Believe it or Not

I was asked the other day about my faith and what I believe. And it made me take a moment and think. I think we all should stop our “good lives” and look inside. We need to get off our “church-ride” without our friends around and check ourselves out.

“Sure,” I thought. “I have faith in God, I have faith in love, I have faith in Christ and what Jesus did for me on the cross, and I have faith in the Word of God.” I often tell people around me, “If it’s in the Bible, I believe it.”

At that moment, I was reminded of several things I had read in the Bible that struck me odd.

For example, when Jesus said if we don’t forgive others, our Father in heaven won’t forgive us our trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15, 18:35, Mark 11:25, Luke 6:37) That has to be true, right? God doesn’t lie. (Numbers 23:19) So whatever He says in the Bible (i.e. the Word of God) is THE TRUTH. It’s not A truth, nor is it a guideline for the truth. It is the embodiment of the truth. Jesus says in John 14:9-10, “The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing His work.”

How about when Jesus said, “Anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these.”(John 14:12) So, do you believe that YOU can do even greater things than Jesus did?

And, what about this? God loves us just as much as He loves Jesus? (John 17:21-23). I know plenty of Christians that act and speak as though they are lower than a worm. I would think that John 17:23 coupled with 2 Corinthians 5:21 which says, through Christ we have become the righteousness of God, flies in the face of those people’s “humility”.

And let me slide this one in for good measure. In Mark 11:23-24 it says, “…Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Jesus doesn’t say it will happen for only those who love Him or for only His disciples. No, Jesus says, “whoever says, believes and does not doubt in his heart, will receive.

Do I believe all those things?

What about YOU?

Do you believe all those things?

Our enemy, the devil, would have us look at the supernatural and call it ridiculous. He wants us excuse it away by telling us that Jesus didn’t mean those things literally. He wants us to look at our own circumstances and measure the Word of God, as if our experiences are the universal constant by which things can be compared against.

I believe it’s imperative for our spiritual walk and our testimony to believe the Word of God 100%. It may not make sense at first, but if it’s in the Bible, we must update our hard-drive (our mind) and believe it. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world and its superficial customs, but be transformed (changed) by the entire renewal of your mind.”

So after much reflection I came to the realization that there may be things I haven’t understood just yet and there may be things I haven’t put into practice just yet, but to answer the original question: “Yes, I do believe the Word. I do have faith  and I am growing my faith by listening to the Word of God every day.” (Romans 10:17) I do that not because of popular opinion or comparison or even according to my own experiences. But only by the Word of God