"Jesus Himself said that salvation is by faith, that all that is required of men is to believe."BJesus' (huh?)
It [to believe, believeth] means a total commitment of ones life to a complete trust in Jesus.
(Born again Christians take it a step further and see it as completely dying to self being "crucified with Christ" and following Him...as he requires)
Yes, born again Christians with a personal relationship with Jesus understand that:
And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.-- Mark 8:34I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me---One of my favorite verses.
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.-Galatians 2:20
One of mine as well. It sums up being born again so succinctly.
That's it in a nutshell.
Thank you for stating this. I think far too many people make the mistake of thinking salvation/justification by faith without works translates to some kind of "easy believism", but nothing could be further from the truth to those who are genuinely born again in Christ. Do some people mistakenly think a walk down an aisle responding to a gospel invitation is all that being a Christian is? Sure, just like many people think being born into a church, being baptized as a baby and showing up for Mass a few times a year is all it means to be a Christian, too. But, if we really grasp what it is we are doing by receiving Jesus Christ, believing in him to be our Savior and Lord, we understand that it is all of us or nothing. If we believe Jesus is who he said he is - Almighty God in the flesh - and that faith in Him means he saves us from damnation and gives to us eternal life, then how could it possibly BE we would want to hold back anything? Not only that, but we are reborn with a new spirit nature and God works in us and through us to conform us to Christ. It is no longer us doing these things, but Christ in us completing our sanctification. We may slip, we may take our eyes off Christ, but the Holy Spirit will not leave us or forsake us, we WILL not be able to resist God's grace or fall from his hands. He promises he will never lose us or cast us out. That is the assurance he gives all those who come to him through faith.