How to believe in Jesus Christ in your heart and be saved is the greatest thing any human should ever want to know. This is the very heart and purpose of everything, the reason why Jesus Christ came and died.
Jesus Christ is the savior of the world, and salvation can only come through Him. The Bible says in Acts 4: 12 (NIV) that “salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life; no one can come to God the Father except through Him (John 14: 16). Believing in Jesus Christ goes beyond lip service; it entails turning your heart from sin and coming to Jesus in faith.
In James 2: 26, the Bible says, “faith without work is dead…” and this means if you say you believe in Jesus, it must show in your actions.
And no one can on their self-will know how to believe in Jesus to be saved. It is an act that God Himself carries out in us through the person and power of the Holy Spirit.
It is the Holy Spirit who convicts us that we are sinners (John 16: 8), convinces us that we need help, and then helps us to know how to believe in Jesus.
Ephesians 2: 8 (NIV) says, “for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…” it is God that gives salvation through Christ, and attached with saving is the enabling faith to accept salvation.
Hence, how to believe in Jesus is to accept the gift of salvation, which means to realize that you are a sinner and can’t save yourself. Confess your sins, ask God to forgive you, and then accept Christ as Lord and Savior of your life.
We must also understand that salvation is instantaneous and continuous, otherwise known as sanctification. You have immediate salvation when you confess and accept Jesus in your heart.
Then in your daily walk with God, God separates you from sin through the process of sanctification. Let’s discuss this further as we look into what it means to be saved.
What Does It Mean To Be Saved?
Many people often ask the question, what does it mean to be saved? To be saved means accepting the salvation God gave to humanity through Jesus Christ. And to accept this salvation means to believe in Jesus and to confess Him as Lord and Savior of your life.
In the Bible, it is the Hebrew word ‘Yasha’ in the Old Testament and the Greek word ‘Sozo’ in the New Testament, and both words are synonymous in meaning. They both mean to be rescued from something, to give victory in times of trouble, and to be preserved.
By implication, salvation is passive, and you cannot save yourself. It is something that someone else must do for you. In this context, it is something that only God can do, and only God can give us salvation.
So for one to be saved, all you have to do is receive the salvation that is given. And this goes beyond knowledge and just knowing about Jesus as the savior of the world.
First of all, you must acknowledge your sins and admit that you cannot save yourself. Then you repent, turn from the world and follow Christ, confess your sins and confess Christ as your personal Lord and savior.
How To Believe In Jesus With Your Heart
Ever found yourself wondering what it means to know how to believe in Jesus with your heart? To understand how to believe in Jesus with your heart means to believe in Jesus with your totality. It means to believe in Jesus with your entire being.
In Romans 10: 10 (NIV), the Bible says, “for it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Although science today has shown us that the heart is just an organ that pumps blood, in ancient Biblical times, the heart was seen and taken to be the center of the human body, so they believed that it controls the human mind.
So how to believe in Jesus with your heart means placing Jesus in your life’s driver’s seat. To completely submit your will to His Lordship and leadership and to follow all His commands and precept judiciously.
Let’s see how to apply this by looking at 10 ways how to believe in Jesus with your heart and be saved.
How To Believe In Jesus With Your Heart And Be Saved
1. Accept The Gospel Of Christ In Your Heart
The Gospel of Christ is the message about Christ and what He accomplished on the cross through His death and resurrection, bringing salvation to the world.
It is the announcement of the good news about salvation being offered to humankind that we receive by faith in Jesus.
So accepting the gospel of Christ in your heart means to have a self-conviction deep down within you that the death of Christ is for your salvation.
It means to believe in your heart that what the Biblical Jesus accomplished on the cross is what brought salvation to humanity.
The Bible says in 1Timothy 1: 15 (NIV), “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the worst.” So one of the ways how to believe in Jesus is to accept the gospel of Christ.
2. Humble Yourself And Come To God
To be humble is to be without pride or arrogance; it is to not see yourself as more important than others. It means to be modest and honest in your actions, to be calm and lowly.
As it is clearly stated in the scriptures, God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble (James 4: 6). God wants us to come in humility to Him, admit and accept that we are spiritually poor and need the help that only He can give to us.
Pride, on the other hand, makes one be full of self and place oneself higher than others. Pride makes you never admit your wrongs and always make excuses for being wrong instead of accepting your mistakes and pleading for mercy.
