Mark 1:15 - The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel.
Mark 16:16 - Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
(Baptism is an act of obedience, apart from salvation. Note failure to be baptized does not bring condemnation.)
Acts 2:38, 41 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins." (and) those who accepted his message were baptized...
Acts 16:31 Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.
John 1:12 - To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God...
John 6:28-29, 47 - They said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. He who believes has everlasting life. (John 17:3 - "This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.")
John 11:27 - "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
John 20:31 - These words are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
1 John 5:1, 5 - Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
BUT
John 3:18, Mark 16:16 - He that believeth not is condemned already, because he believeth not on the Son of God.
John Calvin Gospel Harmony, sermons preached in Geneva in the summer of 1560, on Mark 1:15 “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel.”
(Faith) means that we recognize that God is willing to bury all our offences, and that he chooses not to reckon with us as our judge. He is willing to accept us as righteous, because our spots and stains have been washed by the blood of his Son, and because, over and above this, what we cannot do for ourselves he will do by the grace of his Holy Spirit. And since we have no power to change ourselves, he himself will change us and will write his law in our inward parts and will inscribe it on our hearts.
Samuel Ward, Sermons "The Life of Faith" Adapted in Voices From The Past
http://books.google.com/books?id=3G8_AAAAcAAJ&dq
Are you at the door of salvation? You struggle as to whether you have faith or not. You want to come to the light but seem to struggle to do so. Why not go ahead and come out of darkness and into the land of the living? (John 3:19) Allow faith to do her perfect work in you, and to form Christ in your heart.
Would you believe, but you realize you have been a sinner? Christ came to save sinners. (1 Timothy 1:15) O you say, but my sins are scandalous! Did not Christ say 'All things are possible for one who believes?' (Mark 9:23) Are not your faults easily pardonable by infinite mercy? Did not his blood was David's bloody sin as snow? (Psalm 51:7) Did Christ come from heaven to cure only small scars and cuts? Are not the deep, long-standing, and serious wounds included? O take heed, take your eyes off yourself and look upon Christ. (Hebrews 12:2) No matter how deadly your sting, believing you shall be cured and live. (Matthew 9:22)
Take heed of pride that comes in the clothes of humility. Peter, will you not allow Christ's precious hand to wash your foul feet? (John 13:8) Was not Jesus well pleased with the humble Canaanite woman who accepted the term 'dog', and was willing to eat crumbs from the master's table? (Matthew 15:26) It is high pride not to come when called. Faith is obedience.
You might desire to do good works, and then come. You feel you will be welcome with your payment. He bids you come without silver. Did Christ exact restitution from Zacchaeus? (Luke 19:2) Did Paul bid the jailer to become a new man to believe? (Acts 16:31) No! Belief comes, then reformation.
Swim out of these weeds, and lay hold on Christ. Set before your eyes Christ and his promise to receive all who truly desire the price of his blood. (John 6:39-40) Study, strive, and endeavour to believe.
Today is salvation offered. (2 Corinthians 6:2) Step from death to life, and write this day your birthday. (John 5:24) By faith you are made a son of God forever. (John 1:12, Romans 8:15-16)
John Bunyan The Believer's Rest
"He who believes shall be saved;" (Mark 16:16) —saved in defiance of all the opposition of earth and hell; saved, notwithstanding he is in himself unstable as water, weak as a bruised reed, and helpless as a newborn babe! What Jesus will give—none can take away. Only remember that it is a free gift. Receive it thankfully—and rejoice in the Giver. Let him have all the glory of his own undertaking. Renounce every other hope and every other plea—but his promise and mediation.
Robert Traill, Works, Volume 1, p. 266, A sermon preached October 1682, “By What Means May Ministers Best Win Souls?” on 1 Timothy 4:16
(If the inquirer asks) What he is to believe? you tell him, that he is not called to believe that he is in Christ, and that his sins are pardoned, and he a justified man; but that he is to believe God's record concerning Christ (1 John 5:10-12). And this record is, that God giveth (that is, offereth) to us eternal life in His Son Jesus Christ; and that all that with the heart believe this report, and rest their souls on these glad tidings, shall be saved (Romans 10:9-11).
