November 18th, 2025
Have you ever been asked what you believe?
If I asked you now, what would you say? What do you believe about God, His Word, and His plans for you? As Christians, our belief precedes our faith, and it must be grounded in truth. In John 11:25-26, Jesus asked Martha what she believed:
‘Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”’
Truth is truth, regardless of whether you know it, believe it, and act upon it. However, your life will only be impacted by the truth of God’s Word when it is revealed to you, and you put your faith in Him. A.W. Tozer, one of the greatest theologians of modern times, said,
“The most important part of a man is not what he is outwardly, but what he most deeply believes about God.”
When Jesus walked the earth, many believed in Him, but a great many were blind to the One walking among them. In Matthew 16, we have a recorded conversation between Jesus and His disciples about the speculations surrounding His identity. It says,
‘Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”’
This passage of Scripture is significant for many different reasons, but this week, I have been thinking about Jesus’ declaration that, “flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” The power of this revelation in Peter’s life was the fact that it came from heaven—from the Father Himself. Peter didn’t believe this because he heard someone else say it and it sounded good. His belief in Jesus’ identity—in Jesus’ deity—was because he had a revelation from heaven.
There is a desperate need in the church today for truth revealed, not by flesh and blood, but by the Father in heaven. Revelation from God will always align with the Word. His Word is living and active and as sharp as a sword (Hebrews 4:12). He will take truth in Scripture that has been written for thousands of years and ignite it in your heart by the power of the Holy Spirit, and it will feel as if He wrote it just for you, today. That’s when His written Word will become life in you!
What do you believe?
The Pharisees of Jesus’ day believed so strongly in their traditions that they missed their visitation. Matthew 15:3;7-8 says,
‘Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?... You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”’
This verse is sobering. How many beliefs are there in the church today that are “commandments of men” being taught as the Word of God? The Bible teaches there will be great deception in the end times as people with itching ears look for doctrines that make them comfortable (2 Timothy 4:3). Everything you hear must be tested and measured according to the Word of God. Acts 17:11-12 tells us of the Berean Jews, who received the Gospel readily and then “[examined] the Scriptures daily” to see if the teachings of Paul were so. They heard the Word and then determined to find out for themselves if it was true! That’s the attitude that builds a foundation of truth that cannot be shaken.
In the church today, there are unfortunately many who parrot ideas they know they should believe. It’s not enough to know what you should believe! It’s not enough to be able to repeat what you’ve heard other people say, regardless of how good it sounds.
What do you believe?
If it’s not grounded in the Word of God, you have to allow God to change your belief by His Word. Personal encounters with His Word are absolutely necessary to build a foundation to stand on. If you don’t know His Word; if you don’t know why you believe what you believe, your faith will not stand. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), but it only works in you when that Word is revealed to you by heaven.
Belief precedes faith and faith is the only thing that pleases God! Faith is always accompanied by an act. Hebrews 11, often called the Hall of Faith, is not a list of doctrines that men believed. It is a record of exploits—heroic moments in Biblical history, carried out by men and women who acted on a right belief. However, many people try to have faith before they even have a correct foundation of Biblical beliefs. In order to build your faith, you have to start in the Word of God. You have to know Him and know what He says about you. If you need healing in your body, ask Him for revelation and read the Word of God until you have an unshakeable resolve that God is a healer and that He will heal you. Many people’s beliefs are based not in their own study or encounters with God, but in their family’s beliefs or their denominational doctrines. For example, someone may not believe in healing only because they’ve been taught miracles stopped after the first-century apostles died. They don’t believe because of anything the Word of God says, or their own study and revelation. You cannot allow your heart to be shaped only by the beliefs and experiences of other men and women. We will not stand before God for anyone else and no one can stand before Him for us. We will stand before God to give an account for our own hearts. We absolutely must learn from men and women who have walked longer and farther than we have, but our faith must be our own.
What do you believe?
You’ll always know the answer to that question in the face of an opportunity. When Jesus passed through her city, the woman with the issue of blood acted in faith on her belief that if she only touched Jesus, she would be made well (Matthew 9:21). She could not have acted in faith if she didn’t first believe. This week, we encourage you to seek His Word in truth. His Word is life, but it will not be life to you until it becomes yours. We pray as Paul did in Ephesians 1:17-19:
“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe.”
