What does it mean to believe?
“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16 CSB)
Even the Demons Believe
Why Is It Important for Us to Know What Believe Means?
Scripture can answer this for us. Let me show you some scriptures that will reveal how important it is for us to know what the word believe means.
Romans 10:9-10 “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.” (CSB)
Mark 9:23 “Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’? Everything is possible for the one who believes.” (CSB)
Mark 11:22-24 “Jesus replied to them, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, everything you pray and ask for—believe that you have received, it and it will be yours.” (CSB)
Mark 16:16-17 “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: …” (CSB)
Acts 16:31 “They said, “Believe in the “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16 CSB)
There are many more scriptures about believing, but these reveal just how vital it is for Christians to know how important the word ‘believe’ is.
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The Meaning of Believe in the Bible
Therefore, it would be important for us to understand what the word “believe” means according to the Bible.
The English words believe, trust, and faith are all translated from the same Greek root word pisteuo. This word means: “to believe,” also “to be persuaded of,” and hence, “to place confidence in, to trust,” signifies, in this sense of the word, reliance upon, not mere credence. (from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
The word ‘believe’, as used in the Bible, doesn’t carry the same meaning that our English word ‘believe’ has. In English, when we use the word believe, we are speaking of mental assent or an intellectual agreement. Our English word believe operates in the soulish realm. This type of belief has no effect in the spiritual realm.
In English, ‘believe’ is from the mind. In the Bible, the Greek word translated “believe’ is from the heart. “Believe in your heart…”
Mental Assent vs Faith
James speaks of the mental assent belief and the faith that it produces.
“You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.” (James 2:19 NLT)
Satan and his minions believe in God and believe in His Word. They know where they are headed in the end – the lake of fire. They believe, but that belief doesn’t provide them with salvation. Belief that is mental and intellectual assent will not save you. So what does it take? Let’s read the whole passage in James.
“You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.” (James 2:19-24 NLT)
Remember that the words faith and believe are from the same root word in the Greek. The difference is that the word for faith is a noun and the word for believe is a verb. They still retain the same meaning. Now substitute believe in this passage for faith. Verse 24 “So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by believing alone.”
The True Meaning of Believe in the Bible
The word ‘believe’ means to trust, rely on, and have confidence in. This isn’t just mental assent but is backed by corresponding action. When you hold a heartfelt belief in Jesus as Lord, as described in Romans 10:9-10, then there will be a corresponding life change action. There can’t be Bible belief without corresponding action.
Proverbs 3:5 represents biblical believing in action. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.” This is what it means to truly believe.
Mark 9:23 “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.“
Biblical belief is always backed by action because of our reliance upon, our trust in, and our confidence on the Lord and His Word.
Believe Illustrated
Suppose you are out hiking and you come across a rope bridge that crosses a deep canyon. You look at this bridge carefully and believe it will hold you. You may even see other people crossing the bridge so you know the bridge will hold your weight.
But so far, your “belief” in this bridge is all in your head. When do you really believe the bridge will hold you? You only really believe it when you are willing to commit your life to it and actually walk across .
The Meaning of Believe and the Promises of God
Now it is time to apply the biblical meaning of believe with its corresponding actions to the promises of God. Belief is simply mental assent if we don’t apply actions to our belief.
For instance, God promises to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (see: Philippians 4:19) So, if we are to believe this promise concerning finances, what actions do we need to take?
1. If we believe this to be true, we need to stop talking about lack.
2. We may need to examine our stewardship to make sure we are not wasting anything God is providing for us now.
3. We need to sow seed – in this case money – so we can reap a harvest.
4. Start immediately to thank God for meeting all our needs.
We can do the same thing for every promise of God. All it takes is some thought concerning our corresponding actions. It will work if you work it. God is always faithful and keeps His Word.
“So my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.” (Isaiah 55:11 CSB)
The Challenge
Take everything you believe about God and the Bible and test it. Test to see if your belief is in your head or are you putting your complete trust, reliance, and confidence in what you believe? Are you committing your life to what you believe?
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