(February 12, 2017)
In life what you believe is of great importance. If an individual believes in their own heart that laws are meant to be broken, they will break them, and with impunity. On the other hand when a person embraces an inherent respect for the concept of law and order, that individual tends to make efforts to remain within the bounds of that which is regarded as righteous by human standards. The righteousness that comes from God is above the human standard and therefore the only way to attain to Gods’ righteousness is to seek it through the power of God. Belief in God and “believing” God is the beginning of righteousness; it is Gods measuring line for looking into the human heart… unbelief is sin. Believing God means accepting what He has told the human race since the earliest time when God inspired scripture was given. This kind of belief is where God associates individual people with Himself through His word. He values this so highly that it is documented throughout the Bible in the lives of people that God refers to as righteous. What a wonderful thing to be called a friend of God through righteousness! When we are born; as infants our beliefs about ourselves and the world around us begin to form. Our parents and the environmental conditions which surround us will help (or cause) our initial belief’s to head in certain directions. Many traditions and religious convictions are brought into our consciousness during our upbringing; through those early years they are the only cognitive source of information and experience we have, so it should come as no surprise that people born within Scotland embrace the Scottish heritage and traditions, people born into Buddhism will regard the principles taught to them as the true spiritual path. When time passes we begin to add to our personal “book” of knowledge and understanding, and eventually each of us will start to add or discard some of the things we have been taught. There is however another aspect of human awareness that is much more amazing, and if given the proper instruction this will lead to an imparted understanding that aids us in our beliefs. We are a created people! All things that exist are created elements, compounds, living and inert physical things. The God (Yahweh) who created everything that exists has implanted in the depths of every human being a desire to know our origin and our purpose; (reason) for living. Some have proclaimed in our post-modern world that the cause for the desire to know our source and “reason” for existence is simply genetic or perhaps chemical in substance. I see no conflict with this idea of genetic or chemical composition effecting humans in this way; after all God created the genetic and chemical elements of our being. In Gods’ sovereign plan He placed within every person a deep and mysterious desire. This longing within the human heart being evident and true; it is also by our fallen (sinful) nature often misdirected, and leads us in the wrong direction. One Biblical account that speaks of a clear transition from blind seeking based upon human understanding to the God revering based upon the spoken truth about Himself is revealed in the book of Acts: Acts 17: 22 ~ 28 NRSV 22 Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. 23 For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 26 From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27 so that they would search for God[j] and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. 28 For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ In this account the apostle Paul speaks to the Greek people in a way that they cannot deny because the introduction to Gods’ truth begins with their own philosophical beliefs about a greater source for the existence of all physical things. We know that many different nations, cultures and religions share common characteristics of the God of the Bible. Some beliefs assign Gods’ position in love, understanding and justice to an evolving human condition under the power of the human condition; other beliefs lead to many god’s that have their basis in the same need to understand the our source and purpose in life, with the various events and conditions which surround us causing much unrest in our hearts. When we study and seek to know the True & Living God our excuses and reasoning’s are confronted with Gods’ sovereign truth; He is God alone, He posses the wisdom and depth of knowledge required to create physical things out invisible things, to bring them to life and He alone knows why He brought about this great unspeakable act of love. The subject at hand; “Beliefs Matter” transcends not only whether or not we believe in God; it also comes down to the importance of finite immovable truths about who God is and an understanding about our proper place in creation, most importantly how we are to live the lives assigned to us while here in the physical world. God has proclaimed a call to His truth and “way” which is by its very nature in conflict with our own. We are a “fallen” people, and denial of this is the beginning of the greatest of all sin; unbelief in God! We so often become our own providence, and therefor place ourselves above God. More challenging than the fact that we are in a condition that rebels against the knowledge of God is the fact that our rebellion may be hidden in believing in false gods. