One of the greatest schemes that Satan has ever used is the false idea that God’s word only needs to be “believed” but not “obeyed.” Countless souls have been lost after being taught this convenient twist of the truth.
In John 3:16, Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Jesus gives us a wonderful promise from God, and every word is true. The person who “believes” in Jesus will have eternal life, but what does it mean to believe? Does it simply mean that a person needs to be convinced that He lived, died, or that He was God’s Son? Or does it mean something even more?
While Satan would like to convince us that God’s requirement for salvation is belief alone, several verses later in the same chapter, John the Baptizer explains what it means to believe. In John 3:36, he says, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides in him” (John 3:36). John, like Jesus, understands that true belief, will lead to and result in our obedience to God. He also teaches that salvation is not possible without obeying God’s commands.
Matt Langfield