What it takes to truly believe in
God
“The time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine, but will follow their own desires and will collect for themselves more and more teachers who will tell them what they are itching to hear.” (II Timothy 4:3 GNT, Emphasis Mine)
HERE ARE PEOPLE who proudly claim to believe in God, and they are so much convinced of the authenticity of their faith. However, it is very crucial to understand what it takes for one to prove that he truly believes in God or that his faith in God is genuine. If we are complacent in our convictions without critically examining what true faith in God requires, we will end up profoundly mistaken. This is because merely asserting that we believe in Him and pray is not sufficient, and simply declaring our faith won’t cut it either.
In order for us to not be wrong, our conviction on this matter must be backed up, not by merely one’s personal preferences or even by other people’s opinions, but by the Bible, which contains the words of God, since it is the Bible that makes a person wise for salvation (II Tim. 3:15). By aligning our beliefs with the teachings of the Bible, we can be confident in our faith and be certain that we are on the right path.
BE GATHERED IN CHRIST
The apostles reminded those who say they believe in God should ensure that their faith works together with their works (James 2:22 New King James Version). To do that, they should do or fulfill the will of God (Matt. 7:21). The Bible teaches God’s will that people should fulfill, in Ephesians 1:9-10:
“Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth-in Him.”
(Reference: Ephesians 1:9-10 NKJV, Emphasis Mine)
It is God’s will that all people be gathered together in Christ, and we should not ignore or overlook this. Those who disobey God’s will disregard His purpose of sending of the Lord Jesus Christ. Having chosen to be separate from Christ rather than to be gathered in Him, they will be in a terrible condition:
“Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.”
(Reference: Eph. 2:12 New International Version, Emphasis Mine)
Those who are separate from Christ-those who refuse to be gathered together in Him-are without hope and without God. They have no hope for salvation in the end, and God will not acknowledge them as His. If we truly believe in God, we should not fail to determine, for this is of utmost importance, and then act accordingly: are we among those who are gathered together in Christ? Or are we separate from Him?
CHRIST'S BRANCHES
If we truly believe in the Lord God, we should make sure that we are not separate from His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. If there is someone who can say who is not separate from Christ, He is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This is what He teaches:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”
(Reference: John 15:5-6 NIV)
Christ is the vine, and those who are not His branches are apart or separate from Him. Thus, we need to be among His branches and remain attached to the vine, which is Christ, so we can be sure we are not separate from Him.
Christ also tells us that those who do not remain in Him are like branches that are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. Hence, if we truly believe in God, not only do we have to make sure we are among Christ’s branches, but also, we have to ensure that we remain attached to Him. If not, we will be among those who will be punished.
CHRIST'S ONE BODY
Moreover, in Colossians 1:18, it is recorded, thus:
“And He is the head of the body, the church …” (NKJV)
(Reference: Colossians 1:18, Emphasis Mine)
As Christ is the vine and His disciples are His branches, similarly, Christ is the head and the Church is His body. Being among the branches of Christ means being members of His body. And so, remaining attached to the vine, who is Christ, means remaining members of His body. The apostles clarified, thus:
“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.“
(Reference: Rom. 12:4-5 NKJV, Emphasis Mine)
We have to be members of Christ’s one body, which is His Church, and we have to remain in it. How do we know if we are in the Church that is the one body of Christ when there are so many churches today? The Bible is clear to identify the true Church that is the one body of Christ. Christ proclaims, thus:
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
(Reference: Matt. 16:18 NKJV, Emphasis Mine)
The Church that we should seek and be members of it is the Church that is owned and built by Christ Himself. He calls it “My church.” Since Christ calls it “My church,” His apostles followed suit and called it the Church Of Christ. In Ephesians 4:11-12, the apostles declared:
“And He appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets; some to be evangelists, others preachers or teachers. The common object of their labor was to bring the Christians maturity, to prepare them for Christian service and the building up of the Church of Christ.“
(Reference: Ephesians 4:11-12 Norlie’s Simplified New Testament, Emphasis Mine)
So, if we truly believe in God, we should be found inside the Church Of Christ and remain members of it until the end.
