What Does "Believe in Jesus" Really Mean?

- It means believe in everything He said; study His parables and understand them.

- It means learn His commands and keep them!

Please listen to me. I am not making this up! This is directly from the Bible! Forget what your church told you. Here is what the Bible says:

‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭15‬-‭18‬

“He [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation... And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.””

How many people do you know can place their hands on sick people and heal them? Or that exhibit any of these signs? And how many therefore are true believers? And please do not tell me about people who speak in tongues, because if they are true they'd also be performing other miracles!

1 John‬ ‭2:4‬

“The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and yet doesn’t keep His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

John 14:15-16 [Jesus said:]

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever

If you are only following the "high-level" verses that Protestant churches preach, you are not saved!! You did not look at the details. "Believe in His name and you shall be saved" is a loaded statement. You missed the details of "how to."

Notice Jesus said in John 14:15-16 above, only when we keep His commands, He will then ask the Father to give us " another advocate", the Holy Spirit! Not everybody receives the Holy Spirit - we must keep His commands first!

Who is keeping Jesus' commands today? And who therefore has the Holy Spirit? People are going by "faith alone" the Protestant churches' way, not "by faith alone" the biblical way!! Going by what Paul said, not by what Jesus said!! Singing hymns in church and reading from Paul's chapters!! So many good people are spiritually lost due to their church stubbornness. I'm extremely sad to the point of crying. And the rest of other churchgoers are even worse. Praying to Mary and saints, or "God already decided we have no say"!

"Accept Jesus as your personal savior"? is meaningless if you don't obey Jesus' commands! And if you don't forgive others!

Before declaring belief in Jesus you have to learn what Jesus said. Do you know all what He said? Do you know all His commands, teachings, parables, and their meanings?

If you're a lip-service believer, God has a verse just for you:

Matthew 15:8 ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.

What does believe in Jesus mean? Keep His commands. What are His commands? They're all spiritual and attitudinal; no "works of the law" commands. They're scattered throughout the New Testament. A number of them are in the Sermon on the Mount, examples seek God always, the Lord's Prayer, and the good-hearted shall see God... Then there were other commands embedded in His parables, which mostly reiterated the need to mature spiritually by continually increasing our knowledge of God, and make sure our sins are forgiven daily through receiving the daily Bread of life.

1. Some of Jesus' Commands:

In addition to the 10 commandments of the old-testament, Jesus had specific commands based on the new-covenant of God with us, which are the basis for obtaining forgiveness of sins from Jesus' sacrifice. Jesus' commands are all spiritual, no "works of the law". Here are some of them:

Seek God and His kingdom and His righteousness - Matthew 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. God and His ways and personality are in the Bible. He shines through both the New and Old Testaments. We can learn so much about Him by reading the scripture, including the parts contradicting to your Church's theology!!

The Lord's Prayer - Matthew 6:9-13. Prayed daily to receive the daily Bread of life for forgiveness, receive the Holy Spirit, and remain "Righteous" in the eyes of God.

Forgive others so God forgives you. Matthew 6:12. This one was stressed several times by Jesus. It is in the Lord's Prayer, and Jesus kept stressing it further in several other parts of the New Testament. The key message is, don't expect to receive God's blessings and salvation if you're holding hate and grudge against any other human because they wronged you. God sees our innermost self - Forgive them all!

Become born again in the spirit - Baptists, Evangelicals, and the rest of the protestants only follow this command and ignore the rest of this list!

Continue to mature in the knowledge of God or face spiritual death - By diligently studying the whole Bible. Many parables from Jesus explain this clearly, examples, John 15:6 "branches that wither and die", Luke 13:6 "cut the fig tree down", and Matthew 25:30 "cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness".

Enter through the narrow gate... Matthew 7:13-14. Details here: The Narrow Gate.

Love God and all people on earth including your enemies - Matthew 22:34-40 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Don't be hypocrites - Example shooting arrows at abortion doctors and homosexuals, ignoring how big of a sinner you yourself are!! God knows the hearts. Matthew 7:4-5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

The good-hearted shall see God - Matthew 5:8

And many other commands embedded in Jesus' parables, that most people don't know nor understand!

And Here is What "Believe in Jesus" Does Not Mean:

It does not mean pray to Mary and saints. The whole Bible stresses to pray to God only!!
It does not mean God already mysteriously picked from the humans for His pleasure!! He gave us freedom to choose; He doesn't want robots!
It does not mean ignore Jesus' commands and directly skip to singing hymns, loud music, and waving of arms. “By faith alone” means you still have to obey Jesus' commands!!

No, I'm not overreacting, and everything is not ok! Devil-worshippers and Atheists drive latest model SUVs too, and live in nice homes!! The question to ask in this post-Jesus time is, "will I be in the I-never-knew-you line at judgement?" I beg you to re-examine the scriptures, and not just rely on your church.

2. Continuously Shouting "I Love You Jesus", Is Not Good Enough?

NO IT IS NOT!! It is meaningless if you don't obey Jesus's commands!

