“Belief”
“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man” -Acts 17:24.
My meditation on scripture for today is entitled “Belief”
Read Acts 17:24-31. Paul’s presentation of the Gospel is a model for presenting the Gospel in America, a country of mostly Gentiles. Paul’s sermon covers the following points
1) Who is God? He does not live in our silly temples, he is transcendent
2) Who is man? Mankind was made by God and under his authority was directed. God directs as God is the ruler of space (boundaries) and time (seasons)
3) What is mankind’s purpose? To seek and find God. He is near to us, wanting to be found by all mankind.
4) God is personal. Logic to support this statement: If we are persons and we are his offspring, then it follows that God is more like a person than an idol, and indeed he came as a person, a man: Jesus Christ.
5) The important facts that must accompany a true presentation of the real Gospel of Jesus are included: Christ came as a man, died (implied) and was resurrected proving his power over death. He will soon judge the world.
6) Note, he doesn’t mention belief in this sermon, he says the time of “ignorance” is over, it is time to repent of our ignorance. Before Jesus came to earth ignorance was possible, but now we live in the age or generation which no longer has ignorance as an excuse. We live in “This wicked, unbelieving generation” which Jesus said would continue for an age, until he returns (Matthew 24:34).
In other sermons in Acts people are instructed to “believe” Acts 16:31. Why didn’t Paul use that word here? I submit to you, it is because repentance cannot be separated from belief!
If we give up our silly notions of God as an idol and turn away from that ignorance, instead replacing that lack of knowledge with complete confidence that Christ is God in the flesh, the one who died and rose again for our sins, we will be saved. You cannot believe two contradictory ideas at the same time. So “belief” means you no longer believe these falsehoods (you have repented or turned away from your ignorance) and turned to God instead. …You have changed your mind such that your actions will be altered. This is the essence of repentance, and a good working definition of what the New Testament calls “belief.”
So the obvious question (which my sons asked me) is whether there is a difference between a believer who is going to heaven, and a hard core Satanist who knows Christ is Lord… and shudders with fear? They both know Christ is Lord, right? Is that the same as the knowledge of Christ that saves? If so, is the satanist who hates God going to heaven?!…
Absolutely not! There is a distinction. It is called “belief.” The distinction is between “knowing” and “believing,” as the New Testament defines these terms. “Believing” involves humble repentance followed closely by devotion. You have in one action flipped the coin over from rejection of God to acceptance of him. Among those who have not believed, there may be honest truth seekers who are at this moment still deceived—we pray they will find God and believe—however, there are also those who, like the demons, know full well that Christ is Lord and yet love evil more. An evil person can simply love evil. Never forget that. This catagory of people “loved darkness… because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19. It is not so much that they don’t know the truth, it is that they love their evil deeds and thus cling to a state of willful denial known as “UNBELIEF.” This is their religion. So, deep down they know Christ is Lord, but dishonestly choose not to believe what they know to be true. “21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:21).
This willful unbelief is so obviously illogical, it is little wonder that sin is justified and applauded in an evil culture in the most absurd ways. “28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done… they not only do them [unrighteous actions] but give approval to those who practice them.” (Romans 1:28, 32). It should also be noted that while God wants all people to find him, God does not want to be found by people that do not want to find him. People who cling to unbelief will eventually be given over to their own self-delusions, leading to ever greater sin and ultimately death. Sound familiar? Thus, those who know and yet do not turn away from their ignorance (i.e. repent/believe) are in a state of unbelief. Matthew 13:12 “For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” It is not that these people do not know the truth, it is that, by an act of free will they CHOOSE not to believe what they know is true. God wants to be found by those honest truth seekers who persistently seek him in faith.
To willfully reject him is to be aligned with the nature of evil! And those who are evil will end up in hell. Only repentant/belief in Jesus will save us from that fate. The repentance that Paul presented to his Gentile audience does not mean we will instantly stop sinning, but it does mean we will turn away from our ignorance and idolatry and instead place our trust in God/Jesus. That is the definition of “believing.” And once we go down that path our actions will reflect our choice.
We must therefore be careful not to derive an entire doctrine saying “belief” is the only prerequisite for salvation unless we first understand what belief is. Belief involves turning to God. Jesus and John the Baptist began their ministry with the sermon, “Repent! for the Kingdom of heaven [God] is near!” They did not mention belief in those early sermons. Do you now see why?