Believe or Believe Plus

How do I know I have truly believed in Jesus Christ and have eternal life?  A lot of people wrestle with that question likely due to the confusing way Salvation is often presented.  They hear things like everlasting life is a free gift from God through faith which is quickly followed by some additional condition that must be fulfilled.  Such as if your life hasn’t changed in some particular way then you haven’t actually or truly believed.  I heard one pastor say it this way, if you aren’t different then you haven’t got it.  It being everlasting life. 

Those who say such things are basically presenting two false concepts.  The first being you cannot trust what you believe.  Why, because there is apparently more than one way to believe something.  That is what they are implying when using terms like genuine faith, saving faith and truly believe.  I know it sounds absurd but using those terms suggest there is a way to believe something while not actually believing it.  The second error is they slander the Creator God.  When Jesus Christ told Nicodemus “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” He (Jesus Christ) didn’t actually mean it.  If that is the case then abandon all hope for we have nothing for which to live.    

Jesus Christ said we can trust the word of God.  He asserted the Bible is completely trustworthy.  So, accepting that as true, here is something that sheds light on the Biblical concept of believing.  I have not found a single place in the Gospels where the word believe is modified by an adverb.  I find it significant that Jesus Christ always spoke of believing as if it was a binary function.  You either believe or you don’t.  Some references you can check out for yourself in the Gospel of John: John 1:2, 3:16, 5:24, 6:29, 6:47, 11:25-26.  These verses deal specifically with receiving everlasting life, but you will find the same thing true of the Lord’s other uses of the word believe. 
​
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast Ephesians 2:8 & 9.  If you have believed in Jesus Christ for everlasting life then He has given you everlasting life.  You have only to look to His words for the assurance you have life.  We rest in His promise not what we do.