To be saved, you must have faith in Jesus and in Him alone. But faith in Jesus as what? Rarely do people specify this. Having faith in Jesus as, for example, a carpenter (Mark 6:3) or a cook (John 21:9-13) would not save anyone.
Because this is not specified, people often put faith in Jesus as One Who will remedy their earthly troubles. Sickness, poverty, human relationships, for example. When their distresses continue on and sometimes even get worse, they claim Christianity does not work.
However, the Bible does indicate the specific faith that saves.
2 Timothy 3:15 KJV
[15] And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Romans 1:16 KJV
[16] For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Many other verses reveal the same or similar.
Salvation is by faith. In Jesus. As Christ. A person is saved when they put their faith in Jesus as Christ. To illustrate, suppose I told you to have faith in Pilot Robert. I would be telling you to have faith in Robert as a pilot. Faith that he can fly a plane and get you safely to where you are going. He might be a terrible singer, golfer, acrobat. But he is a skillful pilot.
So what does it mean to have faith in Jesus as Christ?
"Christ" means anointed.
“Anointed” means
chosen by...divine authority; chosen for a sacred, high, or special...purpose
In the Old Testament, people were anointed as priests, kings and prophets. Likewise, Jesus was anointed as all three. To be saved, you must have faith in Jesus as all three.
Prophet.
(He spoke for God.)
Matthew 13:57 KJV
[57] And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
Luke 4:18 KJV
[18] The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me [JESUS] to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Priest.
(He provided the only way to God by His sacrifice of Himself on the cross.)
"Priest
"always denote one who offers sacrifices.
"They represented the people before God, and offered the various sacrifices prescribed in the law.
"The whole priestly system of the Jews was typical. It was a shadow of which the body is Christ. The priests all prefigured the great Priest who offered ‘one sacrifice for sins’ ‘once for all’ (Heb. 10:10, 12)."
Easton's Bible Dictionary. 2024.
Acts 4:27-28 KJV
[27] For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
[28] For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done [TO BE CRUCIFIED FOR PEOPLE'S SINS].
Hebrews 2:17 KJV
[17] Wherefore in all things it behoved him [JESUS] to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Hebrews 3:1 KJV
[1] Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
Hebrews 7:26-27 KJV
[26] For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
[27] Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he [JESUS] offered up himself.
King
(He is the highest authority, and must be submitted to.)
Hebrews 1:8-9 KJV
[8] But unto the Son [JESUS] he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
[9] Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
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