The world sees humility as being weak; coming humbly before God shows sincerity, honesty, and submission to His will and purpose for humanity. It is one of the ways how to believe in Jesus.
3. Accept That You Are A Sinner
One thing that becomes a hindrance, stopping one from believing in Jesus Christ, is denial. We are not willing to accept that we are sinners, that human nature is utterly depraved, that we can’t save ourselves, and that we need help.
One of the ways how to believe in Jesus in your heart and be saved is to accept that you are a sinner. Romans 3: 23 (NIV) says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”
Only when you accept that you are a sinner will you be willing to come to God in humility, confess your sins and beg for mercy, receive God’s grace, repent and turn a new leaf.
But if you don’t accept the statement “that all have sinned” (Romans 3: 23) to be true, you will continue to live in denial and will never see a need to accept the gift of salvation.
4. You Must Be Willing To Repent Of Your Sins And Turn A New Leaf
To repent means to turn away from the world and return back to Christ. It is a change of heart that changes your life’s path and direction. It is not about trying to be a better person. Rather it is about turning from the world and following Jesus.
The Bible says faith without work is dead (James 4: 6), so when you confess with your mouth that Jesus is the son of God, then it must be seen in your action by changing your ways and turning a new leaf.
So to be willing to repent of your sins and turn a new leaf means turning from your old ways and following Christ, following His rule and precepts. For more explanation on repentance, look at the article on this blog titled why repentance is important.
5. Believe That Jesus Is The Son of God
Jesus is not the Son of God in the sense of a human father and son. He did not come to existence through mating with a woman; neither was He created.
He is the Son of God in the sense of Him being an express image of God the Father.
He is co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father, and He manifested in the flesh and was fully God and fully human. Believing all of these about Jesus is what it means to believe in Jesus as the Son of God.
6. Believe That Jesus Died For You
The death of Jesus Christ perfectly satisfied the wrath of God; He died to liberate us from the bondage of sin and to save us from eternal death.
To believe that Jesus died for you means that He paid the price for sin once and for all and that His death is the final blood sacrifice of all.
So the Bible says in Joh 3: 16 (NIV), “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.”
7. Believed That Jesus Was Raised From The Dead
The Gospel message isn’t complete without talking about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The hope of the believer in Christ is that Christ was raised from the dead, and He is still alive, and so we eagerly await His second coming.
So to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead means to believe that as Jesus Christ died and resurrected and is still alive, reigning in glory, one day, all believers in Christ shall also resurrect to reign with Christ in glory.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15: 16 – 19 (NIV), “For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only we have hope in Christ for this life, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
8. Pray The Sinner’s Prayer
The sinner’s prayer is the prayer that is made when an unbeliever wants to repent of their sins and turn from his unbelieving way to follow Jesus Christ.
This prayer is about the confession of one’s sins, asking God for forgiveness, and professing to believe in the death and resurrection of Christ for the world.
For you to know how to believe in Jesus in your heart and be saved, then it is eminent that you pray the sinner’s prayer.
It is not and should not be a repetition of words from another person, but rather it should be a prayer that is made out of the deep conviction that you are helpless and that you accept the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
9. Accept Jesus As The Lord Of Your Life
Jesus is Lord over all, whether you accept it or not. He is the Lord of your life and the Lord over everything that is in existence.
The Bible says that Jesus Christ is before all things, and in Him was all things made.
So accepting Jesus Christ as Lord of your life means submitting your will to His will and following His precepts and standard in your daily living. It means to believe in Jesus as ruler and master of your whole life.
To willingly submit your will to His Lordship and profess to follow Him all the days of your life. That is what it means to accept Jesus as the Lord of your life.
10. Read Your Bible, Pray, Fellowship With Believers, And Go For Evangelism
Bible studies and prayers are two of Christianity’s most essential spiritual activities. Then meeting with fellow believers is another essential Christian practice as well.
After you might have known how to believe in Jesus in your heart and be saved, you will need to grow in your Christian faith, so you need to be serious about these essentials.
So the process of growing in your Christian faith is also known as continuous salvation or sanctification, and it is through partaking in these various essentials that God will build your faith and help you to be sanctified.
What Does It Mean To Believe In Jesus?
