The world of is full of churches that preach that you "only need to believe;" some have called this teaching "easy-believism." They quote verses like John 3:16 and claim that a one-time profession of faith in Jesus Christ ensures a reservation for you in heaven. Too bad they don't take the Bible in its totality instead of hand-picking the handful of verses that are to their liking, or they would find out that the Bible paints a much different picture of a saving faith.
The Greek word most often translated as “faith” in the New Testament is “elpis.” Young’s Analytical Concordance defines this word as “steadfastness,” which I think helps clarify the meaning of the word. It does not mean a fleeting belief, or wishful thinking, it means a living, enduring, firmly-fixed faith that you are willing to act upon.
Imagine that a man started a new religion and that the main tenant of his religion was that we can capture unseen powers all around us and use them to fly through the air like birds. If you should happen to encounter this man, wouldn’t your first inclination be to ask him to start flying (preferably from the top of a mountain or perhaps after he jumps out of an airplane!) to prove that his religion is not based on falsehoods? If he refused to try to fly, wouldn’t you doubt his belief in the main tenet of his religion? It would be obvious that he did not believe what he said he believed, or maybe he did believe it at one time, but now no longer believes it, or that his faith in his controversial beliefs is so weak that it is of no consequence. However, if he took you up on your challenge, wouldn’t you conclude, “The poor guy really did believe that he could fly!”? So, one could conclude (and rightfully so) that if we really believe something, we should be willing to act on that belief (Matthew 7:24).
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16) (NASB)
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock." (Matthew 7:24) (NASB)
Let’s take a look at a verse you probably know by heart, John 3:16. What did Jesus mean when He said we should believe in Him? We have already established that He assumed we would act upon that belief, but what actually is He asking us to believe? I think that if you would ask many professing Christians, they would say that Jesus wants us to come to a point where we believe that He is the Son of God and that He died on the cross, arose, and is now interceding for us in heaven.
That is true, however, if you read the Gospels, you will find that Jesus made it very clear that He expects more from us than a fleeting belief or a one-time commitment. For example, take His parable of the sower (Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8). He told of those that believed at first, but did not put down any roots—they soon died and did not bear any fruit. And He told of those who believed—but then became distracted by the riches and the cares of the world. What happened to the plants that did not bear fruit in Jesus’ parables? They were cut down and thrown into the fire—an obvious reference to hell (Matthew 7:19). What is good fruit? It is what happens when someone truly believes and then acts on that belief. It is the inevitable, visible evidence of faith at work in the heart of a believer. What exactly will we be doing when we act on this belief? We will be doing the will of the Father (Matthew 7:21). If we don’t do our Father’s will, we won’t gain entrance into heaven.
"A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' (Matthew 7:18-23) (NASB)
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46)
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. (Matthew 25:10-12)
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (John 10:27) (NASB)
And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (1 John 2:3-6) (NASB)
If you read the gospel of Matthew, you will find that the haunting words, “I know you not,” show up twice (7:23 & 25:12), in two separate parables with the same theme—it is what Jesus said to those who prophesied, cast out demons and even performed miracles in His name. I would guess that to an uninformed outsider, these men would appear as very religious, holy men because of their preaching and performing of miracles, etc. However, careful scrutiny of their lives would have revealed that they were not bearing good fruit, they were practicing “lawlessness,” or “iniquity” as the King James version puts it, or "evil" as the NIV puts it. I can’t help but be reminded of the many televangelists who had great followings—until someone took the time to find how these televangelists conducted their personal lives!
James wrote that the demons believe too and even tremble with fear because they know Christ is real (James 2:19)! Now that is true faith, is it not? But you won’t see a single one of them in heaven! Why is that? Even though the demons believe that Christ is who He says He is, they are not following Him, they are not obeying His commandments; instead, they are following Satan, they are practicing evil. If Christ had no intention for us to actually do the things he spoke of, why did He spend His last years on earth preaching to His fellow man, asking them to repent and get right with God and live holy lives? This bold preaching is what led to his cruel death on the cross!
