So... You Say You Believe
A. W. Tozer wrote, “Fortunately only a few things are matters of life and death, such as a compass for a sea voyage or a guide for a journey across the desert. To ignore these things is not to gamble or take a chance; it is to commit suicide. Here it is either be right or be dead.” A person’s relationship with Christ is a matter of eternal life or spiritual death. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. You are saved by faith in Christ alone altogether apart from good deeds or religious works of merit.
Many have convinced themselves that just believing in God and believing that Jesus died and was resurrected automatically saves you. James tells us that even the demons believe that there is one God and they shudder. (James 2:19) Demons believe, but they will not be in heaven. How does the individual man come into a saving relationship with Christ? That was the anxious question presented to Paul and Silas by their jailer, “...Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
There are at least three ways to describe the only answer for the eternal salvation of any person: 1.) Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31); 2.) Receive Christ as personal Savior (John 1:12); and 3.) Accept Christ. Acts 11:21 tells us that a great number “...believed and turned to the Lord.”
To believe (p?ste?? pisteúo) in the Greek means to put trust in, to be convinced of, or have no doubt and be certain of. It is to believe in God, to trust in Him as able and willing to help and answer prayer. Generally, it is to believe in the declarations and character of God as made known in the [counsel of God’s Word.] The important grammatical form of the word “believe” is continuous action. In other words, you must believe and keep on believing. (Zodhiates, S. (2000). In The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). AMG Publishers.; Strong, J. (1995). In Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.)
Minds believe doctrines; hearts trust persons. A child will run to his father for help, direction, and provision when he truly believes in his father’s loving care. A patient will go to his physician when there is belief in his doctor’s abilities to help.
Many profess to believe, but they continue in their sins. Jesus said there are those hypocrites who will “...honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.” (Matthew: 8) The person who truly believes in Christ becomes a new creation; his old nature leaves and a new nature, surrendered to Christ, comes. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Paul didn’t say, “Believe and be saved,” but “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved...” (Acts 16:31)
A true believer in Christ orbits his life around Jesus like the earth orbits around the sun. Just as the earth needs the sun, believers need the Son of God to perfect holiness within them. “...Without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14) True believers accept God’s friends as their friends, they reject what He rejects and they adopt the Lord’s lifestyle as their own. Jesus said “Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness...” (John 8:12) meaning not purposely living in sin.
So... you say you believe. Does your belief in Him affect the way you live? To ignore what the Bible says about true belief is not to gamble or take a chance, it is to commit spiritual suicide. The Bible says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus...”
Many people believe God exist, He has a Son, Jesus Christ, however they do not have believing faith in the Lord.
Biblical Believing in the Lord is Like:
One: I believe there is a football team, the KC Chief’s. I watched them play and win a Super Bowl. However, I did not get a Super Bowl ring, get invited to the Super Bowl parties with the team and I certainly did not get paid like others who were involved with the Super Bowl in some way. My belief about them has not and will not pay off.
In order for me to enjoy any benefits from believing in the Kansas City Chiefs, my belief must cause me to participate in some way like: Read and study the play book. Condition and train with them. Effectively promote them, provide for them, stick with them trough good and bad times.
For anyone to have saving believing faith in Jesus Christ, people must desire to know God’s Play Book (The Bible), condition and train with Jesus Christ as Lord and surrendering to the Holy Spirit, asking Him to illuminate Gods Word in their lives. Christians are called to take up their cross. Jesus said, “…anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me….” (Matthew 10:38)
Like Superbowl players get a Superbowl Ring, Christians will be rewarded for their faithfulness to their labors with the Lord. (1 Corinthians 9:25; 1 Thessalonians 2:19) A believing Christians will in some way become a part of spreading the Gospel, and stick with Jesus in trials, testing’s, prosperity and trusting in His enablement to overcome temptations.
Saving faith, is believing which moves Christians to participate in the building of the Kingdom of God.
To help you recall what soul saving belief is, it is imperative Christians understand the Greek for belief is continue action, which does let down or stop participating in the Lord’ work.
True belief must last the remaining of someone’s lifetime. The Lord over the years bless me with the opportunity of being a Farrier. I had the privilege of being a Farrier for over 500 National Champions. I walked away from that to do other things. I no longer get the privilege of being involved with that part of life. The awesome horse barns, facilities and trailers. No longer in fellowship with other farriers, fabulous trainers, horse vets and grooms. My picture no longer seen in the horse magazines, nor a part of the modern-day communication lines. My name not read in the credits of any quality horse show. O, through modern day communication, I get a glimpse of what is still happening out in the horse world, but not the benefits or having any influence on the wonderful world of the horses. O’ the people who know me, show respect, are kind, and say high on face-book, but the genuine fellowship is no more.
True believing in the Lord is moving Christians to stay in the things of God, which enables them to have proper fellowship with the Lord and His servants. Allows you to serve Him in nice church buildings, and enjoy all the benefits of sacrificially serving Jesus, His people and all of mankind. All the things He has placed Christians stewards over will become a blessing, not a burden. Livestock, pets and the wild beast out in this world, will be fully enjoyed in heaven. For those who truly believe, what else awaits them are friends and family members who had come to Christ.
Here is the point, believing in Christ must be an ongoing life application. It is the children of God who have Biblical believe in the Lord, who become a valuable part of the building and maintaining of the Kingdom of God with Christ, impowered by the Holy Spirit of Christ to accomplish God’s work.
A worldly view point of belief will keep people blinded to what is real belief is. It is the charge to the Body of Christ to correct people and point them to real belief, and especially live out what believing in Christ is like.
Jesus said:
“Thus, it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46-47)
The beloved John proclaims a truth which is for all who live today as well. “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Luke 3:8)
It is imperative, people must grasp, how you believe in Jesus Christ is a matter of eternal life or eternal death.
