What does it take 'to Believe'?

[DeighAnn]

"But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words?" John 5:47 KJV

When I was little, I was told the 'stories' about God.  God created everything, even us.  There was a garden, God put Adam, his first man in it and made a woman from and for him.  They ate an apple, got kicked out and were separated from God.  So God, who still loved us, came here Himself, to be born just like we were, to show us how to be good, and get back to Him.  I got the Christmas story, the 'Easter' story, started to pray, tell Him what I did wrong and ask to be forgiven so He would love me again...

Almost my entire life, I BELIEVED 'I believed in God', BUT if Satan would have come, I probably would have been 'of the world' and worshipped the image, took the mark, and happily continued to buy and sell, 

and Jesus would have told me "I never knew you".  What could I have replied but 'I never knew you either'. 

It wasn't until I sat down with the words of God and started diligently reading them that I realized my entire 'belief' was basically of my own making and was, for the most part, VOID of almost all of Gods Truth.  

So, when does a true 'believing' come about?  Or when does one go from, 'I never knew you' to 'My good and faithful servant'?

Can anyone 'believe' in something in which they possess NO TRUTH?  Can we believe in Jesus, if we don't know His words?







 

[FJK]

24 minutes ago, DeighAnn said:

So, when does a true 'believing' come about?

For me, it was when everything else I tried to believe failed.

Or, as I onceheard someone say, "I gain faith by getting results".

All you have to do is give God a chance and he'll take over from there in a manner he knows will work for you.

[DeighAnn]

14 minutes ago, FJK said:

For me, it was when everything else I tried to believe failed.

Or, as I onceheard someone say, "I gain faith by getting results".

All you have to do is give God a chance and he'll take over from there in a manner he knows will work for you.

What about this truth?  Doesn't it pretty much tell us we do need to 'Study to show thyself approved'?  

8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

[kwikphilly]

Blessings D

Powerful,your little story packs quite a punch imo.Hopefully it will Convict the hearts of many,to take a real close look at " What do I believe" or " Who do I Believe"!That's the difference between Saving Faith and many other types of " Faith" imo

Just like you I grew up " believing" in God,no doubt there is a Heavenly Father,Creator of the Universe and everything in it-:but as the Word of God Says":even the demons believe"

When I was little I loved Jesus,don't ask me why or how but I did- I Knew Him or so I Believed.... I Knew Him as my Friend,my Savior.Was it because I HEARD the Word of God and Faith Came as my Dad read the Scriptures to me and told me all the " Stories"in the Bible or did my innocent little heart Receive Him because He Revealed Himself to me? I just don't know- some say I was Saved as a wee little girl.

I don't think so,like you I think I believed I Believed---when I grew older ( not much older)I strayed,I had such a bad taste in my mouth from the rcc that it set me on a very rebellious and dark path.Ill skip all that and fast forward to the end of my days in the wilderness ..

I believe my early life I believed in WHAT the Bible Said but no,I never Knew Him,I knew OF Him,I knew AbOUT Him- I knew WHATever a carnal mind could possibly know!

Then something Incredible happened,Amazing,Supernatural,Wonderful ....I was in trouble,about to lose my life( spiritual, physical and terrifyingly demonic).   I barely got His Name out of my mouth"'JEE..." I called and there He Was,I met Him ... No,I didn't see Him but as I knelt at the foot of the cross,Knowing WHO I needed- He Was there, with me -:everything in the atmosphere that was not of God had instantaneously vanished and I was Covered in PEACE,His Warm,Living Embrace-THEN & there that Faith was unlike anything I've ever known,it is the Faith that's Saves,the Faith in WHO - and through that Faith in WHO He IS I was Saved by the Grace of God Almighty!

It's the Intimacy,the Personal Knowledge and Acceptance of the Living Word of God that we Know WHO He IS because we Know we are Forgiven and Loved ,the Way,the Truth and the Life that Enters the repentant ,starving heart of the sinner ...

I don't think I have the words to explain the Faith that enables us to Receive the Only One that Can Bring us into Relationship with our Heavenly Farher--- and then the Eyes of our Hearts our opened and we can begin our journey ALIVE in Christ❤️

Thanks for a wonderful Topic

With love in Christ, Kwik

 

[kwikphilly]

16 minutes ago, DeighAnn said:

What about this truth?  Doesn't it pretty much tell us we do need to 'Study to show thyself approved'?  

8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

I replied before this,I was responding to your OP ..

Now I have to read your next submission to the Topic before I respond👍

[kwikphilly]

19 minutes ago, DeighAnn said:

What about this truth?  Doesn't it pretty much tell us we do need to 'Study to show thyself approved'?  

8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Hmm"'Received not the love of the Truth".  Another powerful verse,as I had mentioned previously" Receiving Jesus into our repentant heart desiring His Love and forgiveness because He IS WHO He is( The Way,the Truth,the Life)and the Only One that Can( God the Son)....

The unrighteous and deceived have not a repentant heart,it's a hardened heart that cannot Receive - they " believe" in themselves and doing what satisfies themselves.Many will process " Im a Christian" yet there is no Love in them ...

Yes,we study to show ourselves approved - this is how we grow and mature and become good and faithful servants doing the Will of God which we learn what we are equipped to do with the Gifts we are Given for the Purpose of our Calling.. 

[FJK]

41 minutes ago, DeighAnn said:

What about this truth?  Doesn't it pretty much tell us we do need to 'Study to show thyself approved'?  

That is where God's guidance becomes involved, it may depend on where you are in understanding what you study and where God wants to lead you.  God designed each of us and knows exactly how we work, no one can better understand how to teach us than him.

[Selah7]

It only takes our Father’s wonderful and beautiful and all-sufficient GRACE to believe.  During the lowest times in my life, when perhaps I could have pushed God away, all I wanted was my Bible.  It was God’s GRACE drawing me to His Word and His faithful promises to me.  The Comforter met me there.  His words are what still carry me through each and every day.  My Redeemer lives!     S e l a h

[Mr. M]

3 hours ago, DeighAnn said:

So, when does a true 'believing' come about?  Or when does one go from, 'I never knew you' to 'My good and faithful servant'?

Can anyone 'believe' in something in which they possess NO TRUTH?  Can we believe in Jesus, if we don't know His words?

Romans 10:13 For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

1 Corinthians 1: 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

[NConly]

4 hours ago, DeighAnn said:

"But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words?" John 5:47 KJV

When I was little, I was told the 'stories' about God.  God created everything, even us.  There was a garden, God put Adam, his first man in it and made a woman from and for him.  They ate an apple, got kicked out and were separated from God.  So God, who still loved us, came here Himself, to be born just like we were, to show us how to be good, and get back to Him.  I got the Christmas story, the 'Easter' story, started to pray, tell Him what I did wrong and ask to be forgiven so He would love me again...

Almost my entire life, I BELIEVED 'I believed in God', BUT if Satan would have come, I probably would have been 'of the world' and worshipped the image, took the mark, and happily continued to buy and sell, 

and Jesus would have told me "I never knew you".  What could I have replied but 'I never knew you either'. 

It wasn't until I sat down with the words of God and started diligently reading them that I realized my entire 'belief' was basically of my own making and was, for the most part, VOID of almost all of Gods Truth.  

So, when does a true 'believing' come about?  Or when does one go from, 'I never knew you' to 'My good and faithful servant'?

Can anyone 'believe' in something in which they possess NO TRUTH?  Can we believe in Jesus, if we don't know His words?







 

If I told how my child hood was no one would believe