Trusting in Jesus means placing our faith and confidence in Him as the Son of God and Savior of the world. It involves believing that Jesus is who He claimed to be, that He died on the cross for our sins and rose again, and that salvation is found through faith in Him alone. Trusting Jesus encompasses both belief in the truth about Him as revealed in Scripture, as well as personal reliance upon Him and commitment to Him as Lord. Here is a more thorough overview of what it means to trust in Jesus:
Believing Jesus is the Son of God
Trusting in Jesus begins with believing that He is the eternal Son of God who took on human flesh (John 1:1, 14). As the Son of God, Jesus is divine and equal with God the Father (John 10:30). Trusting in Jesus means we accept His words about Himself, including His statement: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). It involves believing that Jesus existed eternally with the Father as God, yet willingly took on human nature and entered our world to save us from sin (Philippians 2:5-8).
Believing in Jesus’ sinless life
Part of trusting Jesus is believing that He lived a sinless life on earth. Jesus repeatedly challenged people to point out any sin in His life, and no one could do it (John 8:46). Even Pontius Pilate found no guilt in Jesus after examining Him (John 18:38). The writer of Hebrews explains that Jesus was “tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus’ perfect life qualified Him to die as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Believing in Jesus’ teachings and miracles
As we place our trust in Christ, we also believe the truth of His teachings. Jesus taught extensively about the Kingdom of God, and He performed miracles to demonstrate His divine authority and confirm His message (John 20:30-31). His words hold the power to free us from sin when we respond in obedient faith (John 8:31-32). Trusting in Jesus means embracing His words as reliable and life-changing truth that guides us.
Believing Jesus died for our sins
The Bible explains that all people have sinned and are separated from God (Romans 3:23). But Jesus willingly went to the cross and shed His blood to pay the penalty for our sins, making forgiveness and salvation possible (Ephesians 1:7). Trusting Jesus includes believing that His sacrificial death fully atoned for our sins. As Jesus declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). His death provides the only way for our reconciliation with God.
Believing Jesus rose from the dead
After Jesus was crucified, He was buried but did not stay dead – He rose again on the third day, just as He had foretold (Matthew 16:21; Luke 24:1-7). His resurrection proved His deity and demonstrated His victory over sin and death (Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Believing that “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) is central to trusting Jesus.
Relying on Jesus’ sacrifice for salvation
Trusting in Jesus means relying fully upon His death and resurrection as the basis for our salvation. We trust that His sacrifice was sufficient to cleanse us from sin and make us right with God. Salvation is attained by God’s grace through faith in Christ, not by our own good works (Ephesians 2:8-9). As Scripture promises, “everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10:11). Trust involves depending completely on Jesus’ redemptive work for our salvation.
Receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord
Part of trusting Jesus means welcoming Him into our lives as both Savior and Lord. We trust in His ability to forgive our sins and deliver us from condemnation through the cross. We also submit to Him as the rightful Lord over our lives, choosing to obey and follow Him each day. Receiving Christ involves both His pardon for our sins and His leadership over our lives by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-17).
Committing and surrendering our lives to Jesus
As an act of trust, we commit ourselves wholeheartedly to Jesus, surrendering our wills to Him. We yield control of our plans, purposes, and priorities to Christ, seeking to live as He desires rather than chasing our own selfish aims. Jesus emphasized that following Him requires total commitment and a willingness to surrender our own ambitions (Luke 9:23-24). Trusting Jesus means making such a sincere commitment to Him.
Relying on Jesus for help and strength
Trusting Jesus also means looking to Him continually for help and strength to walk faithfully with Him. We know that on our own we do not have the power to overcome sin or produce spiritual fruit. But Jesus promised that if we abide in Him, He will give us the grace and power we need (John 15:5). As we trust in Him, we can be confident that Jesus will provide the wisdom, grace, and power we lack in ourselves (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Entrusting worries and anxieties to Jesus
Because we trust in His unlimited power and unfailing love, we can cast all of our cares and concerns upon Jesus, rather than being weighed down by them (1 Peter 5:7). He calms our fears and alleviates our worries as we bring them to Him in prayer. Even in painful trials, we can trust Jesus to use difficulties for our good, so we do not need to yield to anxiety (Romans 8:28). His peace is available to guard our hearts when we entrust our cares to Him (Philippians 4:6-7).
Believing Jesus’ promises in Scripture
The Bible contains many promises from God to provide and care for His people, and we demonstrate trust in Jesus by believing these promises apply to us personally. For example, we trust His promise: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5), knowing this brings security in our relationship with Him. Believing that His promises are true for each of us as followers of Christ reflects our trust in Jesus’ faithfulness.
