The bible tells us that whosoever believes in Jesus shall not perish but have ever lasting life.
When jesus was on earth, he told his listeners that if they ask for anything in “His name” believing that they shall receive it, they shall receive it.
But it seems that most people don’t know “how” to believe.
I mean ‘seriously’ do you believe that?
The word “belief” and “faith” are tied together, and are often interchangeable.
For example, Jesus said that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to that mountain, be removed and planted into the sea, and it will.
Now do you really believe it? According to Jesus, if you really believe that, then it will happen.
But that’s a hard thing to beleive isn’t it! Yes, believing such a thing is a tall order.
In fact, it’s not such a bad thing that most people don’t have such strong faith in themselves! Because, if we had powers to move mountains with words, literally, there would literally be chaos on earth.
The statement might have been a hyperbole to illustrate a point: faith and the mind has power.
And that’s probably what Jesus was teaching. Perhaps he didn’t mean that literally, because seriously, who would believe something like that. So far, in earth’s history, there hasn’t been a record of anyone being able to move mountains with words.
But coming back to the topic, what is belief? Christian Evangelists often go around the world spreading the word of God. They tell people that they need to “believe” in Jesus Christ. But will the people believe?
People believe for a reason. There must be something that “causes” them to believe. There must be something that anchors belief in them.
Here’s a scenario. I was sitting down with a group of Christian evangelists when I asked them, “so you’re telling me I need to believe in Jesus Christ?”
And how do I go about doing that?
Just believe.
Without proof? Of course. A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign.
Alright, so, without any proof, evidence, miracles, or sign, why should I believe you and not any of the other guys who came before you telling a different “belief story?”
Think about it. If we’re sitting down uder a tree on a sunny day, and I told you that the sky is blue. Would you believe me without looking up?
Yes! Please don’t doubt me. Believe me.
OK! I believe you. That’s easy to believe.
So I tell you again, and then I ask you “do you believe that the sky is blue?”
Yes!
But what if, one day, I told you that the sky is orange. Would you believe without going outside to take a look? Of course not!
There is nothing to anchor you to that belief! You believe that the sky is blue because you saw that your whole life. But you’ve never seen the sky yellow or green!
So how can I get you to believe something that you absolutely don’t believe in. If I try to force that “lie” down your throat relentlessly, you’ll probably end up killing me!
And that’s exactly what happened to many of the earliest Christians who were spreading the word of God. These brave men and women gave themselves up as martrys for Jesus Christ so that the gospel could reach you and I today.
They had no army, yet they broke down the world’s most powerful empires. They had no money, yet they built churches all around the world. There story sounded as riduculous as they “the sky is yellow” yet the nations upon nations converted to their religion.
They showed signs and worked wonders all across the earth. Everyday, God speaks to the hearts of millions of people all around the world. He “opens the eyes of their heart” to Jesus Christ. And today, millions of people are “seeing” the intregrity of God’s work. More and more people are looking to the cross for their salvation, just as the people who looked at the serpent of bronze were healed in Moses time.
Remember that many of Christianity’s most fervent supporters where once its most vehement detractors.
No mman has seen God, but humans have seen Jesus Christ, who is the point of contact between you and God.
