Believing

A good way to think about what it means to believe....

(John 3:16-18; Rom 10:8-10; Mark 9:24; John 6:36 as examples or James 2:19 looking from the other side.)

And even Satan quotes the Bible from memory, see Matthew 4:1-11.

So just having knowledge of some Bible verses, or even acknowledging the existence and authority (Mark 5:7-13) of Jesus is not sufficient for a "saving" belief.

This comes only from the actual grace and mercy of God quickening the believer. This is an actual change that God makes to the believer.

The inward and outward signs of this change will show an increasing want/desire for God and all things related to God and His Word the Bible. Matthew 5:6

It will also flow out of him.

John 4:11-15; John 7:38; Revelation 7:17

This is a process that will also produce fruit in the believer's life. Usually in our world, fruit hangs gracefully from the tree, ready to be picked, sometimes casually, at other times harvested by even shaking the tree to get the fruit down. Most harvesting is hard work, even today one usually picks fruit by hand not by machine. The fruit is available to be picked, only in the Wizard of OZ do you see the tree actually throwing it's fruit at people.

Another sign is if you have ever been with someone who says (or if you have ever thought to yourself): "My god would never do that!", then your probably right since that god is not God, that god is a mental idol.
One last note the tree without fruit is at risk. You can read: Matthew 21:19; Luke 13:6-9 for a taste of this teaching. Check passages about good fruit and bad fruit and pruning also. I'll let you do that on your own.

This even ties into Paul's great teaching on love. Read 1 Cor 13, all the good effort things we do that are in vain,  look closely at the end of verse 1 cor 13:12. Read how Paul closes the book in 1 Cor 16:22.


If you are a believer there is so much to be learned. Reread the Sermon on the Mount, start at the end Matthew 7:7 and read to the end; then go back to chapter 5 and read from the beginning.

I would also recommend reading Justin Taylor's post on the same subject: An open letter to seekers