There were many on the earth in Christ’s time who called Him Lord, but Jesus was not fooled. He asked them why they called Him Lord if they were not willing to do what He asked them to do (Luke 6:46 & Matthew 7:21). Even an earthly lord expects his orders to be faithfully followed, surely it is no different with a heavenly one. To Christ, it was clear. If He is really your Lord, you will be doing what He asks of you. Period. His disciple, John, reiterated this in his letters: if we really know Jesus, then we will follow His commandments (1 John 2:3-6).
Do You Have A Dead Faith?
You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.
You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. (James 2:19-26) (NASB)
If you told your typical professing Christian that one must prove that he is a disciple of Christ, they would probably accuse you of heresy! He or she would probably say things like, "What? I don't have to 'prove' that I am a Christian because I have already made a profession of faith! Don't you know John 3:16?" Yet, the author of John 3:16 also wrote John chapter 15 (see below) where we are told we need to prove through obedience and bearing of fruit that we are a disciple of Jesus.
James says that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). What kind of faith is dead faith? It may be a profession of faith only done for appearance’s sake. Or it may be a faith that you had at one time that has since died. Or it may be a faith that has fallen so low on your list of priorities that it is practically meaningless to you. Or it may be a faith that is so weak, you never dare to act on it—in other words, if it isn’t completely dead, it might as well be because it has virtually no impact on your life. A dead faith is a “useless” faith (James 2:20), only a living faith can save you. If you have a living faith, there will be some evidence of it in your life; it will affect the way you conduct your life, your faith will be perfected by works (James 2:22).
Abraham is often cited as a great example of the faithful man in the Bible. He was told by God that he would be the father of an entire nation and Abraham did not waver in his faith, even when he was still childless as an elderly man! And then when God asked him to sacrifice his only son, a son that came by miraculous circumstances in his old age, his only hope for fulfillment of God’s promise, he did not waiver in following God’s command. Now that’s what you call acting on your beliefs! That’s faith! Another good example would be Job, who lost his health, wealth and family, yet remained faithful to God.
Paul talks about faith in the context of “tribulation,” “perseverance” and “proven character” (Romans 5:3-4). Did you catch that phrase, proven character? That means your faith is tested and tried and that you come through with your faith intact, your faith has been proved. Those without a true, living faith crumble when faced with temptation, tribulation and persecution; like an egg with its hard, thin shell—there is nothing inside to hold them up when the pressure from the outside becomes too great.
How To Grow Faith (And Fruit)
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples." (John 15:1-8) (NASB)
How can our faith grow strong enough to weather the storms? First, we need to abide in Him, that is, maintain a close, personal relationship with Him (John 15:4, etc.). And it is not something that we can do alone, we need the support of other church members (Hebrews 10:24-25); we need to be part of a true Bible-believing and Bible-practicing church. And we need to read and study His Word; when we read the Bible (especially the words of Christ), it is like being personally ministered to by our Lord!
However, perhaps nothing can help more in establishing a firm faith (those "roots" that Jesus talked about) than simply receiving all of Christ’s words (not just those that meet our liking) and acting upon them (Matthew 7:24). You learn by doing, you get stronger by exercising what little faith you have, but if you never act on your faith in the face of adversity, it will never become strong enough to weather life’s storms and the darts Satan may throw your way. And when faith withers away and dies, it is a sad end indeed.
What Is A Living Faith?
If you look at everything the Bible has to say about faith, you will get the big picture; you will see that belief in Christ is more than a fleeting belief, or a one-time commitment, but a firmly-fixed faith. If you really believe, you will act on those beliefs. If you really believe, you will do what He asks you to do.
But this all makes sense, even if you look at it at its most elementary level. For instance, if you really believed that God was infinitely powerful and could see all you do, would you flaunt your sin in front of Him? If you really believed that Christ gave his life in a horrible, cruel death to save you from hell, would you purposely hurt Him by doing the opposite of what He asks of you? If you really believed that Christ loves you more than any person on this earth does, would you treat Him like dirt? Obviously not! It is impossible for us to follow Christ when we insist on going our own way, we can not go two directions at once! We can’t be both a slave to sin and a servant of Christ, it is one or the other.
