WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BELIEVE
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BELIEVE?
I was given this verse as “proof” that all we have to do is “believe in Jesus” to be saved, and that somehow the law is also “void”:
1 John 3:23
"And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us".
I’d like to ask, what exactly does it mean to “believe”? Do we just acknowledge that Jesus existed and died for our sins? So if we simply recognize the historical facts about Him, we are satisfying what it means to “believe?” Or does our belief require us to pick up our cross and follow His example?
Jesus followed the Torah perfectly and taught us how to follow it, outside the realm of the traditions of men… with love for God and for our neighbors.
I’m not sure what gospel everyone follows, but in the one I read, “believing” means you trust AND OBEY.
However, the counterfeit gospel of churchianity seems to be centered around the “covenant of grace” which somehow usurps the law and nullifies it. Which is total nonsense. Jesus didn’t cancel the law.
Law and grace go hand in hand. The law defines sin. Grace is for when you sin.
You trample the blood of the covenant when you continue to sin. So by looking to what defines sin, which is the law, you know how to stay away from sin.
You do that as best as you can so you don’t crucify Christ afresh and count his victory on the cross as a “common matter.”
Out of love for what He did for you on that cross, you should seek to repay Him by following the simple instructions He gave you - His Torah.
There is no simpler way to explain this.
Shalom 🙏
#torah #yhvh #yhwh #yah #messianic #theway #thewaythetruththelife #bible #biblestudy #biblequotes
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about what it truly means to connect with the Divine. It’s more than just a thought or a feeling, isn't it? For me, truly believing in Jesus Christ isn't a passive act, but an active, ongoing relationship – a constant communication with the divine through how I live my life. My journey has shown me that this deep connection, this communication, is intrinsically linked to understanding and living out Jesus' commandments. The original article touched on the importance of the Torah, and I've found that when I delve into passages like 1 John 3:23, where it says, "And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment," it really opens up a new perspective. It’s not just about intellectual assent to "we believe in Jesus Christ"; it's about the 'and love one another' part that follows. How do we practically live that out? For me, obeying the principles that Jesus taught, which are often rooted in the heart of the Torah—like justice, compassion, and honesty—becomes a tangible way to express that love for God and for my neighbor. It's not about being burdened by rules, but about responding with gratitude to what He did for us. This isn't about earning salvation, but about demonstrating the transformation that has already begun in my heart. It’s about letting my belief flow into actions that reflect His character. When we consider what might be called Jesus' last commandment, or His greatest commandment, it always circles back to love: loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and loving our neighbor as ourselves. These aren't separate from the Torah; they are the distillation of its profound meaning. My personal experience has been that the more I strive to walk in obedience, guided by these principles, the more intimately I feel I'm communicating with the Divine. It's a continuous process of learning, stumbling, and getting back up, always striving to align my will with His. It’s a beautiful, challenging, and incredibly rewarding journey of faith and action.
