It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2

Posts tagged ‘Belief’

Perception VS Perspective   “To Follow Jesus”

Perspective, is the ability (whether natural or acquired) ofseeing all the relevant facts, records and data in a meaningfulway that is, reciprocal, interrelating or corresponding to amutual relationship. Perspective gives meaning to the other person’s view by putting oneself in their position, and it gives one the ability to see past themselves to develop a view that is inclusive and not exclusive. 

There is a general perception that all a person has to do is to say that Jesus is the Son of God and they will go to heaven.  This is the only information they have received and have known; therefore, it is their perception and their reality, but it is totally wrong! It does not line up with His word, Jesus said, if anyone wants to come after Him, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus, this still applies today.  

The true perspective is that Jesus gave of Himself, He died on the cross that we may have a new way of living that operates in God’s kingdom.  Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him.  To “take up” is a continuous act of taking up and not something that is done just one time. Therefore, we are to daily and continuously take our cross and die to self (pride, self-interest), while putting God’s kingdom ways and purpose in the forefront.  

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. NKJ

Many people will say they know Jesus and that they are a Christian, just because they have an intellectual knowledge of Jesus and yet, they do not obey or follow after Jesus. They do not walk or live in His way, which is to deny self-pride and to love others. They do not receive His truth according to the written word of God that Jesus is the only way to the Father. They do not have eternal life with the Father because they have refused the only way, which is the acknowledgement of Jesus as Lord, the One Savior that they must obey and serve.  

John 14:6-7 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

Most people think they can keep on living their lives according to this fallen world of sin and still have a safety net of salvation. This is because of their perception is that they can say one thing with their mouth, while refusing to live a life of commitment to Christ’s kingdom way, which is to love others and deny self-pride. The true perspective is what Jesus says, that we are to die to self-interest. Just as a grain of wheat must die and be buried that it may sprout and produce more grain, we also should die to self-pride and produce more fruit in the lives of others. The person who loves their life more than the love of Christ, will eventually lose it. Those who die to pride -self, who choose to serve Jesus and to follow in His footsteps by loving others as He has loved us, God the Father will honor.  

John 12:24-26 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

It is in the challenges of life that we seek God and grow and arebeing fashioned into the image of Christ. It is through the things we suffer that we learn to be obedient to God’s word. 

Hebrew 5: 8-9 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, NKJ

We are not to allow our personal perceptions, concerns, struggles and biases mar or distort our perception of God, so that we are unable to see God’s perspective and His kingdom ways while living here on the earth. We must understand there is sin on the earth and we have an enemy, Satan, who wants to kill, steal and destroy the God-like image we have in and on us. Therefore, life will not be without hurts and pain, but what the enemy meant for evil God will turn those things around to grow us and transform us into the image of Christ. 

Romans 8:28-29 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.   For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. NKJ

Our perceptions may be limited by our own life experiences, which shapes what we think of ourselves and others and what we believe we can or cannot do. Some statements we perceive as fact or real but they are not true. A true perspective as fact is only revealed after the reality of God’s truth is established. 

God’s perspective is Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.”Not a way or just one of many ways but “The” only way to the Father. God’s truth says we can live this life victoriously, because we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us. 

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

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From Belief to Faith

How do we turn our belief into faith and develop a faith that will take us through the most difficult times in our lives with a peace that surpasses understanding? The process is shown to us in the steps we go through for salvation in Romans 10. If we believe in our heart, (what God said), and confess it with our mouth, (God’s Word), we will be saved. We are saved by our faith and trust in God, we believe with a firm commitment in our hearts God’s truth and we display this assurance by the confession we speak with our mouth and the actions we exhibit in the world.

The first step of faith is to hear God’s word. Once we have heard the word we make a choice of our will to believe it or reject it. Remember true belief is to have confidence, full trust and reliability of a person or thing though it may be without absolute proof. Trusting in God becomes is confirmed in our loyalty and obligation to Him. We believe right it leads to right thinking, which leads to right actions.

Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

The word preacher comes from a Greek word that is translated kerusso; to herald a royal command, to proclaim publicly a divine truth. This is the responsibility of everyone who professes Christ as their Lord and Savior, to publicly proclaim truth. To announce God, the truth of Who He is in our lives and to tell all He has done in us and through us. How shall they hear without someone telling them about the goodness and loving kindness of God?

