BELIEVE

A careful search through the scripture will reveal to us that the number one condition God gave for any to be saved is to believe

This word is used in the New Testament 124 times (KJV).

- Luke 8:12 .. lest they should believe and be saved."

-Romans 10:9 ...and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him up from the dead thou shalt be saved.

- Romans 1:16 ...For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.

What Does It Mean To Believe?

To believe means to accept that (something) is true, especially without proof.

It is so amazing that it is in this word that God has kept the key for any man to be saved. Man's freedom from the power of Sin lies in this word. For any man to be delivered from Satan's oppressions, he must believe.

What is it that God wants man to accept as true even though he has no absolute proof?

John 3:16 says,

 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

What God is offering to man is His Son. What God wants man to accept as true is His Son. The truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This is the truth the devil has terribly sought to destroy. The Ethiopian eunuch Phillip, after being preached to, confessed, 

"I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" and he was saved. (Acts 8:37)

Jesus Christ means many things to many people. He once asked His disciples,

 "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 

They responded saying, 

"Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias; others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. And Jesus asked them, "But whom say ye that I am? 

One would have expected the disciples to have chorused the answer like in their earlier response to the first question. But only one responded. I believe this was the day Peter first believed. It was the day Peter accepted God's offer. He responded,

"Thou art Christ, Son of the living God"

How Do I Know That I Have Believed?

To provide an answer to this, we must look critically to have an in-depth meaning of these words; we most often assume we know the meanings, praying the Holy Spirit will grant light in our hearts. To believe we said means to accept as true.

To accept means a consent to receive. Acceptance is subjective. The antonym is to refuse or reject (subjective). 

The Bible says 

"God...gave His only begotten...". 

That is very objective. An objective response to someone who is giving is to receive from such. Subjectively speaking, we can say that "God offered his only begotten Son."Then, it would have been sufficient to just accept his Son. Thank God it was more than just an offer; God gave. The appropriate response will be to receive. One can either refuse or accept an offer, and you can equally receive or give back what was given.

Let us look at John 1:11-12.

"He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God; even to them that believed on his name.

Believing is the subjective part of our profession as Christians, while receiving is the objective. One cannot have been said to have believed in Him who was given until we have received Him. The only condition God gave to man for him to be saved is to believe. The only way we can know that we have fulfilled that condition is when we have received.

However, herein lies the woes of many, that have kept them from receiving; a doubting heart. Hear these-

"For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore, I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and shall have them" (Mark 11:23-24)

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like the wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." (James 1:5-8)

Have you received Him?

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him and he with me." (Rev. 3:20)