Some people know the Charles Blondin story used by preachers to illustrate faith and beliefs. It is not certain whether it is a true-life story. Charles was described in the story to have walked on a tightrope across the Niagara Falls, a quarter of a mile and did not fall off the rope. The amazing part of the story is that he also pushed a wheelbarrow across the tightrope and never fell. The challenging part was how he invited his crowd of observers to present a volunteer to sit in the wheelbarrow, so he pushed it across the tightrope on another trip, but no one was willing to join him. Many commentators have argued that a lack of faith or belief in Charles was responsible for the crowd not jumping into the wheelbarrow for a ride.
Jeremy Myers, https://redeeminggod.com/faith-wheelbarrow-niagara-falls/ (accessed 02 April 2025) however, presented a logical explanation that the people had faith in Charles and never doubted his abilities, but had a good knowledge of the planet earth, weather conditions, and probably doubted themselves and their own incapacities that can make the experiment fail once they join Charles in his wheelbarrow trip, the kind they thought Charles would be unable to control. Myers added that weather conditions can be against Charles’ experimentation, but God’s promise of salvation to those who believe in Jesus Christ is not affected by weather or any other factor, but to just come in faith. Thus, comparing the crowd’s response to a tightrope walker’s experimentation cannot fully illustrate human faith in God. Believe in Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. However, what does a belief in Jesus mean? This is what we want to examine in this study.
How can I know that I have genuine faith in God? What does this mean to believe in Jesus Christ? What does it mean to be a Christian? What is “salvation”, and why does it matter in human life? Can I be neutral, just good, and not bother about the message of Jesus Christ? Many people have repeatedly asked these and other related questions. In this study, we will attempt to answer them briefly, praying that it will meet some people’s spiritual needs and lead them to make a decision that will meet their quest for God.
Discuss the following Bible passages in your small group.
1. The idea of believing or a belief in God
Discuss the verses of the Bible written below, with attention to the underlined sections.
- Hebrews 11: 1-2. “1. To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. 2. It was by their faith that people of ancient times won God’s approval.” (Good News Translation).
- John 14:1. ‘1. “Do not be worried and upset,” Jesus told them. “Believe in God and believe also in me.”’ (Good News Translation).
- John 3:13-17. “13. No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15. that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
- Where did Jesus come from? ________________________________________________________________
- What does it mean to believe in Jesus? _____________________________________________________
- What will happen to those who believe in Jesus? ___________________________________________
- What is eternal life? _________________________________________________________________________
2. Ideal expected response to Jesus
- John 3:16-17. “16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
- John 4:21-22. “21. Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
- John 4: 23-24. “23. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Discuss the above Bible verses and answer the following questions:
- What are God’s intentions mentioned in the Bible passages above? ___________________________________
- What kinds of people do God desire to worship Him? _________________________________________________
- Why is human spiritual life a priority for God and why is it connected to the Jews or Abraham? (See our previous studies on Abram [Abraham]. __________________________________________________________
- What does it mean to believe? _______________________________________________________________________
3. New Life in Christ (After Believing Jesus Christ).
- 2 Corinthians 5: 16-21. “16. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19. that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”
- Romans. 6:22. “And now because you have been freed from sin and you are Servants to God, your fruit is holy, for the result of those things is eternal life.” (Aramaic Bible in Plain English).
- Romans. 6:23. “23. But the product of sin is death, and the gift of God is eternal life in Our Lord Yeshua The Messiah.” (Aramaic Bible in Plain English)
- John 1: 11. “11-14. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13. who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (NKJV).
Read and discuss the above Bible verses and answer the following questions.
- Why are people who believe in Jesus for their Salvation and continue to live under His guidance, referred to as “New Creation”? _____________________________________________________________________
- Discuss and compare 2 Corinthians 5:19 and Romans 6:22, as shown above. Why does God no longer count the wrongdoings of those in Christ Jesus against them (now forgiven)? ____________
- Discuss Romans 6:23, the product of sin is death (or eternal separation from God, eternal punishment, or second death) and “the gift of God is eternal life.” ______________________________
Read John 1:11-14 again and discuss what it means to be born of God or be children of God, not connected to human genetics, marriage, or hereditary human blood. Based on this discussion, Christians are children of God, not a result of a hereditary human family or marriage.
4. Becoming a witness to Jesus.
Read the Bible verses below and answer the following questions.
- 2 Corinthians 5: 20. “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21. For our sake he [God] made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him [Jesus] we might become the righteousness of God.” (English Standard Version).
- John 1:15-18. “15. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” 16. And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”
- Why did John the Baptist in John 1:15 said Jesus existed before him, while John was born before Jesus Christ? __________________________________________________________________________
- Why are believers in Jesus Christ asked to support non-believers in reconciling with God? ________________________________________________________________________________________
- What does “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” mean? ________________________________
Summary/What you have gained from this study: ________________________________________________
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Note: This study can take more than a day or a sitting. If that is the case, you can note where you stopped and continue from there the next meeting day.
Prayer session/commitment: LORD Jesus I am studying what it means to believe in You. Please explain the Bible to me as I read so that I may understand all that you have for me about faith and believing in You, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.