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the final letter to the hearts of people so they may turn away from their sinful condition and allow God to have His proper place in their lives. Acts 17: 29 ~ 34 CJB 29 So, since we are children of God, we shouldn’t suppose that God’s essence resembles gold, silver or stone shaped by human technique and imagination. 30 “In the past, God overlooked such ignorance; but now he is commanding all people everywhere to turn to him from their sins. 31 For he has set a Day when he will judge the inhabited world, and do it justly, by means of a man whom he has designated. And he has given public proof of it by resurrecting this man from the dead.” 32 At the mention of a resurrection of dead people, some began to scoff; while others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 So Sha’ul left the meeting. 34 But some men stayed with him and came to trust, including the High Council member Dionysius; there was also a woman named Damaris; and others came to trust along with them. Inevitably each person must weigh the evidence and decided what is accurate and true; the proofs that help lead us to believe in God and ultimately in the only real God who exists. There are special blessings God has chosen to place upon people as He has ordained. Only God decides who will receive mercy and grace; and yet to those who truly call on His name He will give wisdom freely. Some people have a very clear and powerful faith. I view this as a “natural faith”; it is there, and no one can easily move or challenge it. People who have this kind of faith simply believe God “is”, and they know Him to be the one true God deeply within their own hearts. When the Holy Bible scripture is reveled to someone with natural faith, the elements make sense and they fit together in a way that cannot be denied. Many other people have faith that requires much work and may be challenged in ways that can be both painful and disruptive in the person’s life. These people may still have faith in that their belief is real and genuine; however the challenges of this physical life may assault their belief in ways that require an act of will to overcome sinful unbelief. Regardless of the caliber of faith that God has assigned to each person; it is a gift from God according to His own sovereign plan; it is still “saving faith”. Ephesians 2: 8 ~ 9 ESV 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Romans 12: 3 NASB 3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. Romans 6: 20 ~ 23 NRSV 20 When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. One thing is present in both kinds of faith; the person who walks in faith is a child of God through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. Nothing on earth or in heaven can remove these people from the hand of God. They belong to Him, and their place in His spiritual family will never be taken away. This is what is meant to be the called or chosen of God. Whether the work of belief in your heart and soul is great and natural, or small and fought for the evidence of Gods’ work is that you do have a desire to know Him, and what you believe matters! To God be the glory forever and ever! In life what you believe is of great importance. If an individual believes in their own heart that laws are meant to be broken, they will break them, and with impunity. On the other hand when a person embraces an inherent respect for the concept of law and order, that individual tends to make efforts to remain within the bounds of that which is regarded as righteous by human standards. The righteousness that comes from God is above the human standard and therefore the only way to attain to Gods’ righteousness is to seek it through the power of God. Belief in God and “believing” God is the beginning of righteousness; it is Gods measuring line for looking into the human heart… unbelief is sin.
Believing God means accepting what He has told the human race since the earliest time when God inspired scripture was given. This kind of belief is where God associates individual people with Himself through His word.
He values this so highly that it is documented throughout the Bible in the lives of people that God refers to as righteous. What a wonderful thing to be called a friend of God through righteousness!
When we are born; as infants our beliefs about ourselves and the world around us begin to form. Our parents and the environmental conditions which surround us will help (or cause) our initial belief’s to head in certain directions. Many traditions and religious convictions are brought into our consciousness during our upbringing; through those early years they are the only cognitive source of information and experience we have, so it should come as no surprise that people born within Scotland embrace the Scottish heritage and traditions, people born into Buddhism will regard the principles taught to them as the true spiritual path. When time passes we begin to add to our personal “book” of knowledge and understanding, and eventually each of us will start to add or discard some of the things we have been taught. There is however another aspect of human awareness that is much more amazing, and if given the proper instruction this will lead to an imparted understanding that aids us in our beliefs.
