Bible Study Lesson 6

Believing in Jesus

The New Testament mentions believing in Jesus many times. To believe in something means to have faith in something. This is a lesson on having faith in Jesus. Lesson 3 was a study in faith toward God. We will compare faith in Jesus with faith toward God.

1. Is belief on Jesus a key to eternal life? John 3:14-16, 36; 6:40, 47; 11:25-27; Rom 10:8-10.

2. What does the word “Christ mean? John 1:41.

Comment: The word Christ means Messiah (meaning the Anointed One).

3. If a person believes in Jesus, does that include belief that Jesus is the promised Messiah predicted in the Old Testament and that Jesus is the Son of God? John 11:25-27; 20:30-31.

Comment: In order for a person to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the person must know what the Old Testament says about the Messiah. Belief is partly based upon knowing portions of the Old Testament. Some people may believe it from their own study and others may easily be convinced of this by hearing a gifted preacher speak.

4. If a person believes in Jesus, does that include belief that Jesus was sent to the earth long ago by His Father God in heaven? John 17:8, 21; 11:41-42.

5. If a person believes in Jesus, does that include the belief that Jesus is the sheep that suffered and died for us as prophesied in the Old Testament? Isa 53:4-7; Acts 8:26-38.

6. Does belief in Jesus for salvation include a belief that God resurrected Jesus from the dead? Rom 10:8-10; I Thes 4:14.

7. Does the Bible teach that in order to be saved you must confess with you mouth the Lord Jesus? Rom 10:8-10; Luke 6:46-49; Phil 2:9-11; John 15:13-14.

Comment: To confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus means that with genuine sincerity you treat Jesus as your Lord, which means your Master. Phil 2:11 says that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, meaning Master. The word “Lord” is not merely a title, but descriptive of your relationship with Him. Luke 6:46 shows that if you are sincere in calling Him Lord, then you must show it by obeying His teachings. Otherwise He is not your Lord. Luke 6:47, 49 shows that the one who does nothing, in other words, who does not treat Jesus as his Lord by obeying His teachings, is like a ruined house and has no permanence. If you are sincere, you confess what you believe. This shows that believing in Jesus includes believing that He is your Lord, your Master. How can a person fully believe in Him without confessing Him as Lord and treating Him as Master? It cannot be. Heb 11 shows that belief or faith toward God motivates obedience. John 15:13-14 shows that if a person doesn’t obey Jesus, Jesus is not His friend and He didn’t give His life for that person. This is much more than a one-time obedience, and it shows that belief in Jesus should motivate obeying Jesus. Believing in Jesus is so much more than an abstract belief with no change in life. Faith toward God motivates obedience and belief in Jesus motivates obedience. Questions 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 explained several ways in which belief in Jesus includes something more than what lesson 3 showed to be faith toward God. Belief in Jesus goes beyond faith toward God because it includes certain matters about Jesus that are revealed in the New Testament together with prophecies in the Old Testament.

8. If a person believes in Jesus, will that person follow Jesus? John 10:24-27.

Comment: Here we see that the miracles performed by Jesus were a witness to those Jews that he was the Christ, meaning the Messiah. Jesus told them in verse 26 that their belief would determine whether they were His sheep, and verse 27 told them that his sheep follow His voice, His teachings. This means that his sheep treat Him as Lord. Again we see that belief in Him will provide motivation to obey Him. Belief in Jesus includes much more than one might at first imagine.

9. Does treating Jesus as the Lord of your life have anything to do with salvation? Mat 7:21-27.

10. Are the sheep of Jesus who continue to follow His voice assured of eternal life? John 10:27-29.

11. Did Jesus say that He and the Father are together as One? John 10:30; 12:44; 5:19, 22-23; 14:6-11.

12. Is Jesus God? John 1:1-14; 20:24-28; 17:5; Phil 2:5-8.

Comment: Jesus is God. Faith toward God includes faith toward Jesus because Jesus is God. Belief in Jesus is also faith toward God, but belief in Jesus also includes the items about Jesus in questions 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Belief in Jesus motivates obedience.