.