What does it mean to believe in Jesus?

I recently began reading the epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans. I have been reading Paul’s epistles in the order he wrote them, so I had no plans or agenda other than to read it and be edified by it. But right from the beginning I noticed something, which I then followed as I read on. That something is faith. We all talk about being saved by faith in Christ, but what does it mean to believe in Jesus? to have faith in Jesus? Specifically, What is it I must believe?

Faith in Christ is sort of a nebulous thing in our day, “Yeah, yeah, I believe in Jesus. He was a real cool dude.” People believe all sorts of things about Jesus. I was really blessed as I read through Romans and saw Paul telling us what the gospel message is and from that telling us what it is we must believe. That’s what I was noticing and what I want to share. Let’s do it!

1:1  Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2  (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
3  Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4  And declared the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

He begins with the gospel of God. This is what we should be preaching, teaching, sharing with people. The gospel is about:
1) his Son Jesus - Jesus is the Son of God
2) Jesus Christ our Lord – Jesus is Lord
3) of the seed of David – this means he was the son of David, in other words Jesus is the Christ
4) resurrection from the dead – Jesus died and rose again

If this is the gospel, then this is also what we are called upon to believe. The gospel is: Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified, who was raised from the dead, and is now Lord. To believe in Jesus is to believe this. We don’t really need to go any further, he has presented what is preached and what must be believed, but we will go on because there’s more!


1:5  By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

for obedience to the faith – literally this is, unto obedience of faith (also in 16:26); I believe in being obedient to the faith, which would involve repentance, faith, baptism, but this is obedience of faith. Paul preaches the gospel and calls people to believe in Jesus.


1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

There is a lot about faith here.
1) the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes in Christ. When we believe what it says about Jesus we are saved.

2) from faith to faith – this is an interesting expression; it seems to emphasize that the righteousness of God is received solely by faith, which is why he adds…

3) the just shall by faith – this is even more interesting and telling when we translate this literally, the just by faith shall live. When you say the just shall live by faith you really haven’t answered the question of how a person is made just or righteous. But Paul has actually answered the how, the righteous by faith shall live. The righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel and when we believe what the gospel says about Jesus we are justified or declared righteous.


3:22  Even the righteousness of God through faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

through faith of Jesus Christ – this is almost synonymous with gospel. The gospel tells us Jesus is Christ, the Son of God, who died and rose again. The faith of Jesus Christ tells us how to be right with God.

unto all and upon all them that believe – I love this phrase! The righteousness of God, which is available to us through the faith of Christ, is offered to all (unto all) and actually given to all (upon all) them that believe in Jesus, that he is the Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified and raised from the dead.


3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
3:25  Whom God hath set forth a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

What a rich passage! But I will restrict myself to faith…

through faith in his blood - This tells us that Christ died for me, died for my sins is part of the gospel. The gospel then is Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified for my sins, raised from the dead, and is now Lord. Faith in his blood means I believe he died for me and paid my sin debt.


3:26  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

What does it mean to believe in Jesus? It means we believe he is the Christ, the Son of God, who died on the cross for our sins, was raised again, and is Lord. When I believe in Jesus like that God justifies me or declares me righteous.


3:27  Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
3:28  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
3:29  Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
3:30  Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
3:31  Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

This is a cool section! Did you know there is a law of faith? Actually, we all know that, just maybe not by that name. He states it in v 28, a man is justified by faith without the works of the law, that is, by believing in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, who died for our sins and was raised from the dead.

justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through the faith – It is interesting how he phrases this. While he obviously states this in slightly different ways, he is not saying the two are justified in different ways. The Jews, who already have the Law, are made right with God not by the works of the law, but by faith in Christ. The Gentiles, who are completely outside the pale, are made right with God through the faith of Christ, by believing the message of Christ crucified and raised from the dead. Both by faith. By the same faith.

This is really good! I don't mean my writing, I mean what Paul is saying. I realize there has been a lot of repetition, but that's on purpose. Today faith in Christ is so often spoken of in an indefinite or vague way, "Whatever that means to you." But for the apostle it is a most definite thing, a very clear thing. Do you have this faith in Christ Paul is writing about?


Next: Faith in chapters 4 and 10