I was in a church a few weeks ago when the pastor gave the classic “altar call”. I’ve been so immersed in kingdom thinking lately that I found it strange: Believe that Jesus died for your sins and accept him into your heart as your personal saviour and you can go to heaven. There was a brief mention of “Lord” in there somewhere I think, but easily missed.

As believers, it’s our job to call unbelievers into believing. Believing what?

Let’s look at what Jesus himself said to believe and compare that with what we say.

What Jesus Said

Here are all the verses I could find where Jesus says to believe something:

• Believe that I AM—the one foretold (John 8:24)
• Believe that the Father sent me—I am His Son (John 6:29, 10:36, 17:21)
• Believe the good news: God’s kingdom is near (Mark 1:15)
• Believe in me—trust and follow me (John 14:1)

What We Say

This is my summary of what we often preach with great conviction in our churches today:

• Believe that Jesus is God
• Believe He died for your sins
• Believe He rose from the dead
• Believe that if you trust in Him, you’ll go to heaven

What Jesus Didn’t Say

Here’s how those common statements compare with what Jesus actually said during His ministry:

• Believe that Jesus is God – not explicitly, but they got the point
• Believe He died for your sins – true, but hadn’t happened yet
• Believe He rose from the dead – true, but hadn’t happened yet
• Believe that if you trust in Him, you’ll go to heaven – He talked about eternal life, but never said this

What We Don’t Say

Ironically, here are the things we now mention vaguely—if at all—despite being what Jesus preached most clearly and repeatedly:

• Believe Jesus is the King of this earth (John 18:37; Matthew 11:27)
• Believe He already has all authority on earth (Mt 28:18)
• Believe His reign has already begun (Mark 1:15; Luke 11:20)
• Believe everyone everywhere must repent (Matthew 4:17; Luke 13:3-5)