If I asked you now, what would you say? What do you believe about God, His Word, and His plans for you? As Christians, our belief precedes our faith, and it must be grounded in truth. In John 11:25-26, Jesus asked Martha what she believed:
‘Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”’
Truth is truth, regardless of whether you know it, believe it, and act upon it. However, your life will only be impacted by the truth of God’s Word when it is revealed to you, and you put your faith in Him. A.W. Tozer, one of the greatest theologians of modern times, said,
“The most important part of a man is not what he is outwardly, but what he most deeply believes about God.”
When Jesus walked the earth, many believed in Him, but a great many were blind to the One walking among them. In Matthew 16, we have a recorded conversation between Jesus and His disciples about the speculations surrounding His identity. It says,
‘Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”’
This passage of Scripture is significant for many different reasons, but this week, I have been thinking about Jesus’ declaration that, “flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” The power of this revelation in Peter’s life was the fact that it came from heaven—from the Father Himself. Peter didn’t believe this because he heard someone else say it and it sounded good. His belief in Jesus’ identity—in Jesus’ deity—was because he had a revelation from heaven.
There is a desperate need in the church today for truth revealed, not by flesh and blood, but by the Father in heaven. Revelation from God will always align with the Word. His Word is living and active and as sharp as a sword (Hebrews 4:12). He will take truth in Scripture that has been written for thousands of years and ignite it in your heart by the power of the Holy Spirit, and it will feel as if He wrote it just for you, today. That’s when His written Word will become life in you!
What do you believe?
The Pharisees of Jesus’ day believed so strongly in their traditions that they missed their visitation. Matthew 15:3;7-8 says,
‘Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?... You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”’
This verse is sobering. How many beliefs are there in the church today that are “commandments of men” being taught as the Word of God? The Bible teaches there will be great deception in the end times as people with itching ears look for doctrines that make them comfortable (2 Timothy 4:3). Everything you hear must be tested and measured according to the Word of God. Acts 17:11-12 tells us of the Berean Jews, who received the Gospel readily and then “[examined] the Scriptures daily” to see if the teachings of Paul were so. They heard the Word and then determined to find out for themselves if it was true! That’s the attitude that builds a foundation of truth that cannot be shaken.
In the church today, there are unfortunately many who parrot ideas they know they should believe. It’s not enough to know what you should believe! It’s not enough to be able to repeat what you’ve heard other people say, regardless of how good it sounds.
What do you believe?
If it’s not grounded in the Word of God, you have to allow God to change your belief by His Word. Personal encounters with His Word are absolutely necessary to build a foundation to stand on. If you don’t know His Word; if you don’t know why you believe what you believe, your faith will not stand. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), but it only works in you when that Word is revealed to you by heaven.
Belief precedes faith and faith is the only thing that pleases God! Faith is always accompanied by an act. Hebrews 11, often called the Hall of Faith, is not a list of doctrines that men believed. It is a record of exploits—heroic moments in Biblical history, carried out by men and women who acted on a right belief. However, many people try to have faith before they even have a correct foundation of Biblical beliefs. In order to build your faith, you have to start in the Word of God. You have to know Him and know what He says about you. If you need healing in your body, ask Him for revelation and read the Word of God until you have an unshakeable resolve that God is a healer and that He will heal you. Many people’s beliefs are based not in their own study or encounters with God, but in their family’s beliefs or their denominational doctrines. For example, someone may not believe in healing only because they’ve been taught miracles stopped after the first-century apostles died. They don’t believe because of anything the Word of God says, or their own study and revelation. You cannot allow your heart to be shaped only by the beliefs and experiences of other men and women. We will not stand before God for anyone else and no one can stand before Him for us. We will stand before God to give an account for our own hearts. We absolutely must learn from men and women who have walked longer and farther than we have, but our faith must be our own.
What do you believe?
You’ll always know the answer to that question in the face of an opportunity. When Jesus passed through her city, the woman with the issue of blood acted in faith on her belief that if she only touched Jesus, she would be made well (Matthew 9:21). She could not have acted in faith if she didn’t first believe. This week, we encourage you to seek His Word in truth. His Word is life, but it will not be life to you until it becomes yours. We pray as Paul did in Ephesians 1:17-19:
“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe.”
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