"Aman" literally means to build up or support. Figuratively it means to be firm and faithful and to trust permanently. In the New Testament from the Greek, we get still another twist in the definition of believe. "Pisteuo" literally means to be persuaded of or to have complete confidence in someone or something. Figuratively it means, "to have permanent conviction and trust that Jesus or God is capable of delivering on the promise made by his life, death and resurrection."
All of this etymology is a mouthful, but it is paramount that we, as believers, understand this amazing word completely. The information is not to confuse you, but to pique your interest about this key pillar of our faith. By the way, I meant "pique," not peak. So now when you read or recite, "Believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved," you learn that it had a very different meaning than just believing that the sun will rise tomorrow. A simple mental acknowledgement of the existence of our Trinity is not what John meant when he penned the verse above. It's meaning is much deeper and contains part of the entire historic use of the word.
Let's site a few examples to help clarify:
- Satan believes and knows that our God exists.
- Demons believe and know that our God exists.
- Nebuchadnezzar believed and knew our God exists.
- Pharoah believed and knew our God exists.
- The Hebrew nation believes and knows our God exists.
- You believe and know that our God exists.
- I believe and know that our God exists.
So what's the difference between these 7 examples? There is nothing different! They all believe and know that our God exists, and yet many of the above examples will never see the New Jerusalem or walk the streets of gold. Whether it's OT belief or NT belief, if it is worthy of eternal life, it must be more than a casual, impersonal statement of fact. Many of us have been lulled to sleep, thinking that you "believe" in God. BIBLICAL BELIEF is far from a casual affirmation, and even farther from being impersonal. This is as formal, real, and genuine as it can get in this short life.
Some like to think a superior being or power created everything on our planet. It has no name, it is not personal. Some like to think we evolved from some impersonal primordial ooze, and that some impersonal galactic explosion created our mountains, lakes, streams, vegetation and populated our planet with all variations of life itself, from the smallest of insects to the largest mammal on earth, the Blue Whale. Trust me our Creator is NOT impersonal.
Whether you like it or not, BIBLICAL BELIEF causes you to study his word, pray in earnest, confess with an open heart, and to use your personal set of God given talents for Him. There is nothing more personal than your relationship with God. He knows how you take your coffee in the morning. He knows when you sin in the light of day or in darkness of night. He knows what goes through your mind. He knows what you feel, see and touch. He knows if you love his creation, and if you love others more than yourself. He knows if you place value on your relationship with Him. He knows if you are stagnant and slothful or vibrant and growing towards Him or away from Him. He knows you inside and out. He knows that He never moves away from you, but you often pretend He is not even there...
When you meet your very, personal Creator one day in the future, you will know that your Belief was complete and Biblical in nature. If you are so caught up in yourself, your job, your money, your car and you try to embrace our Lord with coldness in your heart, you might want to stop and think again. If your are mad, if you are condescending, if your are arrogant and aloof, you might want to stop and think. If you have an uncontrollable ego, if you have an uncontrollable tongue, and if you don't feel His Holy Spirit coursing through your veins, you might want to stop and think of Him.
My dear friend, it's time you took a good look at your personal belief in the Creator, his Son and his Spirit. If you only go through the motions and have gotten spiritually soft and are stuck at a convenient impasse without love in your heart and God's agenda on your mind, you have a problem. Talk to God multiple times each day. Suck the marrow out of His Word with the help of the Holy Spirit, and you will get the engine started and on the path of righteousness. Thank God for your life, because it was Him that created you personally out of clay, and breathed the breath of life into your lungs. It has always been personal with God. If you make it personal with Him, and it's about time you do, your belief becomes Biblical...
God Bless,
The Digital Disciple
Whether you like it or not, BIBLICAL BELIEF causes you to study his word, pray in earnest, confess with an open heart, and to use your personal set of God given talents for Him. There is nothing more personal than your relationship with God. He knows how you take your coffee in the morning. He knows when you sin in the light of day or in darkness of night. He knows what goes through your mind. He knows what you feel, see and touch. He knows if you love his creation, and if you love others more than yourself. He knows if you place value on your relationship with Him. He knows if you are stagnant and slothful or vibrant and growing towards Him or away from Him. He knows you inside and out. He knows that He never moves away from you, but you often pretend He is not even there...
When you meet your very, personal Creator one day in the future, you will know that your Belief was complete and Biblical in nature. If you are so caught up in yourself, your job, your money, your car and you try to embrace our Lord with coldness in your heart, you might want to stop and think again. If your are mad, if you are condescending, if your are arrogant and aloof, you might want to stop and think. If you have an uncontrollable ego, if you have an uncontrollable tongue, and if you don't feel His Holy Spirit coursing through your veins, you might want to stop and think of Him.
My dear friend, it's time you took a good look at your personal belief in the Creator, his Son and his Spirit. If you only go through the motions and have gotten spiritually soft and are stuck at a convenient impasse without love in your heart and God's agenda on your mind, you have a problem. Talk to God multiple times each day. Suck the marrow out of His Word with the help of the Holy Spirit, and you will get the engine started and on the path of righteousness. Thank God for your life, because it was Him that created you personally out of clay, and breathed the breath of life into your lungs. It has always been personal with God. If you make it personal with Him, and it's about time you do, your belief becomes Biblical...
God Bless,
The Digital Disciple
