What Does it Mean to Believe?

[LearningToLetGo]

Several years ago I watched a video on Prager University's YouTube channel where Dennis Prager interviewed Jordan Peterson. Prager asked Peterson if he believed in God, to which Peterson replied that he lives his life as if there were a God. Peterson further went on to explain that to believe something is to act it out fully, and in this context that means to not simply say one believes but to life a life of courage, compassion and sacrifice commensurate with that belief. This observation has stuck with me ever since. It seems there are many degrees of action that Christians take in living out faith, from attending church on Sunday and giving to charity on one end to embarking on missionary works in dark and dangerous jungles or dry and arid deserts on the other. I'm not sure where I want this thread to go, but I think this might be a good subject of conversation.

[Not me]

11 hours ago, LearningToLetGo said:

Several years ago I watched a video on Prager University's YouTube channel where Dennis Prager interviewed Jordan Peterson. Prager asked Peterson if he believed in God, to which Peterson replied that he lives his life as if there were a God. Peterson further went on to explain that to believe something is to act it out fully, and in this context that means to not simply say one believes but to life a life of courage, compassion and sacrifice commensurate with that belief. This observation has stuck with me ever since. It seems there are many degrees of action that Christians take in living out faith, from attending church on Sunday and giving to charity on one end to embarking on missionary works in dark and dangerous jungles or dry and arid deserts on the other. I'm not sure where I want this thread to go, but I think this might be a good subject of conversation.

I think there is a lot of truth there...

I might add;  one’s  needs and desires bring their belief  forward and their belief their actions... 

If one is thirsty and they believe there is water over there, they will do what they can towards the water..

Same is true with faith in God, if one believes that He is and He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him, and they need and desire Him, they will do what they can towards that diligency. 

Therefore belief would be the expression of those things one holds to be true..

My two cents worth.

Be blessed in Him, Not me

[Not me]

25 minutes ago, Not me said:

I think there is a lot of truth there...

I might add;  one’s  needs and desires bring their belief  forward and their belief their actions... 

If one is thirsty and they believe there is water over there, they will do what they can towards the water..

Same is true with faith in God, if one believes that He is and He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him, and they need and desire Him, they will do what they can towards that diligency. 

Therefore belief would be the expression of those things one holds to be true..

My two cents worth.

Be blessed in Him, Not me

After further thought, I’m not sure I agree with my ‘therefore’

 Not me to Not me  

Be blessed...

Edited January 29, 2021 by Not me

[LearningToLetGo]

 Another way of asking this is can one infer a person's inner beliefs by observing a person's outer actions?

For example: a person is abusive towards others while professing a deep faith. Of course we can't know the degree of another's faith, but abusive action runs contrary to Jesus' teaching. We can say the person believes yet is fallible. But saying that gives license to all manner of reprehensible action. Alternately we can say one is perhaps deluded by their faith, wearing it like a warm blanket when it is fashionable to do so and discarding it when not, since a true belief leaves no room for such behavior - at least not without a significant amount of contrition.

[missmuffet]

To believe in God is to possess confidence in Him. To acknowledge His existence. 

[Riverwalker]

2 hours ago, LearningToLetGo said:

 Another way of asking this is can one infer a person's inner beliefs by observing a person's outer actions?

For example: a person is abusive towards others while professing a deep faith. Of course we can't know the degree of another's faith, but abusive action runs contrary to Jesus' teaching.

Jesus told us that we can know them by their fruit.  There is a difference between the occasional stumble and the practiced sin

If someone is regularly behaving in a way that is obviously not Christ-like, they probably do not know Christ

If Someone sells you a cactus, and says its an apple tree, but all you get is prickles.....it is not an apple tree. 

Matthew 7 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

But the real question is what are you going to do with it.  The wheat grow with the tares,  and until they bear fruit (or grain) you cannot tell them apart and you could damage good crop if you try and remove the tares

Matthew 13:24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

 

Let the master decide what to do with them, you just take care of bearing your fruit

Edited January 29, 2021 by Riverwalker

[johnthebaptist]

20 hours ago, LearningToLetGo said:

Several years ago I watched a video on Prager University's YouTube channel where Dennis Prager interviewed Jordan Peterson. Prager asked Peterson if he believed in God, to which Peterson replied that he lives his life as if there were a God. Peterson further went on to explain that to believe something is to act it out fully, and in this context that means to not simply say one believes but to life a life of courage, compassion and sacrifice commensurate with that belief. This observation has stuck with me ever since. It seems there are many degrees of action that Christians take in living out faith, from attending church on Sunday and giving to charity on one end to embarking on missionary works in dark and dangerous jungles or dry and arid deserts on the other. I'm not sure where I want this thread to go, but I think this might be a good subject of conversation.

One thing that occurs to me is that some people really do seem to be trying to do the Lord's will, while others seem to use the church for purposes of selfaggrandizement. 

[LearningToLetGo]

6 hours ago, Riverwalker said:

If someone is regularly behaving in a way that is obviously not Christ-like, they probably do not know Christ

I agree, but let's take this a step further. If someone truly knows Christ, how can they function is a conventional sense in this world? Isn't Christ the quintessential essence of radical? Knowing Him, how can one not become radical oneself? Wouldn't literally every second of every day be spent somehow in service to The Lord, and if one isn't devoted to that extent, how much can one truly be said to believe?

[Willa]

Those who believe in Christ will trust in Him, adhere to Him and rely on Him.  

Some pray to saints, others pray to their ancestors.  Those who pray to God through Jesus Christ are turning to Him with their concerns and relying on Him.  

We can be in full time service to the Lord simply by doing that which He has called to do.  The woman who is called to stay at home caring for a handicapped child is no less than the missionary who has left all to serve Christ in another nation.  Both require denying self, taking up our cross and following Christ.  One is no more difficult than the other.  

52 minutes ago, LearningToLetGo said:

Isn't Christ the quintessential essence of radical? Knowing Him, how can one not become radical oneself?

Translation:  Jesus Freak.

[LearningToLetGo]

20 minutes ago, Willa said:

We can be in full time service to the Lord simply by doing that which He has called to do.  The woman who is called to stay at home caring for a handicapped child is no less than the missionary who has left all to serve Christ in another nation.  Both require denying self, taking up our cross and following Christ.  One is no more difficult than the other.

Brilliant!