This salvation, while compelled by God, is available to all people everywhere (Jn. 3:16; Acts 17:30). Yet the belief that is produced is not singular — it is continual and constant. That is, belief is not something that is evidenced one time and then substantially forgotten. Belief in Christ is an ever-present reality for those who belong to Christ. This is why Jesus says, "he who believes (present tense -- emphasizing the ongoing and continual nature of the belief) has eternal life" (6:47) He does not say "he who believed (past tense) has eternal life." Those who have eternal life have it because of the gracious work of God which compels them to give evidence of their faith in Christ in a living, ongoing manner.
In their book How People Change, Lane and Tripp note that there is a "gospel gap" in many people's lives. Why is there a gap between what people say they believe about the gospel and how they live life? Because what they say they believe is not really what they believe — because they do not believe that Jesus must be really believed.
But when people believe, there is life — that is, Christ becomes all-satisfying. I like how John Piper says it:
Believing in Jesus means coming to him for the quenching of our soul's thirst. Faith in Christ is being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus.That's belief, produced by the Word and work of God. And it is the great word about salvation from the Word.
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