BELIEF
Belief also involves trusting God and placing confidence in his Son. Sometimes, the Greek word for "belief" is translated as "trust" (see John 2:24 ASV.) The word can carry the idea of committing oneself to another based on trust (cf. Lk. 16:11; 1 Tim. 1:11).
While many think that the foregoing elements exhaust the meaning of belief, that does not represent the truth. True belief expresses itself in doing the will of God. Sometimes believing is paralleled with obeying (cf. Jn. 3:36 ASV; cf. Heb. 3:18-19).
A careful consideration of belief in the book of Acts reveals that the term includes the idea of obeying the requirements of the gospel plan. Compare Acts 2:38, 41, with 44. Note how "believed" and "disobedient" stand in contrast in Acts 14:1-2. Consider how the verb "believed" embraced "baptized" in Acts 19:2-3.
Faith, therefore, that refuses to manifest itself in obedience is an unavailing, dead faith (Jas. 2:14ff).
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