The word BELIEVE is first found in Genesis 15 in reference to Abraham’s response to the word of the Lord, but if we look back to the beginning of creation, when God spoke to Adam and Eve, they did not believe Him. Disobedience is the result of unbelief. Had they believed God, they would not have eaten the forbidden fruit. They forfeited the paradise prepared for them.

We see a difference between Adam and Abraham who is the “father of our faith.”

 And he believed in the Lord;
and he (the Lord) counted it to him for righteousness.”
Genesis 15:6

He proved he believed by acting in obedience to the word of the Lord.

Belief occurs one time and BELIEVE occurs 143 times in 131 verses in the KJV. All references can be found through the two links below. We will let the Lord speak through His own Word in the following verses.

Old Testament H539
Strong’s Concordance defines BELIEVE; ‘aman ä·man
to support, confirm, be faithful;to stand firm, to trust, to be certain, to believe in

New Testament G4100
Strong’s Concordance defines BELIEVE; pisteuō pē-styü’-ō
to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in

How and why do we believe?

Mark 1:15
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.
John 6:29
Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
 Acts 13:12
Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
Acts 15:11
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”
Acts 18:27
And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace;
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Romans 4:5
But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
Romans 4:17–18; 24
(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”
but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,
1 Corinthians 1:21
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
Ephesians 1:19
and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
Philippians 1:29
For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
2 Thessalonians 2:13
…..God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

What is the result of believing?

Exodus 4:31
So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.
Psalm 106:12
Then they believed His words; They sang His praise.
Daniel 6:23
So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.
Psalm 27:13
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.
Jonah 3:5
So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.
Mark 16:16
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
John 1:12
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
John 3:18
“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:36He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
John 6:35
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
John 6:47
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
John 7:38
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
John 8:31
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
John 9:38
Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.
John 11:40
Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
Acts 2:44
Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,
Acts 8:12
But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
Acts 10:43
To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
Acts 11:21
And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
Acts 13:39
and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Acts 13:48
Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
Acts 19:18
And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds
Romans 10:4
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Romans 10:9
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:10
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
1 Thessalonians 2:13
For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
Titus 3:8
This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.
Hebrews 10:39
But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him
1 Peter 2:7
Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,”
1 John 5:1
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
1 John 5:5
Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:10
He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.
1 John 5:13
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
1 John 3:23
And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

Why do some not believe?

John 10:26
But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.
Romans 10:14
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

What happens to those who do not believe?

Luke 8:13
But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.
Jude 1:5
But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

If we study these passages and other references, we find that all belief is not believing unto salvation. Belief is grounded in God’s Word and the power of His Holy Spirit and will produce the fruit of His working in us.

Gracious Father, thank you for your Spirit that brings those whom you have chosen to salvation in the power of your Word. Sanctify us in your truth. Enable us to continue in your Word assured of our salvation in Christ. In Jesus’ name, I pray and praise you. Amen.
Fran

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