24“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24 NASB
In Him 11also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:11-14 NASB
I'm taking Him at His word on this.
Me too.
“believes”, “believed”
Ah, there’s the rub. You have to BELIEVE! Not pretend to believe, not attend church regularly, not tithe, not be a nice person. All great things, but they won’t get you to heaven.
You can’t pretend or act your way through this, as most so-called “Christians” do. They think God can be fooled.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever BELIEVES in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Many other verses (if not all) about salvation, require you to “believe”
So what does it mean to “believe”?
https://bible.org/article/do-you-really-believe-jesus