I listen to church sermons, podcasts, and social media quotes all over the internet. A popular pastor shouting for example "give me an 'I love you Jesus'". And all people shout it out loud... I have bad news for you. God can't hear you!! For these reasons:

Who is this Jesus you're shouting for? What did He teach? What are His commands for you? Do you think He likes this and wants you to keep doing it? Then your Jesus is different than our Jesus Christ of the Bible!

You say "all I need to know is He died on the cross for my sins". Did you also bother to look at what He wants from you?

Jesus specifically said “If you love me, keep my commands." John 14:15. Are you keeping His commands? If not, then all your shouting is landing on deaf ears!!! It is meaningless. It is just lip service.

Here is a similar situation from the Bible, confirming what I'm saying:

Acts 16:17-18

A woman followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

This woman is exactly the same as today's Protestant and Pentecostal churches. Kept repeating words that seemed good, but were empty words and a disgrace to God; it is not God's ways!! Paul had to drive a demon out of her!!

If you only believe in Jesus as in "the existence of Jesus as the son of God", then even the devil himself believes that much:

Mark 3:11

Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”

Mark 5:6-8

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

Acts 19:15

But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”

James 2:19

You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that— and shudder.

Notes: James here takes it a step further and mocks those who are giving lip-service declaration of belief.

3. By Faith Alone?

"By faith alone" meant no added works of the law of Moses. It is in the Bible but your church missed it:

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭16

“know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”

So, "by faith alone" is not "do nothing" - Learning Jesus' commands and keeping them is not "works of the law"!

Paul introduced Jesus to the Gentiles. But Protestants ran with the "intro" as the complete message!!

1 Corinthians 3:1-2 Paul said:

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.

Protestant church leaders found a way to remain forever "milk, not solid food"!!! And still collect their 10% tithing using the obsolete "tithing" law of Moses!!! But the innocent church-members are the duped victims!! Blaming the church for it, will not get you off the hook on judgement day!

There is no question, Christians are saved "by faith alone". But let’s examine a couple of different interpretations of the term:

#1 The Protestant churches' way.

#2 The true biblical way.

#1 By Faith Alone - The Protestant churches’ way:

(Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Baptists, etc.)

Do nothing
Read Bible passages not contradicting to the church's theology.
Be creative with your prayers. Which is rubbish to God! He can’t hear it unless you're filled with the Holy Spirit!
Tithe 10% based on the obsolete Leviticus law of Moses (Hebrews 7:5 Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people - that is, from their fellow Israelites), which now in the new covenant is considered "works".
And sing hymns & wave arms.
Basically similar to believing in Santa Claus!

#2 By Faith Alone - The biblical way:

Learn Jesus’ commands and keep them, John 14:15, 1 John‬ 2:4‬. Examples:

- Pray the Lord’s Prayer once a day as Jesus instructed based on the new covenant of God. So you become filled with the Holy Spirit.

- Forgive others so God forgives your sins.

- Seek God and His kingdom by studying the whole Bible, including the parts contradicting to your church's agenda.

First become filled with the Holy Spirit, then He can hear your other prayers and requests.
No works of the flesh, and no salvation-by-good-deeds. See my James article.
Donation? "Any gift is good" per the apostle Paul, Philippians 4:16-18. No need for 10%, Hosea 6:6 I don’t want your sacrifices - I want your love; I don’t want your offerings - I want you to know me.
Singing hymns is good, after following the above points.

Protestant churches and their people MEMORIZED verse 13 in this following passage, but have no idea that verse 14 even existed!!

Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ Paul:

13 “for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”‭‭

👉 Verse 14 - How can they call on His name without knowing Him??!! Do they know His commands? No. Do they understand His parables? No. Their church convinced them these were meant for the Jews!!!

Do you have a favorite verse? Please stop that!

- Romans 10:13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

- Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven...

The Bible is contradicting? No!!! You have to read the whole Bible to understand. You can't pick and choose your favorite verses and run with them! If anybody asks you this popular question, "what is your favorite verse in the Bible?" Start running the other way. No one understands!! No one cares to truly seek God!!

A guy emailed me recently asking, how is it that the criminal on the cross next to Jesus was saved instantly, and we have to go through a different process? I answered, "that criminal had minutes to live. He declared belief in Jesus as the Messiah and Jesus granted him salvation. Had the criminal lived a full life after that, he would have been required to be renewed day by day like the rest of us." I did not hear back from him.

Are you a "Do Nothing" Believer?

Please stop the "do nothing", because you've become spiritually dead; "did not mature". A big difference between "Works of the flesh" and "Spiritual Activities":

Works of the law: Also called "works of the flesh", means earthly efforts or still trying to apply the Jewish law - Circumcision, tithe 10%, sacrifices, refrain from certain foods, do a lot of good deeds to offset the bad, etc..

Not works of the law / flesh: Spiritual activities like seek God, read the Bible, and pray the Lord's Prayer daily.

