Additionally,
nearly every person I have talked with has heard of Jesus, God, the Bible and
are familiar with many Christian terms and concepts. Some regularly attend church while others
only went as children. Others have gone
just for funerals or weddings and a few have never been. And though many are not familiar with
traditional Bible stories, the majority have heard or read at least portions of
the Bible.
If
so many people believe in God, then why are our communities so filled with
abuse and immorality? Should not this
belief make a difference?
Perhaps
there is a misunderstanding about what belief in God means. Maybe people think they believe, but in
truth, they do not.
The
Bible is the original source for understanding the whole idea of belief in
God. A casual reading of the Bible on
this can be a little confusing. On one
hand the Scripture says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved . .
.” (Acts 16:31). While on the other
hand, it says, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder” (James
2:19). The Devil believes in God like
everyone else? What is wrong with this
picture? It all comes down to
understanding what belief means, not according to our opinions, but according
to God’s Word.
If
you study the Bible on the subject you will see five truths. 1)
Believing in God is synonymous with belief in Jesus. Since Jesus is God’s Son, to refuse to
believe in Him is an empty belief.
2) Believing in God is an
acknowledgement of Jesus. It means you
acknowledge His deity, virgin birth, death and resurrection. 3)
Believing in God is to trust in Jesus.
It means you are willing to entrust your whole life into His care and
submit to His leadership. 4) Believing in God is to follow Jesus. It means you are willing to do what Jesus and
the Word of God says, no matter the cost—even unto death. 5)
Believing in God is union with Jesus.
It means Christ is in you and you are in Him.
The
belief the Devil has is knowledge-based and does not proceed to trust,
following or union with Christ. The
Devil’s belief does not lead to a changed life.
However,
a whole-hearted, biblical belief in God through Christ shows itself in a
spiritual and moral transformation. The
old has gone, the new has come. You do
not have to tell someone you believe in God, they can see it.
I urge you to embrace full-on, radical belief in Christ. Go beyond superficial words and the mere window dressings of religion, like Jesus did, when He went to the cross and shed His blood for you. He counted the cost and laid His life down. Do the same. Count the cost and believe in Him with all your heart.
