Believing in Christ does not mean merely believing that he is the Son of God. "The devils believe and tremble" (James 2:19). It means true repentance, contrition and an earnest desire for forgiveness, which leads us to look to Christ as the only way by which such forgiveness may be attained. To believe in him means that we are not only to believe in his divine mission and in the efficacy of his atonement for our sins, but to follow in his footsteps and emulate his example in all things wherever possible and to pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. Forgiveness is granted to all those who repent and be lieve and ask in faith. True repentance leads not merely to conviction of sin and to sorrow for our past offenses, but to a complete change in our life, i. e., a turning away from sin to holiness, and gradual growth in grace through living near to Christ
