Believing or Trusting

Jesus] were all things created...” This belief in Jesus has perhaps caused you to pray for help when you were in a dangerous situation. Or maybe a loved one was near death, and you prayed for Jesus to intervene for you. However, if I were to ask you if you trust in Jesus, what would you say? Trust is more than belief, my friend—much more. To trust means you have absolute dependence upon Him. Trusting involves a decision of your heart. What are you trusting to make you acceptable to God? Are you trusting in your good deeds, with the hope that they will outweigh the sins you have committed against God? Are you trusting in your own ability to abide by a self-imposed code of ethics? Are you trusting your church or the prayers of your parents to get you into God’s favor? Are you trusting in some form of self-sacrifice to atone for your wrongs done? Are you trusting your baptism that you had as an infant? Are you trusting some prayer that you made as a child, or some commitment to give your heart to God? My friend, if your trust is in any of these things, you are trusting in works, and works will never bring you into favor with God. “By grace are ye saved through faith … not of works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Our “good” works cannot erase or offset our sins. In God’s eyes, “There is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Romans 3:12). Sin has a penalty. The Bible says, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). No matter how good one tries to make himself or herself, all of us must die. Even sadder than this, when one dies with sin on his or her record before God, there is eternal death. The Bible says that those whose names are not in God’s book of life (God’s record of those who have eternal life) will face this eternal death. “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). How can your name be written in God’s book of life? You need eternal life. The Bible says this eternal life is a gift, a gift that cannot be earned (by keeping the Ten Commandments, going to church, baptism, etc.). Romans 6:23 says, “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life.” How is this possible? When Jesus died on that cross 2000 years ago, He was bearing sin’s penalty for you. Because He was sinless, He alone was qualified to pay sin’s penalty—not only yours, but for the “sins of the whole world” as the Bible says in 1 John 2:2. Jesus died for you, friend. He died in your place so you could receive God’s forgiveness. He was buried, and three days later He rose from the dead! Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Friend, you may believe in Jesus, and you may believe all of these things the Bible says about Him. I hope you do, but even more so, I’d like to ask you to consider this question: are you trusting in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection as the full payment God required for your sin to be forgiven? If not, will you trust Him and Him alone for this gift?