John 3:36 says, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” In so many ways, this one verse summarizes the way of salvation. To be saved, a person must believe on the Son.
Salvation requires faith, which is complete trust in or dependence on, based on the evidence of the Word of God. Salvation is not by works; it is by faith. But salvation requires faith in the right object: the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. True faith in Jesus Christ believes on Him for all of who He is, including His deity and His Lordship. If a person places Scriptural faith on the Jesus of the Bible, he is given everlasting life as an eternal possession, which can’t be lost or forfeited. If a person does not place his complete faith in the Son, he will not see life; but instead, he continues living with God’s wrath abiding on him, a moment away from the eternal torments of hell—a dreadfully serious condition!
If you are ever in a situation where you have a brief opportunity to urge someone to believe on the Lord Jesus or one opportunity to differentiate the true gospel from a false gospel, John 3:36 is a good verse to use: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.”