What Does It Mean To Believe?

by Dennis McCreery (Author)

They are willing to rest their entire eternal soul on something they were told—without ever confirming it for themselves in the Word of God. They’re hangin’ their salvation on tradition, on man’s opinion, or on a preacher’s word, without ever crackin’ open the Bible to see what thus saith the Lord. That’s dangerous ground.

And what’s worse—they’re content to equate their so-called belief with the devil himself. The Bible says plainly, "The devils also believe, and tremble" (James 2:19), and yet not one of them is a candidate for salvation. So if your belief doesn’t go any deeper than the devil’s, friend, you’d best fall on your knees and start seekin’ truth.

This is a Heaven or Hell issue. You better stop takin’ folks’ word for it and start takin’ Jesus’ word for it. "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38).

The word believe has been so perverted that it’s been reduced to nothing more than mental assent—a mere head nod. But that ain’t what Jesus taught, and it sure ain’t what the apostles preached. True belief will change your life, lead you to repentance, to baptism in Jesus’ name, and to the infilling of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues—just like they did on the Day of Pentecost.

The only way someone can think “belief” is just a thought in your head is either because they’re totally ignorant of what the Bible teaches, or they’re gullible enough to believe anything they’re told without searching the scriptures.

And that’s exactly why Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39).