The Bible mentions the “hope of eternal life” in Titus 1:2. The Bible
doesn't say that we hope to get to Heaven as Christians, in the sense of
uncertainty and optimism. No, rather, the Bible says that we have a hope of
eternal life, in the sense of knowing assuredly that we can count on God to
keep His promise to us. So I don't hope that I have eternal life; but
rather, I have the hope of eternal life in Christ Jesus.
God has PROMISED eternal l life to all who believe on the name of Jesus Christ to be saved. Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How much faith does a person need to be saved? Just enough... just enough faith to obey Romans 10:13 by calling upon the name of Jesus for salvation. The word call means “to appeal unto,” that is, to rely upon the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. If you come as a sinner and trust upon Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God Who died, was buried and rose again to pay for your sins, then you are saved eternally. It's that simple. If you add any self-righteous works to that, then it is a false gospel.
The Apostle Peter who is saved said...
Matthew 16:16, “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Martha who is saved said...
John 11:27, “She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”
The unsaved Pharisees said...
John 8:25, “Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.”
Jesus had repeatedly told them that He was the Christ, the Son of God Who was sent into the world to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10), but the unbelieving Pharisees and Jews rejected Him. They all went to Hell in their sins.
The disciples didn't need to ask Jesus Who He was because they already knew...
John 21:12, “Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.”
The sheep know the Shepherd. It is the unsaved world who know not Christ. I know Jesus Christ, and He knows me. Do you know Christ? The unsaved world refuses to believe the Words of Christ concerning Who He really is...
Matthew 26:63, “But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.”
Luke 22:67, “Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe.”
John 10:24, “Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.”
What a contrast from the words of Martha in John 11:27...
John 11:27, “Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”
As believers we have the blessed hope of eternal life, based upon the PROMISE of the living God Who cannot lie. We don't have to question, worry nor search in circles for the truth as the foolish and unbelieving world does. They reject the truth of God's Word, and so they are “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2nd Timothy 3:7). We can say assuredly with Peter and Martha that I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, which is come into the world to save sinners. Amen and amen.