Some may keep insisting that any action we do is "works". These are the "do nothing believers", likely brain-washed into it by their church. They site some high-level verses in the Bible, ignoring many elaborating detailed verses. And they point to stories from the Bible, example about the blind man in the village square and the woman who touched His robe, were healed by Jesus. The do-nothing believers point out that these 2 people likely never looked at scriptures etc., and yet Jesus healed them. Ok perfect example. But note in the culture of those days where there were no TVs, social media, or smart-devices, Jewish people spent their spare time gathered in a village location, telling stories about the day's important events, and reading in the scrolls. So most likely the blind man and the sick woman knew the old-testament Bible really well, heard the stories about Jesus' teachings and miracles, and "strongly" believed that He was the awaited Messiah. So Jesus obviously saw their inside, and healed them. And in the case of the blind man, Jesus had more ramifications in mind to glorify God. He knew the blind man would talk about it in the temple square, and the rest of that story.

Please don’t get your facts from watching movies/shows about the Bible, or even from the church. Get your facts from reading the Bible. You want to tithe 10%? In today's world, tithing 10% of your time reading the Bible, will likely please God a lot more.

Hosea 6:6

I don’t want your sacrifices - I want your love; I don’t want your offerings - I want you to know me

To get to know Jesus and His teachings in the Bible before declaring belief, would be consistent with everything else we do in life. Example, we don't even commit to a spouse without spending months and years learning about them first! Of course we'd do this for our earthly needs. But spend time reading the Bible to know more about God, then truly believe? Is of no interest to many Christians. This is analogical to my other example, we'd read a thousand-page book if paid money for it, to meet our earthly needs, but not the Bible to gain eternal life. If you're just a herd follower, then you don't truly believe in Jesus. Because you haven't spent the time to learn about all His teachings. In this case you're only in it for the social aspect of it - doing what other people do; repeating what they all say - and because other people will respect you for it.

True Christianity is not "be creative" and "anything goes." Going to church every Sunday and singing hymns is only the icing on the cake; you've ignored the cake and focused on the icing!

Or you may be in a Christian band, singing or writing songs titled something like "the blood of Jesus". Belonging to a big church with thousands of members, and making a lot of noise on Sundays... and thinking "what's this one guy here talking about?" Despite the grand picture you're in, the fact remains, unless you keep Jesus' commands, your sins are not forgiven. Again, what you're doing is icing on the cake; Jesus did not command any of this. He gave us simple commands like pray the Lord's Prayer daily and seek God always to keep learning about Him and mature spiritually. Are you doing these? If yes, you're on the right path. If no, you're not reconciled with God. Because you're doing things your way, not His way, not as He commanded. I'm not judging; I'm only pointing out God's view in relation to what I see going on in the Christian world today. Only He knows the hearts.

First obey Jesus' commands. Then do your other creative fluff. You're ignoring Jesus' commands, the most essential part of salvation!

In today's world, many learn the Bible by watching movies about it. That knowledge is invalid; movies veer significantly from the truth in order to make a sensational, profit-producing product. Another method in today's world, is relying completely on churches, which only preach from certain parts of the Bible to keep it pleasing to people. The majority of Bible verses are unknown to people. Personal Bible reading is the only way to truly seek God. Look at all the new truths from the references in this website. Most churches don't talk about these! Focus on the cake first, then on the icing! It's your eternity at stake; do you trust anyone with that? Check things for yourself! I provide help in this area in my link How to Be True Christians.

Declaring belief in Jesus is the beginning of a relationship with Him; a journey of getting to know Him. It goes in this order:

1. Birth of the flesh - first birth.

2. Birth of the spirit - born-again.

3. Spiritual growth - maturing with more knowledge about God/Jesus

It is the 3rd item that most churches and people ignore. If you declare you believe in Jesus and then move on with your life, and just keep telling everybody "I'm covered by the blood", you're not!! Because all you know about Jesus is that sentence. The Bible says you're spiritually dead; did not mature in the knowledge of God, like one of these people in the verse below, "choked by life's worries, riches, and pleasures":

Luke 8:14

"The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature."

==> "they do not mature" <==

Spiritual maturity, is more of an attitude. Being a true born-again believer would result in interest springing from within for wanting to grow that relationship with God, by:

- Seeking God, through reading the whole scripture and gaining more wisdom and knowledge about Him; maturing spiritually.
- Worshiping Him daily (the Lord's Prayer daily)
- Respecting Him! Keep Jesus' commands.
- Liking what He likes and hating what He hates.

- Forgive always. Truly forgive others. Leave no trace of hatred or grudge within you.

- Love all people, just as He loves all people, His children, His creation.

If you’re not doing these things, you're not maturing spiritually, your declaration of belief in God did not flourish. These things should spring from within; if you feel they’re a burden, or label them as "works" because they don't fit your lifestyle, then you're not cut-out for the Kingdom of God

Mark 16:17-18 Jesus said:

"And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.”

John 14:12-14

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

What Does "Believe in Jesus" Really Mean?

What Does "Believe in Jesus" Really Mean?

1. Some of Jesus' Commands:

And Here is What "Believe in Jesus" Does Not Mean:

2. Continuously Shouting "I Love You Jesus", Is Not Good Enough?

3. By Faith Alone?

#1 By Faith Alone - The Protestant churches’ way:

#2 By Faith Alone - The biblical way:

Do you have a favorite verse? Please stop that!

Are you a "Do Nothing" Believer?

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