John 3:36 (KJV)
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
A pertinent question would be, “What does it mean to believe?”
Christianity in America has devolved into an idea that believing is mental consent. It is, according to modern theology, the willingness to acknowledge the existence of Jesus Christ. On this basis, America has, for years, claimed to be a Christian nation. My contention is that this definition of belief is both shallow and unsupported in Scripture.
First, consider the devils
The Bible certainly affirms that they believe. We even have examples of those devils “witnessing” for Jesus. But the Bible says they tremble. They believe but it is not saving faith.
Second, consider the testimony of Christ
His relationship with his Heavenly Father was such that he did what His Father commanded. He came to do God’s will and was quick to lay aside his own for the Father’s.
Third, consider the testimony of the New Testament saints
There are no biblical examples of believers, except that they were abandoned to follow the Lord. We have examples of people like Demas, but Paul’s remarks concerning him are pretty glaring. We have the record of the Judaizers, but again, Paul’s analysis of them leaves us questioning whether they were genuinely saved. If they had another gospel which is not the gospel, do we really claim them as brethren?
Undoubtedly there is room in the definition of “believe” for some differences of opinion. What we really can’t accept is that saving faith acknowledges that Jesus exists and stops there. Saving faith must believe that he is the Son of God, that He died and rose again, and that to be a believer is synonymous with being a follower dedicated solely to Christ.
(Access more of my blogs by visiting the resource link on our church website at www.bbcpuyallup.org.)
To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.
Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824
For this and more than 5000 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.
If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.
For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.
My books are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.onuniverse.com/
John 3:36 (KJV) What Does It Mean to Believe?
photos from pexels.com.