THE UNIQUE ADVANTAGE OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
The true Church Of Christ is one of a kind, and definitely not just the clichéd one of the many pathways to God, as others think. In Acts 20:28, this is what is recorded:
If one is in the true Church Of Christ, he benefits from what is given to the Church ‒ the Church is purchased with the blood of Christ.
The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is so important that it supersedes in value all the things in this world, even those considered by people as precious. In Hebrews 9:14 and 22, the Bible highlights the importance of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ:
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
“And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.“
(Reference: Hebrews 9:14, 22 NKJV, Emphasis Mine)
Only through the blood of Christ can one gain the right to serve the living God. The blood of Christ purifies man. Since the Church Of Christ is the one purchased with the blood of Christ, then only by being in this Church can we benefit from the blessings brought by the blood of Christ, and there is no other way.
Therefore, the only way we can rightly claim to believe in God is when we are among those who are purchased with the blood of Christ. The only way we can benefit from the redemptive act of Christ is to be in the Church Of Christ. However, is it enough to join the Church Of Christ and remain in it to show that we truly believe in God?
DEAD IN THE EYES OF GOD
The Lord God strictly forbids His people to “be separate” and “do not touch what is unclean” so that He will receive them (II Cor. 6:17 NKJV). Thus, those who have joined the Church Of Christ should make sure not to lead an unclean or unrighteous life. They should leave behind their former way of life and lead a life that is according to God’s commands.
Furthermore, the apostles taught in I Timothy 5:6, thus:
“Whereas she who lives in pleasure and self-gratification [giving herself up to luxury and self-indulgence] is dead even while she [still] lives.”
(Reference: I Cor. 12:28 Amplified Bible, Emphasis Mine)
Those who live a wicked, immoral, and licentious lifestyle are dead in God’s eyes, even if they are in the Church of Christ. They are dead because even though they are still living, they are bound to be punished in the lake of fire, which is the second death, when Judgment Day comes:
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.“
(Reference: Rev. 21:8 NKJV, Emphasis Mine)
And since God considers them dead, He does not acknowledge their services to Him. In Mark 12:27, it is stated, thus:
“He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”
(Reference: Mark 12:27, NIV)
And so, God commands that such kind of people be expelled from the Church; they will not be able to remain in the body of Christ:
“God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked person from among you’.”
(Reference: I Cor. 5:13 NIV)
'I WILL BE YOUR GOD'
Believing in God is crucial, but such faith is incomplete without joining the Church Of Christ. Yet, mere membership in the Church Of Christ is futile if that person persists in living according to his personal desires and inclinations. Truly believing in God entails understanding that we are no longer ruled by ourselves; rather, we should let God’s commands guide our actions. God Himself proclaims, thus:
“But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.”
(Reference: Jer. 7:23 NKJV)
Amid assertions of belief in God, ironically, there are people who tend to overlook Him and disregard listening to Him. Instead, they only seek out voices that echo their preferences ‒ a perspective that is clearly misguided and leads down the wrong path. These are the type of people who seek out what the scripture identify as “not listen to sound doctrine but will follow their own desires” and will collect for themselves “teachers who will tell them what they are itching to hear,”:
“The time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine, but will follow their own desires and will collect for themselves more and more teachers who will tell them what they are itching to hear.”
(Reference: II Timothy 4:3 GNT, Emphasis Mine)
Therefore, true belief in God requires listening to and heeding His words. If His will requires us to set aside our own desires, so be it. If it involves overcoming challenges, doing sacrifices, and denying ourselves, let it be so.
It takes more than mere testimonies and declarations of faith for one to prove that he truly believes in God. Truly believing in God requires that it be substantiated with action. This action, however, refers not to doing what we deem necessary on our own, rather, to fulfilling God’s will. And it is His will that we join the true Church Of Christ, remain in it until the end, and live consistently according to His commands.
IN CONCLUSION
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The Truth About Salvation
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