Tuesday 26 July 2016

Do you Believe?

Do you believe?
“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” Psalm 14:1.
It is my belief as a Christian there is a God and he will one day judge the world. I believe the Psalmist quoted above.
Just because someone says there is no God does not make it true. In order to know for certain there is no God, that person would have had to check everywhere. It is impossible for a mortal man to be everywhere and check everywhere. Mortal man cannot see for example what is beyond deaths door.
Knowing what is beyond death takes an act of faith. You either believe God exists beyond that door or you do not. Upon what you believe I firmly believe determines your final resting place.
The Poet wrote,
“Life is it a divine opera played out before God.
An opera played out on a high mesa, 
On a stage suspended between heaven and hell.”
The writer of Proverbs said,
“For a man’s ways are in full view of the LORD, 
and he examines all his paths.” 
Proverbs 5:21.
The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: 
Fear God and keep his commandments,
 for this is the whole  duty  of man. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment,
 including every hidden thing, 
whether it is good or evil.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13,14. 
The apostle Paul tells us,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.
Getting to heaven is a matter of faith. Jesus speaking of Himself said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. John 3:16-18.
Jesus made a clear statement when he said,
“...“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  John 14:6.
Even when faced with violence against him personally Jesus did not deny who He was. John’s gospel recording,
“The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.  
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  
I and the Father are one.” 
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” John 10:24-32.
Christian belief is simple. It is stated in The Apostles Creed.  The apostles creed while not written by one of Christ’s original apostles gives what Christians believe in a nut shell. It states,
1.I believe in God the Father the almighty maker of heaven and earth
2. I believe in Jesus Christ God’s on and only Son, our Lord and Saviour.
3. I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary
4. I believe Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate; That He was Crucified, died, was buried. That he descended in hell.
5. I believe He rose again on the third day from the dead.
6. I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
7. I believe Jesus will one day Judge the living and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost
9. I believe in the Church which is the communion of the saints,
10. I believe in the forgiveness of sin.
11. I believe in the resurrection of the body.
12. I believe in life everlasting.
Thus my questions are: Do you believe in God? Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Do you believe Jesus is the Saviour of your soul?
The apostle Paul tells us,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”
 and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
 you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, 
and it is with your mouth that you confess 
and are saved.  
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—
the same Lord is Lord of all 
and richly blesses all who call on him,  for,
 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
 will be saved
Romans 10:9-13.
Please think about it.

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