Being Satisfied Is Believing

From Gospel Translations

Audio Transcript

An essential element of faith is joy — delight. Here’s a verse I would put as support for that from John 6:35: “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’”

Now, notice the parallel of those two halves. “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger,” and then parallel, “whoever believes,” now you have faith paralleling come. Come to me that you not hunger. Believe in me that you not thirst.

So here’s my definition of faith on the basis of John 6:35: believing in Jesus is a coming to Jesus so as to find your heart-hunger and heart-thirst satisfied. That’s believing. Therefore, I cannot separate saving faith from a heart satisfaction in Jesus as my treasure. I do not conceive of any Christian on planet Earth who says, “I am saved by faith, and Jesus is not my treasure.” That is an oxymoronic statement to me. That makes no sense, and I would call a person like that into question.

I would say, “I’m not sure you’re a Christian. You might be, because your words may not tell the truth about your heart, but those words are not describing a Christian.” “I put my faith in Jesus, and he is not my treasure. I have no affection for him as a treasure.” That’s not a Christian in my judgment, and I base it on the text like John 6:35: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger.” It does something to your soul-hunger when you come for salvation. “Whoever believes” — and believing and coming are parallel words there — “shall never thirst.”