Do you Believe?
Do you believe?
God, Jesus, the Holy Bible…Do you believe? Are you sure?
Our standard English definition of the word believe is to accept something as truth. Jesus is the Son of God. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was crucified as the perfect sacrifice in payment of the penalty of our sin, and then rose again in bodily form on the third day; thus conquering death and now sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. This is the Gospel in a nutshell. To believe this by our standard English definition would be to simply intellectualize and accept this as fact…this simple acceptance is generally done in a rather casual manner.
The Holy Bible is the complete, inerrant, inspired Word of God…Acts 16:31 …“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”, Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; Believe, in the Bible means not simply accepting the Gospel as fact but to trust and commit to it. If you truly believe the Gospel, you trust your life to it and stake your eternity on it. If you believe God, then you must believe what the Bible says, as it is God’s Holy Word. Not some of the Bible. Not only the parts that make you feel good and discard the parts that convict you of sin in your life. To do that would mean you do not believe God as is defined in the Bible…in essence that would be calling God a liar, which He can never be. To say you believe God and His Holy Word means that you trust every single Word stated in Scripture and commit your life to it. That means walking in God’s ways not the ways of the world...Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. That means not living in the works of the flesh…Galatians 5:19-21 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God…but rather, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, growing the fruit of the Spirit…Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Genuine Biblical belief results in true saving faith. Intellectualizing the facts does not…James 2:19-20 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? 2 Peter 1:10-11 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. “Practice these things” in verse 10 refers back to 2 Peter 1:5-7 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. You must have faith…Hebrews 1:11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen…you cannot have this saving faith if you do not first believe by the Biblical definition. If true saving faith is yours, it will be evidenced by the growing fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24 above) and by making His calling and choosing you sure by the practice of these things (2 Peter 1:5-7 above)
So, do you believe?