By: Robert Serreyn
Question? What is the TRUE meaning of the word Believe, and what did Jesus mean by when he told Nicodemus he must be born again?
Answer:
The word BELIEVE is the Greek word PISTEUO and it means To Put Trust In or Rely On Completely.
Acts 16:31 is a good example of this, which says…
And they said, Believe (Trust, Rely Completely alone) on the Lord Jesus Christ (his payment on the cross for sin), and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Now what Jesus meant by when he told Nicodemus that “He must be Born Again” – John 3:3, & 7 means exactly what the word BELIEVE means.
John 3:3, & 7 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
In other words Jesus TOLD Nicodemus unless you Trust in, Rely on Completely alone on me as your Messiah (Saviour) and my payment on the cross for your sins, You WILL NOT see the Kingdom of God which contains two applications – Spiritual & Physical, applies ONLY to those who are saved.
Spiritual – The entrance into heaven above upon Death or the Rapture.
Physical – The physical entrance (the saved who are physically alive at that time) into the Millennial Kingdom, known as the One Thousand Year reign of Christ here on earth
Nicodemus SHOULD HAVE known what Jesus meant BECAUSE the word TRUST (believe – PISTEUO) is mentioned through out the entire Old Testement, This is why Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:10…
Art thou a master (Teacher/ Pastor/ Preacher) of Israel, and knowest not these things?
In other words Did you not understand or study the scriptures?, Did you not believe (trust/rely on) the scriptures which spoke of me?
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
In Conclusion:
The meaning of Born Again, and the word Believe simply means this… Put your Trust in, Relying on Completely alone in the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ as the payment for your sins and have the assurance of Eternal Life – 1 John 5:13.
These things (Word of God) have I written unto you that believe (trust in, rely on completly alone) on the name of the Son of God (Jesus Christ); that ye may know (have complete assurance, confidence from the scriptures) that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know IS Jesus Christ as savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins.
The moment that you do YOU HAVE (at that second and forever) Everlasting Life which WILL NEVER be taken away no matter what.
-Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8
-Christ PAID your sins in full – 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24
-BELIEVE (Trust In Completely) in Christ ALONE as the complete payment of sin for salvation – John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9
“For the wages(payment) of sin is death (eternal torment in hell); but the GIFT(salvation) of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 6:23
IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH