August 2nd, 2022
Since the birth of the church, followers of Jesus have been called many things, believers being just one of them. This is fitting because what we believe, who we believe in, is the foundation of Christian faith. Some variation of the word believe is found almost 200 times in the New Testament. In John 3:16, which is probably the most well-known verse in the Bible, Jesus said:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
You may not know this, but you were actually born a believer. Now, before you argue with me, I’m not saying that in a doctrinal sense. What I’m saying is that children are, inherently, believers. Take a moment to think about it: A young child will believe absolutely anything their parents say to them. You don’t have to convince a child that Santa Claus is real; all you have to do is tell them. It’s in their nature to trust and to believe. It’s only as children get older that they learn skepticism and doubt. This is why when Jesus was talking to His disciples in Matthew 18:24, He told them they had to become like little children to enter the kingdom of heaven. When thinking about this it’s important to remember that while children believe easily, they also ask a lot of questions. However, those questions aren’t borne out of unbelief. Childlike curiosity is innocent wonder borne out of the belief that the person they’re asking has the answers. God isn’t intimidated by our questions, when we ask them from a place of faith, seeking truth, and knowing He has the answers. In reality, asking questions is part of childlike faith!
In Luke 24:25, we see a picture of the opposite of childlike faith, as Jesus walked with two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection. They didn’t recognize him and as they talked of the events that had occurred. He said to them, “O foolish ones, slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” He then opened up the Scriptures to them, explaining everything that was written about Him in the Old Testament. He took the time to answer the questions they hadn’t asked, revealing himself to them until their hearts began to burn with faith. How often are we like those two disciples? How often are we slow of heart to believe when things don’t look the way we expect, instead of trusting and receiving God’s truth with childlike faith?
Believing God always starts with His word, and Jesus is that Word, made flesh! That is why He was able to reveal Himself in the Scriptures that pre-dated His earthly life by thousands of years. He is the word. It is only through believing in Him that we enter into the Kingdom and receive anything from God. John 1:14-16 says,
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
In the Scripture, Jesus compared faith to a seed. Seeds are actually incredible things! They can lie dormant for incredible lengths of time, waiting for the right conditions to die and let what’s in them live. I recently read that the oldest known seed to germinate was an Israeli Date Palm seed that was almost 2,000 years old. That seed had laid dormant waiting for the right conditions to grow since Jesus walked the earth. God’s word planted in our hearts, is seed that will grow under the right conditions to produce faith. We know that faith comes from hearing His word. Once it’s planted, it’s our job to ensure that our hearts are an environment where that seed can grow and produce fruit or it will just lie dormant!
Now, believing is foundational truth in the Scripture. We must believe to even be saved, however, so many Christians stop right there. They never use their faith or believe any further than in the sacrifice Jesus made that atones for their sins. Now, salvation is the greatest miracle; It’s why Jesus came and died. However, that saving faith is not where we’re meant to arrive, but actually where we’re meant to begin in our walk with God. There is much more than the simple faith or belief that saves us!
I want to share with you a few Scriptures about what God has promised for whoever believes:
1) Whoever believes shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
2) Whoever believes has been born of God and given the right to be called His child. (1 John 5:1, John 1:12-13)
3) Whoever believes is not condemned (John 3:18, Romans 10:10)
4) Whoever believes shall never thirst (John 6:35)
5) Whoever believes, as the Scripture as said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive. (John 7:38)
6) Whoever believes will not remain in darkness. (John 12:40)
7) Whoever believes, will also do the works that Jesus did, and greater works will they do, because Jesus went to the Father. (John 14:12)
8) Whoever believes will be accompanied by signs and wonders. (Mark 16:17)
9) Whoever believes will lay hands on the sick and see them recover (Mark 16:18)
10) Whoever believes will not be put to shame. (Romans 9:33)
Look at all of the things God has promised, for us. He is no respecter of persons. Any human being, at any time, regardless of gender, age, nationality, or background, can be grafted into the family of God, just by believing Him. All those things are for whoever believes! It’s the simple beauty of the gospel, that we get to turn again and become like children to receive all that He has for us. When we believe in God, as the Scripture says, it’s not believing with our heads without a purpose; it’s the entryway into so much more and it has to be lived out in our lives. James 2:18-20 says,
“But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”
James reminds us here that even demons believe God is real and tremble in fear. When we believe in Him, it’s not just believing He exists, even though that’s part of it, but it’s believing the entirely of the truth He’s given in His word and believing it’s for us! That kind of faith will move us to action, by nature. Believing the truth of His word is not just to get us into heaven, but to live with child-like faith to see heaven come to earth!
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
You may not know this, but you were actually born a believer. Now, before you argue with me, I’m not saying that in a doctrinal sense. What I’m saying is that children are, inherently, believers. Take a moment to think about it: A young child will believe absolutely anything their parents say to them. You don’t have to convince a child that Santa Claus is real; all you have to do is tell them. It’s in their nature to trust and to believe. It’s only as children get older that they learn skepticism and doubt. This is why when Jesus was talking to His disciples in Matthew 18:24, He told them they had to become like little children to enter the kingdom of heaven. When thinking about this it’s important to remember that while children believe easily, they also ask a lot of questions. However, those questions aren’t borne out of unbelief. Childlike curiosity is innocent wonder borne out of the belief that the person they’re asking has the answers. God isn’t intimidated by our questions, when we ask them from a place of faith, seeking truth, and knowing He has the answers. In reality, asking questions is part of childlike faith!
In Luke 24:25, we see a picture of the opposite of childlike faith, as Jesus walked with two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection. They didn’t recognize him and as they talked of the events that had occurred. He said to them, “O foolish ones, slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” He then opened up the Scriptures to them, explaining everything that was written about Him in the Old Testament. He took the time to answer the questions they hadn’t asked, revealing himself to them until their hearts began to burn with faith. How often are we like those two disciples? How often are we slow of heart to believe when things don’t look the way we expect, instead of trusting and receiving God’s truth with childlike faith?
Believing God always starts with His word, and Jesus is that Word, made flesh! That is why He was able to reveal Himself in the Scriptures that pre-dated His earthly life by thousands of years. He is the word. It is only through believing in Him that we enter into the Kingdom and receive anything from God. John 1:14-16 says,
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
In the Scripture, Jesus compared faith to a seed. Seeds are actually incredible things! They can lie dormant for incredible lengths of time, waiting for the right conditions to die and let what’s in them live. I recently read that the oldest known seed to germinate was an Israeli Date Palm seed that was almost 2,000 years old. That seed had laid dormant waiting for the right conditions to grow since Jesus walked the earth. God’s word planted in our hearts, is seed that will grow under the right conditions to produce faith. We know that faith comes from hearing His word. Once it’s planted, it’s our job to ensure that our hearts are an environment where that seed can grow and produce fruit or it will just lie dormant!
Now, believing is foundational truth in the Scripture. We must believe to even be saved, however, so many Christians stop right there. They never use their faith or believe any further than in the sacrifice Jesus made that atones for their sins. Now, salvation is the greatest miracle; It’s why Jesus came and died. However, that saving faith is not where we’re meant to arrive, but actually where we’re meant to begin in our walk with God. There is much more than the simple faith or belief that saves us!
I want to share with you a few Scriptures about what God has promised for whoever believes:
1) Whoever believes shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
2) Whoever believes has been born of God and given the right to be called His child. (1 John 5:1, John 1:12-13)
3) Whoever believes is not condemned (John 3:18, Romans 10:10)
4) Whoever believes shall never thirst (John 6:35)
5) Whoever believes, as the Scripture as said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive. (John 7:38)
6) Whoever believes will not remain in darkness. (John 12:40)
7) Whoever believes, will also do the works that Jesus did, and greater works will they do, because Jesus went to the Father. (John 14:12)
8) Whoever believes will be accompanied by signs and wonders. (Mark 16:17)
9) Whoever believes will lay hands on the sick and see them recover (Mark 16:18)
10) Whoever believes will not be put to shame. (Romans 9:33)
Look at all of the things God has promised, for us. He is no respecter of persons. Any human being, at any time, regardless of gender, age, nationality, or background, can be grafted into the family of God, just by believing Him. All those things are for whoever believes! It’s the simple beauty of the gospel, that we get to turn again and become like children to receive all that He has for us. When we believe in God, as the Scripture says, it’s not believing with our heads without a purpose; it’s the entryway into so much more and it has to be lived out in our lives. James 2:18-20 says,
“But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”
James reminds us here that even demons believe God is real and tremble in fear. When we believe in Him, it’s not just believing He exists, even though that’s part of it, but it’s believing the entirely of the truth He’s given in His word and believing it’s for us! That kind of faith will move us to action, by nature. Believing the truth of His word is not just to get us into heaven, but to live with child-like faith to see heaven come to earth!
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