We are a created people! All things that exist are created elements, compounds, living and inert physical things. The God (Yahweh) who created everything that exists has implanted in the depths of every human being a desire to know our origin and our purpose; (reason) for living. Some have proclaimed in our post-modern world that the cause for the desire to know our source and “reason” for existence is simply genetic or perhaps chemical in substance. I see no conflict with this idea of genetic or chemical composition effecting humans in this way; after all God created the genetic and chemical elements of our being. In Gods’ sovereign plan He placed within every person a deep and mysterious desire. This longing within the human heart being evident and true; it is also by our fallen (sinful) nature often misdirected, and leads us in the wrong direction. One Biblical account that speaks of a clear transition from blind seeking based upon human understanding to the God revering based upon the spoken truth about Himself is revealed in Acts:
Acts 17: 22 ~ 28 NRSV 22 Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. 23 For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 26 From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27 so that they would search for God[j] and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. 28 For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’
In this account the apostle Paul speaks to the Greek people in a way that they cannot deny because the introduction to Gods’ truth begins with their own philosophical beliefs about a greater source for the existence of all physical things. We know that many different nations, cultures and religions share common characteristics of the God of the Bible. Some beliefs assign Gods’ position in love, understanding and justice to an evolving human condition under the power of the human condition; other beliefs lead to many god’s that have their basis in the same need to understand the our source and purpose in life, with the various events and conditions which surround us causing much unrest in our hearts.
When we study and seek to know the True & Living God our excuses and reasoning’s are confronted with Gods’ sovereign truth; He is God alone, He posses the wisdom and depth of knowledge required to create physical things out invisible things, to bring them to life and He alone knows why He brought about this great unspeakable act of love. The subject at hand; “Beliefs Matter” transcends not only whether or not we believe in God; it also comes down to the importance of finite immovable truths about who God is and an understanding about our proper place in creation, most importantly how we are to live the lives assigned to us while here in the physical world.
God has proclaimed a call to His truth and “way” which is by its very nature in conflict with our own. We are a “fallen” people, and denial of this is the beginning of the greatest of all sin; unbelief in God! We so often become our own providence, and therefor place ourselves above God. More challenging than the fact that we are in a condition that rebels against the knowledge of God is the fact that our rebellion may be hidden in believing in false gods. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the final letter to the hearts of people so they may turn away from their sinful condition and allow God to have His proper place in their lives.
Acts 17: 29 ~ 34 CJB 29 So, since we are children of God, we shouldn’t suppose that God’s essence resembles gold, silver or stone shaped by human technique and imagination. 30 “In the past, God overlooked such ignorance; but now he is commanding all people everywhere to turn to him from their sins. 31 For he has set a Day when he will judge the inhabited world, and do it justly, by means of a man whom he has designated. And he has given public proof of it by resurrecting this man from the dead.” 32 At the mention of a resurrection of dead people, some began to scoff; while others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 So Sha’ul left the meeting. 34 But some men stayed with him and came to trust, including the High Council member Dionysius; there was also a woman named Damaris; and others came to trust along with them.
Inevitably each person must weigh the evidence and decided what is accurate and true; the proofs that help lead us to believe in God and ultimately in the only real God who exists. There are special blessings God has chosen to place upon people as He has ordained. Only God decides who will receive mercy and grace; and yet to those who truly call on His name He will give wisdom freely. Some people have a very clear and powerful faith. I view this as a “natural faith”; it is there, and no one can easily move or challenge it. People who have this kind of faith simply believe God “is”, and they know Him to be the one true God deeply within their own hearts. When the Holy Bible scripture is reveled to someone with natural faith, the elements make sense and they fit together in a way that cannot be denied. Many other people have faith that requires much work and may be challenged in ways that can be both painful and disruptive in the person’s life. These people may still have faith in that their belief is real and genuine; however the challenges of this physical life may assault their belief in ways that require an act of will to overcome sinful unbelief. Regardless of the caliber of faith that God has assigned to each person; it is a gift from God according to His own sovereign plan; it is still “saving faith”.
Ephesians 2: 8 ~ 9 ESV 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Romans 12: 3 NASB 3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
Romans 6: 20 ~ 23 NRSV 20 When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
One thing is present in both kinds of faith; the person who walks in faith is a child of God through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. Nothing on earth or in heaven can remove these people from the hand of God. They belong to Him, and their place in His spiritual family will never be taken away. This is what is meant to be the called or chosen of God. Whether the work of belief in your heart and soul is great and natural, or small and fought for the evidence of Gods’ work is that you do have a desire to know Him, and what you believe matters! To God be the gloty forever and ever!