We all should ask ourselves these questions. How can people call on God when they do not believe in God? How do people learn to believe in God when they have not even heard of God? How can they hear about God if we do not testify about what He has done in our lives? How many people do not believe in God because those who call themselves Christians fail to speak about Him and all God has done in our lives? This is a sobering thought, to think someone may have been saved if we had taken time and courage to speak the truth of God to him or her.

Romans 10:6a, 8-10, 13 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way…

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):  that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. NKJV

The word heart comes from a Greek word translated as kardia that speaks of the thoughts, feelings and mind of a person. It is not speaking of the organ that beats in our chest but the innermost or center part of our being, which is our intellect; it is the very process of our choice and our will.

When the word of God is given to us, or when the word of God is seen (read) or heard (taught), we may choose to accept it as truth and believe it or reject it. We make this choice every time a principle or precept of God’s is spoken to us. The heart of our mind, at that moment, chooses to believe the Light of God’s word to believe or not. .

When we choose to believe the truth, our belief in God’s word is confirmed by us speaking the very truth we heard. Our spoken confession of agreement with God’s word is established in our heart with that very declaration. Our tongue is the pen that writes on our heart the good things our Lord and King has arranged for us, and this gives us overflowing hope on matters that are before us.

Psalms 45: 1 My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

What we believe in our hearts becomes what we speak. The righteousness of faith speaks this way; it says what God says about the matter. The word righteous speaks of those who are placed in right standing with God through the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We are made righteous by His acts alone and our belief in Him places us into a right position in the family of God. Therefore, those who are believers in Jesus speak this way; they confess, declare and acknowledge with their mouth, that Jesus is their Lord, to whom they will obey. They believe He is the risen Son of God. By this acknowledgement of God’s truth and with the confession and declaration of our belief, we are made righteous, in right standing and are saved by God.

Many people want to believe but stay silent without making a confession. Anyone in love will want to make known their love to the person of their affection. If we do not express our love then it is only a dream. It becomes part of our reality when we take a chance and declare our commitment to this love. We must understand this world was created by the power of words spoken in faith. It is the act of the public expression of faith that brings redemption back into our world and it is that belief that put us in right standing with God.

Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. NKJV

Belief turns to faith when we take that belief and put action with it. We may believe in our hearts a thing is true but we cultivate our faith when we express it through actions and then acknowledge it to the entire world both the seen and the unseen world. We then have declared the position on which we stand and it operates in every detail of our lives and how we live life

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A famous woman once said,” people will tell you what they really think, if you listen, really listen to what they are saying.” The word of God tells us we can tell the type of heart a person has by listening to the words they speak. It is important to listen as well as watch. People can change their actions for a short time but what is buried in their hearts comes through the very wellspring of their being through their words and eventually their behavior.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life

Faith is not only speaking what we believe in our heart but faith is putting into action what we believe. When we start planning for a vacation, we believe we are taking, we begin preparing for it. Faith is the motion we put in place as the result of our belief. If we believe we are going on vacation to the beach, we start planning to take time off from work, we pack our suitcase and we bring our swimming suit. These actions are faith actions preparing for what we believe will happen. The same is with faith in God’s word, we start preparing for what we believe will occur. Belief is moved into faith by the actions we take toward the end result. It is the hope we have for what will happen in our future.

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Our Belief Systems Dictate Our Outcome

Believing in God is more than an intellectual knowledge of God. It is more than an intellectual climb to attain information about God. People will say they believe in something but what they mean is they may have a knowledge that it exists but not a commitment to fully trust in that person or thing. One of the enemy’s tactics is to get people confused about God’s Word and His truth by distorting or changing our understanding of the true meaning of words. This is done to confuse us in our reading and understanding of truth with a confused or different meaning from the original text.

To have knowledge of something in one’s mind is different than having a belief or a conviction of the soul and spirit, to be committed to that belief. Knowledge of a thing shows the receipt of information or data. True belief by definition is to have confidence, which is full trust or reliability of a person, and assurance in the truth, existence, reliability of that person or thing. Though it may be without absolute proof, your believing is the faith, the confidence or trust in a person, and becomes an obligation of loyalty to that person.