Entrusting our eternal future to Jesus
Because Jesus conquered death forever through His resurrection, we can fully entrust our eternal future to Him. He promised His followers that He is preparing a place for us in heaven where we will dwell with Him (John 14:2-3). By placing our trust in Jesus, we can be assured of this eternal home with Him after death. As we walk with Christ day by day, we can trust that He is preparing us for our eternal inheritance (Colossians 1:12).
Following Jesus’ example and teaching
To grow in our trust and knowledge of Christ, we aim to follow His perfect example and abide in His life-giving words. As 1 John 2:6 says, “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” Trusting Jesus transforms how we live as we increasingly embrace His model of servanthood, sacrifice, and obedience to the Father. Immersing ourselves in His teaching also deepens our trust as we experience His truth.
Praying to Jesus and seeking His will
Prayer is an important expression of trusting Jesus. We demonstrate our dependence on Him by praying for His provision, guidance, and will to be done in our lives. Part of trusting Christ means seeking His will above our own desires. As we bring our requests to Jesus in prayer, we trust that He will answer in line with His perfect will and timetable, even when that differs from our wishes. Persistent prayer aligns our heart more closely with Jesus’ purposes.
Trusting in God’s sovereignty and goodness
To trust in Jesus means trusting in God’s wise and good plans that often exceed our limited human understanding. We can rest in God’s sovereign control over all things, believing nothing happens without His foreknowledge and purpose (Romans 8:28). Even in confusing, chaotic times, we can anchor our trust in God’s unchanging nature – His power, wisdom and faithfulness endure forever (Psalm 100:5; James 1:17).
Persevering through trials
As we walk with Jesus, we will face various trials that test our trust. During difficulties, we demonstrate trust in Christ by persevering in faith rather than giving way to despair. Scripture says we can rejoice when we encounter trials because God uses them to refine our faith, drawing us closer to Him as we lean on Jesus (James 1:2-4; Romans 5:3-5). Clinging to Christ in the storms of life deepens our trust in Him.
Trusting God’s timing
Because God views time differently than us, we often have to trust His timing when He does not answer prayer according to our desired schedule. But Scripture assures us that God’s timing is perfect (Ecclesiastes 3:11). He works to accomplish His good plans in our lives in the proper season. As we wait on the Lord, we can stand on His promises that He is faithful, He hears us, and He will answer at the best time (Psalm 145:13; Isaiah 49:23).
Obeying Jesus’ commands
Jesus taught that if we love Him, we will obey His commands (John 14:15). Our obedience, while imperfect, should stem from a heart aiming to please and honor Christ. It is not seeking to earn salvation, but rather responding in gratitude to the abundant grace we have received in Christ (2 Corinthians 9:8). Our deeds provide evidence that our trust in Jesus is genuine rather than empty profession (James 2:14-26).
Being ready for Jesus’ return
Living in anticipation of Jesus’ promised return to take believers to heaven is another aspect of trusting Him. We wait eagerly for our Savior who will transform our weak mortal bodies into glorious resurrected bodies (Philippians 3:20-21). Yet we also heed Jesus’ warning to be prepared and live holy lives, so that we are ready when He comes (Titus 2:11-13). Our hope in Christ’s return inspires us to godly living.
Representing Jesus through our words and conduct
As followers of Jesus, we have the privilege and responsibility of representing Him through our words and actions. Our overall lifestyle should reflect the new life He has given us, pointing others toward Christ (Matthew 5:16). Since unbelievers cannot physically see Jesus, His hands and feet in the world today are His disciples. Our lives present a picture of what trusting and walking with Jesus looks like.
Being part of Christ’s body, the Church
Jesus is not only Savior but also the head of the Church, which is His body (Ephesians 5:23; 1:22-23). Those who belong to Christ are joined together as members of His body. This unity and community with fellow believers provides mutual support and accountability in our walk with Jesus. Participating in church life helps us grow in our trust and obedience toward Christ as we encourage one another.
Growing in love for Jesus
The more we know Jesus, the more we will love Him. Our affection will grow as we experience His incredible love demonstrated at the cross (1 John 4:19). We will delight in His character as we read Scripture and see how perfectly He loved and served people. As our love for Christ grows, our trust in Him will become firmer and more unshakeable. No matter what storms may come, He remains our anchor.
Trusting fully in Jesus transforms how we live day to day. Although trusting Him does not remove all our struggles and pain in this life, it gives us an eternal hope. It enables us to walk forward in peace and joy, knowing we are securely held in God’s hands. There is no greater freedom than resting in Christ’s love and embracing Him as Savior and Lord.