And thus he is to believe, that he may be justified (Galatians 2:16 - "We have put our faith in Jesus Christ that we may be justified by faith in Christ...")
William Gurnall
Simple assent to the truth of the Word is but an act of the understanding. Reprobates and devils may exercise this, but justifying faith takes its seat both in the understanding and the will. The promises of God call for an act of the will to embrace and receive it. He who only notionally knows the promise, and speculatively assents to the truth of it, without clinging to it, and embracing it, does not believe to the saving of the soul. Believing implies a union of the soul to Christ with full trust and reliance.
Octavius Winslow Daily Walking With God on Romans 4:5 "But to him that works not, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
(NLT) "But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners."
Faith has to do with the understanding and the heart. A man must know his lost and ruined condition before he will accept of Christ; and how can he know this, without a spiritually enlightened mind? He is brought, by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, to a knowledge of himself. One beam of light, one touch of the Spirit, has altered all his views of himself, has placed him in a new aspect; all his thoughts, his affections, his desires, are diverted into another and an opposite channel; his fond views of his own righteousness have fled like a dream, his high thoughts are humbled, his lofty looks are brought low, and, as a broken-hearted sinner, he takes his place in the dust before God. Oh wondrous, oh blessed change!
And now the work and exercise of faith commences; the same blessed Spirit that convinced of sin presents to the soul a Savior crucified for the lost—unfolds a salvation full and free for the most worthless—reveals a fountain that "cleanses from all sin," and holds up to view a righteousness that "justifies from all things." And all that He sets the poor convinced sinner upon doing to avail himself of this, is simply to believe. To the momentous question, "What shall I do to be saved?" this is the only reply—"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved." (Acts 16:30) The anxious soul eagerly exclaims—"Have I then nothing to do but to believe?—have I no great work to accomplish, no price to bring, no worthiness to plead?—may I come just as I am, without merit, without self-preparation, without money, with all my vileness and nothingness?" Still the reply is, "Only believe."
This, reader, is faith—the simple reception of the amazing truth, that Jesus died for the ungodly—died for sinners—died for the poor, the vile, the bankrupt; that He invites and welcomes to His bosom all poor, convinced, heavy-laden sinners. The heart, believing this wondrous announcement, going out of all other dependencies and resting only in this—receiving it, welcoming it, rejoicing in it, in a moment, all, all is peace.
Do not forget, reader, that faith is but to believe with all the heart that Jesus died for sinners; and the full belief of this one fact will bring peace to the most anxious and sin-troubled soul.
J.C. Ryle Old Paths, Ch. 15 "Faith"
http://www.preachtheword.com/bookstore/old-paths-ryle.pdf
True belief in Christ is the unreserved trust of a heart convinced of sin, in Christ, as an all-sufficient Saviour. It is the combined act of the whole man’s head, conscience, heart, and will. It is often so weak and feeble at first, that he who has it cannot be persuaded that he has it. And yet, like life in the new-born infant, his belief may be real, genuine, saving, and true. The moment that the conscience is convinced of sin, and the head sees Christ to be the only One who can save, and the heart and will lay hold on the hand that Christ holds out, that moment there is saving faith. In that moment a man believes.
Saving faith, like true repentance, is the gift of God. I grant that we have no natural power of our own to believe on Christ, receive Christ, come to Christ, lay hold on Christ, and commit our souls to Christ. But I see faith and repentance laid down clearly in Scripture as duties which God requires at any man’s hands. He "commandeth all men to repent", "This is His commandment, that we should believe" (Acts 17:30; 1 John 3:23). And I see it laid down with no less clearness, that unbelief and impenitence are sins for which man will be held accountable, and that he who does not repent and believe destroys his own soul (Mark 16:16)
What reason can you give for unbelief, that will bear examination? Life is short and uncertain. Death is sure. Judgment is inevitable. Sin is exceeding sinful. Hell is an awful reality. Christ alone can save you. There is no other name given under heaven, whereby you can be saved. If not saved, the blame will be on your own head. You will not believe! You will not come to Christ, that He may give you life!
