Believe and Live

Romans 3:3 (KJV):  “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?”   “It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:  if we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”  2 Timothy 2:11-13

I sincerely believe all that God has ever wanted from man is just too be believed.  (continued in attachment)

“and gave also to her (Eve; although not yet named, till verse 20,) gave also to her husband with her; and he (Adam) did eat:”  Genesis 3:6e  Adam quite believing God and ate.  The why’s and wherefore’s of that decision is beyond words to this day.  Nevertheless  “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning,

that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”  Romans 15:4.

Speaking of Moses and his unbelief:  “ Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession: and die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people: because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel.”  Deuteronomy 32:49-51.

Concerning the unbelief in detail of Moses and Arron:  “And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.”  Numbers 20:9-12

Again concerning Israel as a nation:  Numbers 13: spies into the promised land, Israel’s unbelief and rebellion to not take the land,  and their punishment as seen in Numbers 14. 

Davids numbering of Israel; the Book of 2 Samuel 24.  The telling of not believing God, God’s correction and sacrifice’s following.  “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.”

1 Samuel 15:22.

God is most patient, merciful, forgiving, full of grace; but His word stands secure, it is certain.  Today's saint must learn to believe God; at times it is hard, confusing and not even logical, but we must believe.

Sidebar:  God is patient, merciful, forgiving, full of grace; but before the cross when one knew God’s will and truth and refused to obey, God’s wrath was poured out almost immediately.  Today we are in God’s grace, but still the same God.  Be careful knowing what mighty awesome God we should serve that we do not provoke Him to act as they did before the cross.    

We must believe that’s why reading God’s Word is vital to one’s spiritual growth as is constant prayer.  His word ensures me that:  “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:”  Romans 5:20.  His grace abounds not to give me the freedom to sin but to realize His gift being worked out in our lives.  Do I believe that? “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”  Romans 6:14.  Do I believe that?  “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”  Ephesians 1:13.  Do I believe that?  If I do then my life in Christ will reflect that belief.  That’s what the world is to see:  Him in me my hope of glory and theirs also if they too would believe.

What is this “the gospel of your salvation” all about?  Paul spoke saying:    “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”  Romans 1:16.  What is the gospel that he, Paul, wasn’t ashamed of?  “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”  1 Corinthians 15:1-4.  Paul’s gospel is preached for this reason, that then:  “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” Romans 2:16.    We are to believe Him, God.  He has given us the explicit direction of what to believe and then how to live out, by faith, in what He has given us to believe.  Does one with all the witnesses given, that we hold in our hand, to be absorbed by our mind and spirit, His written Word, that He will renege on what He has said?  Then some will ask; “How do you James know that, that book was written, that you put so much trust in isn’t just some concocted tale from men's minds?  A simple answer:  “The Jew”.  Where were they, how did they come into existence, look at all their victories and disappointments.  Look what was promised, look what has become as it was not.  A small nation, but God’s promises are sure.  That why I answer; “The Jew”.  

In the presentation of Paul’s gospel, there is a short phrase that needs to be understood by everyone that think’s they may be in Christ.  It states:  “unless you have believed in vain.”  1 Corinthians 15:2c.  So there are those as with Israel, those who have, will “believe in vain.”  This is where one needs to constantly be in God’s Word.  How does one know if they have believed in vain?  God never hides truth but God will make one search for truth:  “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”  Hebrews 11:6.  Again “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”  2 Timothy 2:15.  Not to study to impress God with your efforts but to discover why we are His children, as seen in again Paul’s writings:  “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from (His) faith to (our) faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”  Words in blue are not scripture but my understanding and for clarification.  Words in Blue are not scripture.

Back to how does one know if or when they may have believed in vain, either concerning salvation or any scripture given, wherein is a question.  “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.”  Philippians 3:15.  

Sidebar:  Most will admit that the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ or for that matter the LORD Jesus Christ in comparison with the using the name God are far from being used equally.  Most will, God this or God that but to my observation Jesus is used more than Jesus Christ and rarely do I hear the “LORD Jesus Christ;  why?  King James Version 1611 issue, by Strong’s concordance; uses God 4095x’s.  Using Jesus; 943 x’s,  Jesus Christ 258x’x and Lord Jesus Christ 106x’s.  But there in Philippians the word “God” is used.  I believe that God by the Holy Spirit, not using another name would assure that He, no matter the name used, would, would what?  “God shall reveal even this unto you”  Reveal what?  if one of His children gets some stink’n  thinking going on, He, God, Himself by His Spirit will make the correction in His child’s understanding.  Then after truth is revealed one must consider believing Him, God, Holy Spirit, LORD Jesus Christ or do we believe what some man believes and taught?  We have His written Word, and by that we will be judged: what saith the scriptures?

How does one then believe?  It is so simple to believe, it, in fact, is so simple, it’s hard (a true oxymoron).  Not hard in believing but hard as opposed as to what we have been taught to believe;  we are taught error and that to our own hurt. Example:  All your sins have been forgiven, past, present and future! that is taught correctly, then being taught,  now confess your sin that your sin will be forgiven.  Confess so you won’t be out of fellowship with God.  We have to be holy before God and God won’t accept any sin.  I had never heard or for that matter read about my sin condition, other than what was just written above.  One day, sometime back I read “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”  Ephesians 1:7.  “In whom” in Jesus, I must be in Jesus to have His blood applied to me.  How does that happen?  Redemption came by His blood, but how is that applied to me?  Forgiveness of sins?  According to His grace?  Keywords to understand: “In whom”; “redemption”; “His blood”; “forgiveness of sin”; “grace”. 

The path to salvation, eternal life in the LORD Jesus Christ!

Believe that God is:  “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

after believing that He is:

Believe that one is a sinner?  “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”  Romans 3:23

after believing one is a sinner:

Believe that God has done all that He requires for your reconciliation:  “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”  Hebrews 9:22  “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-19  

after believing God’s sacrifice for sin has paid all on our behalf:

Believe what God has done for you:  “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”  John 14:6.  “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10.  It doesn’t say; I am the forgiveness; doesn’t say He came so we could have forgiveness but He came to give life.  It should be obvious that we were dead and needed life, not forgiveness.  The problem was, were dead from sin and need life, His life.  If God hadn’t dealt a death blow to sin, the next time after receiving life and the individual sinned  “For the wages of sin is death;” death would again set in and the sinner would need life again and another sacrifice would be needed.  From God’s position sin was destroyed at the cross by the perfect blood shed by the sinless Christ.    We receive the benefit of His sacrifice by faith:  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”  all Him and none of me.”  Ephesians 2:8

What happens the moment we believe?: 

Believe what?  “how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Corinthians 15:3b-4 

Immediately:  “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized (not a water baptism but a spiritual baptism:  Ephesians 4:5)  into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”   1 Corinthians 12:12-13.  “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  2 Corinthians 5:17.

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”  Ephesians 1:13-14.  We become eternally secure in the body of Christ and no man can remove one.  “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38-39.  “nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”  note: although not in context given those are still truths that are to be applied to the believers, those in Christ, the church, Christ’s body. 

Thank You LORD Jesus, You have taught me so much,  help me to never become dull of hearing.  Show me how to increase my faith, increase my trust. increase my hope, increase my belief in You.  It has always been and always be about You.  In Jesus’s name, Your name  Amen . . . . . . . . .