What it Means to Believe God

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Act 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your house.

Consider that statement very carefully. The word believe here means to trust the way, the truth and the life of Jesus Christ. It means your own idea of truth, your own natural way, and the way you have until now lived your life can no longer be trusted or continued. If you truly believe, you will understand that what you have apart from Him is not enough. One must have His life, His truth and live His way to be saved. That word saved means to be delivered, rescued, protected and preserved. From what? From the result of sin, of living the natural human life and believing the lie of all humanity which is live for yourself. Indulge yourself. Put self first. This is completely against the law and truth of God. It results in sinful and destructive behavior when people live only for themselves.

When you believe in Jesus, and accept His truth as the ultimate Truth which it is, you see there is no other way but His that leads to life. The Bible warns us not to lean to our own understanding, for the fountain of all human reasoning is our corrupt human nature. There is a way that seems right to man but to follow that way is to end up dead, condemned and outside the life and light of God forever.

We can see the strength of Paul and Silas' faith by the demonstration of their commitment to carry the Gospel when and where the Holy Spirit led and instructed them to go. They did not rely on their own thoughts or strength but His. They did not consider themselves in this calling but only His truth, His glory and the souls of the captives who needed deliverance. This is a costly way but it's the only way. In these Scriptures we see the results of true faith and the cross in the life of the believer. Paul and Silas were submitted to the authority and leadership of the Holy Spirit for their lives. They refused to depend on anything natural or of the flesh because that is against God as evidenced clearly in these Scriptures.

Paul said this: “For the preaching of the cross is to them that are perishing foolishness, but to us who are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor 1:18) Why is that? As we have read over these Scriptures in Acts 16 and considered the path the Holy Spirit laid out for these two servants of God, we see suffering, degradation, humiliation and public shame. We see them treated shamefully, and violently abused at the hands of sinful men. They had not done anything wrong. They weren't out of the will of God, though many who were unwilling to suffer for the sake of others would dare to say they were. But because Paul and Silas were willing to suffer, willing to endure some hard things, a young girl was delivered from demonic control, the first New Testament church was established in Philippi, and the jailer and the prisoners in that interior jail at Philippi were loosed from their bonds. Scripture says the jailer and his whole house were saved. The Lord Jesus Christ did not send His servants to suffer and endure that which He Himself had not already endured at the hands of sinful men. But this is the truth of the Gospel. It's a hard and a high call. He's calling His people to live His life, not theirs, to live His Way, to speak His Truth, because HE is the Word that was made flesh. He's calling us to be a vessel through which and to which He can reveal Himself. For He has and is the only way that leads to eternal life. Believing on Jesus Christ is just a mental acceptance of the truth with the expectation of being saved from hell, but that is the lie being taught in many pulpits today. To truly believe means to surrender.

Jas 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, though a man says he has faith, and has not works? can faith save him?

Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Jas 2:19 You believe that there is one God; you do well: the demons also believe, and tremble.

Jas 2:20 But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

That word in verse 19 for believe is the same as in Acts 16:31. The devil himself believes, he knows the Word of God is true, He knows Jesus Christ is the only Way to life, but he isn't saved. He rejected the leadership and authority of God and rebelled, seeking his own way. And all who follow that path are doomed to end up where he will. It's not enough to say “I believe.” True faith requires we surrender to Him everything in exchange for Himself, His truth, His way, and His life. Ours will not save us. Our truth is a lie. Our way leads to hell. Our life is temporary and vain, for it is wasted serving the selfish desires of human flesh. Many believe that they can profess His Name, carry their Bibles, speak well of and go to the church on Sunday and say praise the Lord and carry in their hearts the expectation of heaven some day. They may tell others about Jesus Christ, but if they do not press on to know Him, how is their witness accurate? Only the Holy Spirit can teach us what the Word of God means and only He can show us who Jesus Christ is. Only He can reveal Jesus to and through us. Such knowledge is otherwise beyond our access. There is no other way to know Him but through and by the Holy Spirit. There is no other way to live His life but through and by the Holy Spirit. There is no other way for the cross to be effected in our lives but through and by the Holy Spirit. Is it any wonder so many churches and religions have minimized or preached away the reality and truth of the necessity of they Holy Spirit in our lives? Without Him, the church is blind and impotent, operating solely in the natural, by human reasoning and strength. When that is so there is no power, no light, and no life. Scripture tells us Jesus went and ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit from the beginning of His ministry. Is not everything He did a pattern for us to follow who believe? Yes, it was. We see in the life of Paul what happens when someone really believes in and on Jesus Christ. He becomes their life and others are saved by HIS life. There is no other way.