Believe
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Believe In
Believe In
what does the word believe actually mean
does it actually just mean the belief in the existence of something or someone??
or does it mean more?
20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
God wants us to understand his word…its just some people just don’t want to know
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
this doesn’t mean we will know everything…but rather to have a strong knowledge of what it is that we believe, however extensive that knowledge is.
the bible says that we are to add to ourselves “knowledge”…for what: the perfecting of the saints.
so that we can more perfectly walk with our God…so that our efforts are not in vain, but according to truth and in the obedience thereto.
when we “study to show ourselves approved” It means to always be improving and learning about what it is that we believe or have faith in.
how can a person have faith in something that they know nothing about. or rather, how can we obey that which we know nothing about.
meaning that our belief should have a basis to it…a reason why
To believe in something simply means:
to consider to be true or honest
to accept the word or evidence of
to accept something as true, genuine, or real
to have a firm or wholehearted religious conviction or persuasion
The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia Believe
The verb form is related to faith, meaning “to have confidence in,” “to trust,” “to accept as true and reliable
it can be used in the context of: I believe that the sun is going to rise tomorrow morning.
or…I believe there is earth beneath my feet..
these things are so because we can see them with our physical eyes
although, true faith in not based upon what we can see....for if we see something, we don’t have to have faith because we can actually see what it is.
Believe On
Believe On
the scripture we are going to first look at begins with Paul and Silas in prison.....
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
on the surface, it would seem that if we merely believed in the Lord Jesus Christ we are saved…until we look at it a little closer.
to believe in someone is to believe that they exist.
to believe on someone is to believe in who they are and what they stand for..to hold the same values and principles as they do.
to believe on Jesus Christ is to not only believe that he exists but to also believe in his doctrine/teaching (ie: to except and obey his doctrine) to believe the gospel as the bible tells us.
Believe the Gospel
Believe the Gospel
belief in something must be followed up with obedience when it comes to the gospel
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
what he is actually saying here is to repent and not only believe the gospel in the general sense, but to obey the gospel.
13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
meaning that we recieved it as truth....but not just that, but that it should effectually work in them that believe or obey.
Effectual meaning:
producing or able to produce a desired effect or the intended purpose of God
Effectually meaning:
in an effectual manner or with great effect meaning completely
so that his word would work in us the intended purpose of God, not just partially, but completely.
when we witness to someone, it is not always received in the intended purpose that it was given
much of that comes down to how it was delivered or presented....we are, after all, talking about human beings.
if i came up to someone and said “Jesus Christ died for your sins you better get right with God”.....it likely would be rejected because of the way it was presented.....
after this..a person could still have question as to what this really means…
does believing mean obedience?? lets look at additional scriptures
The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia Believe
” In the NT it often has the force of “obey”
As in: “Obedience to the gospel”
Obedience to the Gospel
Obedience to the Gospel
The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia Believe
“Believe” is used to translate the Heb. ˒āman, “to build up or support,” “to render firm or faithful,” “to trust,” “to stand still”
we see that when the bible says “stand still” it doesn’t necessarily mean to stand and to do nothing
it also carries the meaning of : faith, trust and obedience...
13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
he was telling them to have faith, trust in the Lord and obey that which he will show you....this is what brings about salvation biblically (obedience)
through their faith and obedience…they would then see the salvation of Gods delivering power.
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
here the writer is specifically correlating obedience to believing.
they have not believed the gospel because they have not obeyed it.
therefor..we cannot believe something and not obey it..
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
people can say....I have excepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal saviour....the answer: but have you believed unto obedience....
for belief without obedience is not belief at all.
here again we see obedience to belief tied together.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
what will be the end to those that obey not the gospel.
these scriptures are pretty clear that without obedience we have nothing
we must understand that our mission and calling is to truth and obedience
we see this clearly in the book of Romans.
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
in this, it is saying, we have received grace:
unmerited favor: God had grace on us though we did not deserve it.
and apostleship:
a person who initiates a great moral reform or who first advocates an important belief or system
an ardent supporter: Adherent
what this means is that they where given a task or mission to teach a particular belief or belief system and the adherence to that teaching.
the natural question at this point would be: and all this was for what purpose????
the scripture goes on to say...for: obedience to the faith
this all brings us full circle back to the meaning of “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ”
Hopefully you can say and know that this is meaning:
the apostle was telling the jailer: if you believe, have faith and obedience to the adherence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. you shall be saved…not only him, but his family as well.
we notice also, that if we read further, we see the full picture
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
this meaning they continued in belief or obedience…him and his whole house.
22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to hearken than the fat of rams.
the new covenant of God is :
Believe
faith
obedience
and all this through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.