Isaac Watts Faith in Christ for Pardon and Sanctification
http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/h/s/o/hsosbnis.htm
How sad our state by nature is!
Our sin, how deep it stains!
And Satan binds our captive minds
Fast in his slavish chains.
But there’s is a voice of sovereign grace
Sounds from the sacred word:
“Ho! Ye despairing sinners, come,
And trust upon the Lord.
My soul obeys th’ almighty call,
And runs to this relief;
I would believe thy promise, Lord;
O help my unbelief!
To the dear fountain of thy blood,
Incarnate God, I fly;
Here let me wash my spotted soul
From crimes of deepest dye.
Stretch out thine arm, victorious King
My reigning sins subdue;
Drive the old dragon from his seat,
With all his hellish crew.
A guilty, weak, and helpless worm,
On thy kind arms I fall;
Be though my strength and righteousness,
My Jesus, and my all.
C. H. Spurgeon, Advice for Seekers
A young man once said to me, “I want to know what I must do to be saved.” I reminded him of that verse;
"A guilty, weak, and helpless worm,
On Thy kind arms I fall."
Faint into the arms of Christ; that is faith. Just give up doing, give up depending upon anything that you are, or do, or ever hope to be, and depend upon the complete merits, and finished work, and precious blood of Jesus Christ. If you do this you are saved.
C.H. Spurgeon’s Sinners Prayer
“A Free Grace Promise”, October 11, 1888
http://www.biblebb.com/files/spurgeon/2082.htm
Oh, that the unconverted among you may be moved to pray. Before you leave this place, breathe an earnest prayer to God, saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner. Lord, I need to be saved. Save me. I call upon thy name.”
Join with me in prayer at this moment, I entreat you. Join with me while I put words into your mouths, and speak them on your behalf:
“Lord, I am guilty. I deserve thy wrath. Lord I cannot save myself. Lord, I would have a new heart and a right spirit, but what can I do? Lord, I can do nothing, come and work in me to will and to do of thy good pleasure.”
Thou alone hast power, I know,
To save a wretch like me;
To whom, or whither should I go
If I should run from thee?”
(John Newton, “Will Ye Also Go Away?”)
“But I now do from my very soul call upon thy name. Trembling, yet believing, I cast myself wholly upon thee, O Lord. I trust the blood and righteousness of thy dear Son…Lord, save me tonight, for Jesus’ sake.”
CAUTION
J.C. Ryle Bible Commentary on John 5
True faith does not depend merely on the state of man’s head and understanding, but on the state of his heart. His mind may be convinced. His conscience may be pierced. But so long as there is anything the man is secretly loving more than God, there will be no true faith.
A.W. Tozer Renewed Day by Day
These are things about which we cannot afford to be wrong; to be wrong is still to be lost and far from God. Let us never forget that the Word of God stresses the importance of conviction and concern and repentance when it comes to conversion, spiritual regeneration, and being born from above by the Spirit of God!
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Born of God: Sermons from John Chapter 1, 32 successive Sunday morning sermons preached October 1962 to June 1963.
It is not enough just to say, 'Oh yes, of course I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, I always have.' If you put it like that, you are telling me that you do not believe in him. To believe that Jesus is the Christ is to know and confess that you are a hopeless, condemned, vile sinner, that all your righteousness is but as filthy rags, that you have the spirit of poverty in you, that you mourn about your life, that you hunger and thirst after righteousness and know that he alone can fill you.
J.I. Packer, "The Puritan View of Preaching the Gospel"
If we do not preach about sin and God's judgment on it, we cannot present Christ as Savior from sin and the wrath of God. And if we are silent about these things, and preach a Christ who saves only from the sorrows of this world - then we are not preaching the Christ of the Bible. We are, in effect bearing false witness, preaching a false Christ, and our message is another gospel. Such preaching may soothe some, but it will help nobody; for a Christ who is not seen and sought as a Savior from sin, will not be found to save from anything else.
An imaginary Christ will not bring a real salvation; and a half-truth presented as the whole truth is a complete untruth.