I believe in Christ

"The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
John 6:29



What did Jesus mean when he said we were to believe in him? He clarifies this in the 8th chapter of the gospel of John:

"You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."

Jesus had many claims that he made about himself. So, who did he claim to be? If he is telling the truth, which I wholeheartedly believe he is, then we must believe his claims to escape dying in our sins. He tells us that he is not of this world but from above (heaven). So he is more that a mere mortal man. Let's read some of more his claims that we may know what it is to believe in him. Here is a selection from the gospel of John:

God's one and only Son

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

The Messiah or Christ

John 4:25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

The Savior of the world

John 4:42 They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

The Judge of mankind

John 5:22 "Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him."

Sent from heaven into the world by God

John 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me."

The One who will raise the dead

John 6:43 "Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. 44"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day."

The bread of life

John 6:48 "I am the bread of life. 49Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

The Pre-existant I am (a term used for God)

John 8:58 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

The good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep:

John 10:14"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep...17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

The giver of eternal life, a claim of divininty

John 10:27 "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30I and the Father are one."
31Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 32but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"
33"We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."

The resurrection and the life

John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

The only way to the Father and the perfect representation of God

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

Lord Jesus, I believe. I believe you are who you say you are. I believe my eternity is in your hand. I believe you are the true one and there is no other power above yours. I believe you are the Son of God from heaven sent into this world from the Father for our salvation. I trust that my life is in your hand, the good shepherd, therefore I have rest for my soul.