The only thing that was required of Adam was to believe and obey God’s Word of Truth. God told man that he was created in His likeness and the day he ate of the tree of knowledge he would die. The world system gives different meaning to life so to confuse people in knowing good from evil. Adam’s action to eat the fruit God told him not to eat reflected Adam’s choice to obey and listen to the enemy rather than God.

Because man obeyed Satan man became a servant and under Satan’s authority and rule. God was no longer the Sovereign King of man. God is true to His Word and He will not violate His word. Nor will God violate man’s will or his ability to choose to have another ruler over him. God could not void man’s choice and be faithful to His word. Most of us would ask, why did God allow this to happen? If God loved us, He would not let that happen or if He were all-powerful, He would stop Satan.

 

It was the love God had for man that gave man the ability to choose and God’s faithfulness to His word that restrained Him from stepping in and void the results of man’s choice. God showed His love for man by allowing him a choice and not making him a robot. God’s love, mercy and grace are seen in God providing man a Saviour. God’s faithfulness to His word is displayed in His restraint in not interfering with man’s choice but to remain true to His word to give them, dominion over the things in the earth.

Genesis 2: 16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Absolute power without rules of order and integrity will lead to brutality and mayhem. God’s word is His rule of order. He cannot and will not violate His word even at the great cost of losing mankind to rebellion and knowing the choice would destroy man in his created state. God is a God of integrity and principle and we are created to be like Him, in our life choices, to hold true to our word with integrity. An example of this is shown in Daniel. The king made a law and once a law was established the king himself could not alter or change the law. The king himself had to abide by the law that was implemented. Daniel was a man the king respected but the integrity of his word could not be violated, even at the cost of throwing Daniel into the lion’s den. This was done to keep the integrity of an earthly king’s law. It is much more important for the God of the universe to protect and keep His word!

God is not a man and He cannot lie, He must hold true to His word no matter the cost. Just as Daniel had to go into the lion’s den to protect the integrity of the king, God had to allow man a choice to hold true to His integrity. God brought Daniel out of the lion’s den just as God has provided a plan for man to be redeemed. God decided to pay the penalty for man’s rebellion and die in his stead. God provided man with another chance, to choose life rather than death to accept Jesus as their payment for sin.

Numbers 23:1 God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

The rebellion of Adam and Eve allowed Satan to have dominion over this world system for a season. The very dominion God had given to mankind was turned over to Satan and this is why there is such hate, death and destruction in the world today. Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy man- the object of God’s love and affection the very one created in His image.

Jesus came, paid the penalty for man’s rebellion and returned the Kingdom of Heaven back to the earth and now we are able to become citizens of this kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God was made available to all who believe in His Son. Now there are two kingdoms in operation on earth trying to advance its kingdom influence in the world, the fallen kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of God which bringing the light of truth. We still have to choose, in this life, which we will serve, the true King or the father of lies and our choice will be reflected in our actions. We have the same choice Adam and Eve had a choice that will display to the world who we are listening to and obeying, the truth of God or the lies of Satan.

Knowledge is only information; it is data we have on a subject, person or thing. Belief, however, is a commitment to a person or thing. It is having faith, belief and commitment that the person is all they said they are, even if there are no substantial proofs showing we are right. This is why believing in Jesus takes faith, not just to know Him, but to trust Him. Faith believes He is God and is committed to trust Him in the face of dark circumstances. We may be unable to produce, to the satisfaction of sceptics, the evidences they want us to produce but we believe that He is and He is able and will keep His promises. Our faith and the way we live with integrity is a testament of God, His power and what He can do with a simple life that is lived for Him. A life well lived points to God’s divine strength helping us to live a life of forgiveness and love which is only by the power of God’s grace and mercy.

Right believing leads to right thinking, which leads to right actions and this is what God wants for His people. When we know how much God loves us and all He has done just for us to succeed, our action would line up with what is true out of gratitude. We will want to do what brings honor and pleasure to our God. Loving children want to bring honor to their parents who have loved and given for their wellbeing. We as children of the Most High Kings should want to bring honor to our Heavenly Father. We do this by the choices we make in our daily lives to trust God and to show His love to an undeserving world.

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