Answers

Q:

What does it mean to believe in Jesus? I have a high school friend who says I need to believe in Jesus, but when I ask her to explain she has a hard time doing it. Maybe you can help me understand.


A:

I’m thankful your friend is concerned for your spiritual welfare, and the reason (I’m sure) is because she cares for you and wants you to experience what she has experienced–even if she can’t explain it. I hope you won’t ignore what she is trying to tell you, for nothing is more important than knowing God.

Let me use an illustration that might help. Suppose you were driving down an unfamiliar highway and came to a bridge across a deep gorge. Before you crossed it, you’d want to ask yourself two questions. First, do I really need to get to the other side? And second, can I trust the bridge to hold me?

Now that’s something like what your friend is trying to tell you about Jesus. You see, we are separated from God, and the reason is because we have sinned. In other words, there is a deep gorge between us and God–one too big for us to cross. And yet we need to get to the other side, because we need God. We need His help right now, and we need His eternal salvation.

What we need is a bridge–and God has provided one, because He loves us! That “bridge” is Christ, who gave Himself to save us. Therefore, the Bible says, “he is able to save completely those who come to God through him” (Hebrews 7:25). I pray you will cross that bridge today by trusting Christ and committing your life to Him.