As Believers we have to put an end to complicating Christianity. Confusion does not give God Glory and does not speak the truth. We have to meet people where they are and I pray this article will Give God Glory in this area (please read in its entirety). The Bible makes it very clear HOW we can receive the FREE GIFT of Salvation offered through Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9-10 Amplified: Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speeks out freely his faith) and confirms (his) salvation. The Bible also makes it plain the lifestyle expected of Christians. The Holy Word gives us instruction through scriptures that teach us how to follow the commands of Jesus Christ and flee from sin (Sin is Disobedience). However, God does not want us to Obey Him out of Obligation. Obedience should be out of our Hearts because we Love and want to Please God. Romans 6:17 Amplified: But Thank God, though you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed. Last but not least, when we MESS UP God is Faithful and Just to cleanse us from ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS if we Repent and Confess our sins. This does not give us permission to do what we want when we want to do it (willful sin). Hebrew 10:26 Amplified: For If we go on deliberately and willingly sinning after once acquiring the knowledge of the Truth, there is no longer any sacrifice left to atone for (our) sins (no further offering to which to look forward). We are saved through the Grace of God and there isn't ANYTHING we can do within our own strength to be saved. You might think Christianity is too hard so there is no need to accept the Free Gift of Salvation. Nothing is too Hard for God, because we are Saved by God’s Grace not mans. If we front and say we have not sinned we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, so come as you are and let God do the rest!
I love the Life Application Study Bible’s explanation of what it means to Believe (pg. 1906). To “believe” is more than intellectual agreement that Jesus is God. It means to put our trust and confidence in him that he alone can save us. It is to put Christ in charge of our present plans and eternal destiny. Believing is both trusting his words as reliable, and relying on him for power to change. If you have never trusted Christ, let this promise of everlasting life be yours-and believe. Okay let's take a look at the importance of Believing. When I refer to Belief I am discussing the special Belief we as Christians have in the True Gospel of Jesus Christ (that's why we are called Believers). Belief and Faith are used interchangeably in numerous scriptures. In addition, when searching for Belief and Faith in a Concordance some of the same scriptures can be found in both. Hebrews 11:6 Amplified: But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must (necessarily) believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek him (out). Some people think Believing in Jesus Christ is not enough. The simple fact is Jesus himself all throughout the Bible stressed the importance of BELIEVING so I choose to take him at his WORD. If the King of King and Lord of Lords has told us to Believe, then it is unfair for man to complicate his instruction. James 2:19 is used to Justify that Believing is Not enough. Amplified James 2:19 You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder (in terror and horror such as make a man's hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin)! Of course demons believe Jesus from an intellectual sense, but they DO NOT TRUST, OBEY, and RELY ON HIM. Belief to a Believer should mean Trust and Faith in everything God Is and all he has to Offer. As a Christian the word Belief is not just a word used to say something Might Be True. For example if I say, "I believe it is going to snow this week." I could mean I feel strongly it will snow, but I am not sure. A Christian should Believe with all of his Heart, Mind, and Soul and be Completely SURE that Jesus is who he says He is. Yes, even Satan quoted scriptures (check out Matthew and Luke). However, just because Satan quoted scriptures it does not mean He Believes in Jesus Christ (in the sense of Belief as a Christian). Believing in Jesus Christ requires that you use what’s in the picture above. You got it! As Christians we have to BELIEVE IN JESUS WITH OUR HEARTS. Demons might Be Aware of Jesus and even Acknowlege Jesus, but they DO NOT ACCEPT JESUS IN THEIR HEARTS LIKE MAN! The word heart appears 300 to over 700 times in the Bible depending on the Translation. There is power in what we Accept and Stand On in our HEART. Remember when God promised Abram a son. Abram had done a great job of showing his faith through his actions, but it was his BELIEF in the Lord that put Abram in Right Relationship with the Lord. Amplified 15:6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Abraham was another man that Believed and had Faith in God. Just think how much a parent LOVES their Child. Parents for the most part love their kids with all of their HEART. However, God tested Abraham’s faith to see if he loved God with all of his HEART by asking him to sacrifice his son. The end of the story resulted in Abraham not having to sacrifice his son, but guess who sacrificed his son so we could be in RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with GOD? That is right! God sacrificed his son Jesus for us to have the Right to Eternal Life with the Father.
My question again is, “Are you a Disbelieving Believer?” If you feel you are Doubting Jesus, you are not alone. Plenty of Believers find themselves in a place of Doubt just like Thomas. I remember myself doubting God as a young woman because of several tragedies in my life. I doubted God and even questioned his Power to turn my situations around. In following this blog you know by now I have been called to Keep It Real and expose some of my wounds so others will BELIEVE in the Healing Power of Jesus Christ. I said that to say this, if you are in a place of Doubting today it is NOT TOO LATE to turn your DOUBT INTO BELIEF. You can't believe because someone else tells you to. You have to do it because you know and accept the Free Gift of Salvation with all of YOUR HEART. Man Does Not know for sure whether you Believe in Jesus Christ or not, only the Heavenly Father can search your heart to confirm the truth. Do not fall in the trap of feeling you need a CERTAIN LEVEL of faith to be Saved. We are not saved through our level of Faith, we are saved because of the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. Even if your Faith is weak right now due to a trial you are facing, Believe and Trust in God to Strengthen your faith (God grows our measure of faith Romans 12:3) As we continue to Take God at his Word, Believing and Trusting in him our Faith will grow stronger and stronger. Matthew 17:20 Amplified:
He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith (that is, your lack of firmly relying trust). For truly I say to you, if you have faith (that is living) like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.
All in all, the first and vital step to a True Relationship with God is to BELIEVE IN HIM. Somebody reading this blog might not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. If you Confess with your Mouth that Jesus is Lord and BELIEVE in your heart that he rose from the dead you can be SAVED TODAY! Over 500 people in the Bible witnessed Jesus after he was resurrected from Death! No man or woman can conquer Sin and the Grave, but only the True and Living GOD! If you BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST you have nothing to lose and everything to GAIN. Please take a chance on Jesus because he Loves You Right Where you are. Stop saying you will accept Jesus when you start acting right! His Grace and Mercy will help you to start acting right! He wants you to trust in Him to Make you A NEW Creature (Ignite a New You). No matter what you are doing and have done he Loves you and is extending an Open Invitation for you to Accept the Free Gift of Salvation. *If you are reading this blog and unsure of your salvation please contact me at prosperity78@yahoo.com. Jesus came to Set us FREE from bondage, but we have to want to be free! I CHALLENGE YOU to use the Share Bar below and send this to an UNBELIEVER! As Christians we have to Spread the Gospel and why not use the internet to do it (Satan uses it for his Dead Will, so Give God Glory and Use it for the will of Jesus Christ). We all have been called to fulfill the Great Commission and you never know how or what God will use to do just that.
Love and Blessings.
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Scriptures to Stand On and Believe In! Amplified Bible
* John 3:16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He (even) gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
* Mark 9:23 And Jesus said, (You say to Me), If You can do anything? (Why) all things can be (are possible) to him who believes!
* Genesis 15:6 And he (Abram) believed in (trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness (right standing with God).
Scripture supports the nature of the heart and why it is important to have Jesus in our hearts.
*Matthew 15:18 But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what makes a man unclean and defiles (him). For out of the heart come evil thoughts (reasonings and disputings and designs) such as murder, adultery, sexual vice, theft, false witnessing, slander, and irreverent speech.
*Luke 24:25 And (Jesus) said to them, O foolish ones (sluggish in mind, dull of perception) and slow of heart to believe (adhere to and trust in and rely on) everything that the prophets have spoken!
