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Why Belief in Jesus Is Not Enough for Salvation (Part 1)

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Terica

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“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” – James 2:19

Believing Only Is Not Enough.
Believing Only Is Not Enough

Hi, everyone! I hope that you are well. Thank you to all you who are evidently God-fearing, respectful, and kind in your show of love and support of me and my blog. I appreciate you!!!

Simply believing in Jesus is not enough to get you into heaven. I realize that many people within Christendom disagree. But a careful look at scripture supports the teaching that if all you do is believe in Jesus, you won’t make it to heaven. There is more to salvation than belief. You must repent of your sins if you want to be saved.

The Bible says in James 2:19, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” Belief in Jesus is not enough. Even the demons believe in Jesus. And yes, Jesus is God.

Many people cite John 3:16 that says whoever believes in the Son of God shall not perish but have everlasting life. That’s a great verse that shares with us the love of God. But it’s not the only verse that tells us how not to perish. We must look at the full picture to put together all that Jesus said about salvation through His word.

Jesus said in Luke 13:3, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” So, yes, we must believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God. But we must also repent – stop doing wrong and living sinful lives and turn to Jesus.

If we believe in Jesus, but we don’t repent and continue to live ungodly lives, then we will not be saved. Repentance is required. Who will argue with what Jesus said?

For those who adhere to the teaching that belief in Jesus is all you need, do you also believe that a person can believe and live sinfully all their lives but still be saved? Do you not believe what Jesus said in Luke 13:3? If all you have done is believe in Jesus as the Christ, I urge you to also repent of your wrong living – your sins – and get right with God.

I invite you to share your comments: What do you believe about belief and repentance?

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3 responses to “Why Belief in Jesus Is Not Enough for Salvation (Part 1)”

  1. Why Belief in Jesus Is Not Enough for Salvation (Part 2) – Christ Leads The Way Avatar
    Why Belief in Jesus Is Not Enough for Salvation (Part 2) – Christ Leads The Way

    […] all we do is believe in Jesus and nothing else, then we will not be saved. In Why Belief in Jesus Is Not Enough for Salvation (Part 1), we discussed how simply believing in God is not enough; we must repent of our sins, as well (Luke […]

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  2. C.A. Peterson Avatar
    C.A. Peterson

    The distinction of James usage of “believe” and the most common use of “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” is that James is referring to mental assent without real trust. Most places where the word “believe” or “belief” or “faith” is used, we can usually replace it with “trust” to gather the fuller meaning.
    Trusting in Jesus means more than just saying a “sinner’s prayer” as an escape clause to avoid hell. It means putting the full weight of one’s reliance on Him, which means believing and obeying His commands.
    See Romans 10:8-11. Again, faith, real faith that is reliant trust, is sufficient for salvation, but as Dr. Steve Wright once said, “We are saved by faith alone, but not faith that IS alone.” Baptism, transformed lives, deliverance from addictions, etc., are all evidence of real faith that received Father’s grace.😉
    ❤️&🙏, c.a.

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    1. Terica Avatar
      Terica

      I don’t like to add anything to the scriptures. In regard to the mental assent without real trust comment, that seems like more of an opinion than taking the word for what it means. There is no scripture that says we are saved by faith alone. I’m not sure who Dr. Wright is, but I do know Jesus. And that’s who I will follow. Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). If Jesus says go right, I’ll go right; left, I’ll go left.

      Nothing you’ve said has proven that we shouldn’t believe and follow the words of Jesus in Mark 16:16. I’m not going to take away from anything that the Lord says in His word.

      Remember Naaman and his leprosy? If he hadn’t done exactly what the prophet told him to do, do you think he would have been healed – saved from his illness? We may not always understand God’s will, but it’s not always for us to. It is always for us to obey His will though.

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I’m Terica

Author Terica

Welcome to Christ Leads The Way, my corner of the internet dedicated to all things Christ. I am an author, blogger, and lover of Jesus. Here, I invite you to join me on a journey of study, discovery, and living for the Lord. Let’s allow Christ to lead the way!

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