Articles
What Does It Mean to Believe in Jesus (5)
What Does It Mean to Believe in Jesus (5)
Mike Willis
In this column, we have previously asserted that believing in Jesus means to believe: (1) In a historical Jesus; (2) In the incarnation of Jesus (Jesus was God with us); (3) In the Lordship of Jesus (He is lord of one’s life); (4) He is my Savior (I recognize my sin and my need for the salvation Jesus provides). In this article, I am affirming that believing in Jesus means that one accepts the moral standards revealed and commended by Jesus as the standard by which one lives.
Modern culture wants an all-inclusive moral standard. That means that one accepts that sex outside the bonds of marriage is just as morally acceptable as marriage; that homosexuality is just as acceptable as heterosexuality; that pedophile sexuality is just as legitimate as sexuality between consenting adults; that looting a business is just as moral as working to earn a living and purchasing his goods. One may choose to do any or all of these things, but he cannot be a believer in Jesus while doing so.
One cannot doubt that Jesus taught an absolute moral standard, whether one chooses to believe in Him or not. All of the New Testament documents affirm as much. For example, Jesus said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person” (Matt. 15:19-20). In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire” (Matt. 5:21-22). A few verses later, He added, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:27-28).
Jesus sent His Apostles to communicate to mankind His revealed will after He ascended back into heaven. There are several vice lists in their writings that illustrate the moral requirements of those who believe in Jesus. Here is one of them: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
These verses are sufficient to establish the point which I am affirming: One cannot claim to believe in Jesus will continuing to practice his sins! Jesus requires that one repent of his sins. The word “repent” is defined as “feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one's wrongdoing or sin.” The Greek word translated “repent” carries also the idea of “turning away” from one’s sin, ceasing the practice of them. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, note the result of conversion: “such were some of you.” That implies changing one’s conduct, turning away from sin and ceasing to practice it.
No man who professes to be a Christian is perfect. There are times when every Christian stumbles into sin. When he recognizes his sin, he repents (feels and expresses regret and remorse for what he has done), confesses it to his Lord and whomever else he needs to apologize to, and asks God’s forgiveness. He determines to stop the practice of that sin. He does not wink at his sin and continue to practice it. Jesus called one who called himself a Christian but lived like the Devil, a hypocrite. So, ask yourself this question: Based on how I am living, do I really believe in Jesus?
