How Do I Believe?

“How do I believe?”  What would you say if someone asked you that question?  The Bible calls the answer, good news. If that is the case, if it is good news, we should know the answer to this important question.

I met Cam for the first time last week. He is a handsome, bright and personable young man.  Last October the U.S. government deported him. He is another case of a deported young man, being sent to a place he has never been. He was born in a Thailand refugee camp. He cannot read or write the Khmer (Cambodian) language and is not fluent in speaking it.

Cam has had a rough life. He never knew his father and lived in foster homes for two years.  He is trying to re-build a relationship with his mom, but all through his life she had boyfriends who would come and go and that was difficult for him.  He had no stability. Now he is stuck in Phnom Penh with no government I.D. He lacks stability here too.

Last Saturday, during our Bible study, he listened intently, searching for the stablity he was missing, looking for hope.  When he heard about belief, he was interested.  “How do I believe?”  He asked.  Today I showed him.

Chantha and I met Cam for breakfast.  After our meal we opened our Bibles and showed him from the Gospel of John, how to believe.  I love the Gospel of John because it is an evangelistic Gospel.  John said it himself; he gave the reason why he wrote the book:

“But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

It cannot be clearer than that why this gospel was written. Therefore, there must be included in this gospel of John the answer to Cam’s question, “How do I believe?”

I began in with John 3:16,

“For God so loved the world, i that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

I explained that he is loved by God and that God “gave” His Son.  He gave Him up to die. The perfect, sinless Son of God was given up by His Father.  Whoever then believes in this Son who died, has everlasting life.

I moved to John 6:47,

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me has eternal life.”

Now Jesus said it Himself, “Whoever believes in Me.”  Clear. Consise.  Believe in Jesus.

But for what?

I turned to John 14:6, using my “point and shoot” method of evangelism.  Point and shoot meaning, I point to the verse and the person I am talking to reads it out loud.

” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Belief in Jesus for everlasting life, for access to the Father.  Jesus is the only way.  It is not Jesus and works; It is not Jesus and repentance (teaching repentance for salvation is a distorted and confusing gospel); It is not Jesus and stopping your sinning first.  It is belief in Jesus, that He is the only way to everlasting life.

This is the good news! The Good News is that there is nothing one can do to gain everalasting life.  One must only believe in the One who gives the gift.

Cam looked at Chantha and me and said,

“No one has ever told me this before. Everyone has told me that I have to change my life first, that I have to stop sinning first, that I must clean my life up first.”

If that were the case, that one had to clean up his act first, no one could be saved. No one can clean up their life.  All have sinned, none seeks God, everyone needs a Savior. Jesus came to save those who are sick.

Cam wants to believe, but the false message he has received over the years (even from Christian missionaries in Cambodia) is difficult for him to part with. How could it be that he has never been shown this clear message of salvation? I told Cam to go home and read the gospel of John for himself. “Do not take my word for it. Search for yourself and you will see that what I have shown you is the truth.”

I pity those who are not teaching the truth.

I pray that well meaning Christians will look to Scripture, interpret it correctly, and begin answering the question, “How do I believe?” With the answer that is good news, not by any works, but by belief alone in Jesus Christ. “Believe the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.”