Several unbelievers, I’ve evangelized always ask me what does it mean to believe in Jesus? To believe in Jesus means to believe that He is the Son of God, He is one with God, and therefore He is equal in every sense of equality with God.
Humanity has sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3: 23); we are all wicked, going our selfish ways (Colossians 1: 21). Hence we all deserved nothing but death and destruction, and we were heading for our doom. So, God sent Jesus to come and die to redeem humanity from sin and destruction.
To believe in Jesus also means to believe and accept Him as Lord and Savior of your life. You have to believe He was born of a virgin through the power of the Holy Spirit, died, and resurrected after three days. He ascended to Heaven and is coming back to reign with the saints here on earth for a thousand years (Revelation 20: 4 – 6).
What Does The Bible Say About Believing In Jesus?
If you want to know what does the Bible say about believing in Jesus? What the Bible says about believing in Jesus is that believing in Jesus is the only way we can be saved. Jesus is the savior of the world, and it is only salvation can only come through believing in Jesus.
Acts 4: 12 (NIV) says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” This means it is only through Jesus Christ we can have salvation.
Jesus Christ, Himself said in the scriptures that He is the way, the truth, and the life, that no human could come to God the Father except through Him (John 14: 6).
He is the only mediator between God and humanity; He is the only sacrifice that has satisfied God and ended the need for blood sacrifice (Hebrews 10: 1 – 18).
Paul Washer said in one of his sermons that someone told him, with the way things are going in the world today, that God is the only hope we need. And He said that His reply to the person is that God is not the only hope we need. Rather, God is the only hope we have.
To add to what He said, God has given us Christ so that we can, through Christ, be reconciled back to Himself. Hence Christ is the only hope we have. And that is how the Bible presented Christ, the world’s only hope.
John 1: 12 (NIV) says, “yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” This text shows us that believing in Jesus Christ gives us the authority to be called children of God.
Why Is It Important To Believe In Jesus?
I’ve been asked on several occasions why is it important to believe in Jesus. It is important to believe in Jesus so that you will be saved. Believing in Jesus Christ is the only way we can be reconciled and reunited back to God.
Jesus was sent by God to rescue humanity from the doom of sin, and He accomplished this by dying on the cross to pay the price for all our sins. But only those who believe in Jesus will be a part of the saved ones.
We also have to believe in Jesus Christ so that we will understand what it means to fulfill our purpose. When we believe in Him and follow His precepts, He will help us live a purpose-fulfilled life.
Christ is the only one who emptied Himself to live a humble, selfless life, to fulfill all of God’s will. There was never a single moment during His time here on earth when He lived for Himself or something else. Instead, he came, lived, and died to fulfill God’s will for humanity.
Christ is the only one who brought the message of true love to humanity, the only one who taught us God’s kind of love, which is demonstrated by going to the cross to sacrifice His life for all of humanity.
The death of Christ accomplished so many things for humanity in this life and the life beyond, so we have to believe in Jesus Christ so that at last, when we die, we have a hope of resurrection one day, to reign with Him in eternal glory.
Prayer To Accept Jesus In Your Heart
Accepting Jesus in your heart is the prayer you make when you want to be born again. It can go like this; Dear Lord Jesus, come to you humbly and spiritually wretched. I acknowledge that I’m a sinner and have lived my whole life only to please myself and fulfill my flesh’s desires.
But now I come to you pleading that you have mercy on me and to come and take charge in my life. I submit my will and my entire life to your Lordship. Help me from this day to live only for you and to only fulfill your will and purpose in my life, Amen.
Believing In Jesus Bible Verse
For one to be saved, it is obligatory that one must believe in Jesus, and there are so many Bible verses that speak about that, let us look at a few of those verses.
1. 1 Thessalonians 2: 13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.
2. Acts 16: 31 They replied, “Belief in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved you and your household.”
3. Hebrews 11: 6 And without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
4. John 3: 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
5. John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name.
6. 1 Peter 1:8 – 9 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
7. John 20: 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name.
8. Romans 10: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
9. Romans 10: 9 – 10 that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
10. John 5: 24 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
Conclusion
To believe in Jesus is mandatory to get saved. It is our faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross that activates salvation in our life.
The only way anyone can do this is by acknowledging your sins, confessing them, and repenting by turning away from the world to follow Christ Jesus, accepting Him as Lord and Savior of your life.