The Bible tells us that the devils believe and tremble. 'Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble.' The amazing thing is that, though they have no difficulty believing in God, for they know He exists, and, though such knowledge makes their wicked spirits very afraid, it does nothing to alter their wicked nature to reform and save them. Believing in God, of itself, does not save. It may only serve to heighten the lostness of our condition. It is amazing that we can believe and not tremble.
Jesus knew that His disciples believed in God from the beginning. Now He gives attention to teaching them that He, Himself, (though manifest in the flesh) is all that God is. By entrusting themselves to Him they are, in fact, entrusting themselves to the Son of God's love, the very image of God Himself. The Father authenticates all that the Son teaches, for Father and Son are of one mind. Do we believe that also?
Jesus was born to take away sin. 'Thou shalt call His name Jesus for He shall save His people from their sins. Jesus means Saviour. It was, however, not His birth by which He was identified with fallen humankind, but His death. 'With Him they crucify two thieves ... and the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, "And He was numbered with the transgressors".' But, shortly before His death, just before Peter denied Him, He Himself said, 'I say unto you, this that is written must yet be accomplished in Me, "And He was reckoned among the transgressors".
We may be sure, therefore, that the eternal Son of God identified Himself with us, not primarily by being born into the world, but by becoming obedient unto death.
Believing in God means that we believe in a Creator who has certain attributes of which we may be frightened. Believing in Jesus as the way to God means that we acknowledge our sinfulness and believe that, in His love, He has paid the price for, and taken away, our sinfulness and guilt. It means, further, that we acknowledge that His total sinlessness has been credited to our account. It means that we can come into the presence of God, in all His holiness, with joy. We have no righteousness of our own -- it is bestowed upon us by Jesus.
Jesus said, 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh to the Father but by Me.' The Father has appointed that we may approach His holy presence only when our sins have been atoned for by the Saviour, Jesus, whom He has appointed for that very purpose.
The Father has appointed that we may know and love Him personally only by receiving the truth as it is in Jesus. The Father has appointed that Jesus alone may bestow spiritual life to our souls now, and resurrection hereafter, and has given proof of that by raising Him from the dead.
Many say they believe in God. But the only way to approach Him is through Jesus.