Christian, What Do You Believe? Probably a Heresy About Jesus, Says Survey

 Please read this eye opening article "Christian, What Do You Believe?"

“These results are a serious cause for concern,” said Stephen Nichols, Ligonier’s chief academic officer and president of Reformation Bible College. “… The evangelical world is in great danger of slipping into irrelevance when it casually forgets the Bible’s doctrine.”

I Believe In Miracles

Today, for some who read the stories of the Bible, their first question may be: Are miracles, like the parting of the Red Sea or floating ax heads, real? Did these things really happen or are they allegorical? Are they fairy tales? Many struggle with the idea that these very spectacular and supernatural events occurred. Certainly it can seem beyond belief to our minds that these things could have ever happened. Should we believe the miracles of the Bible actually occurred?

For me, the most important factor in answering this question is, if I believe in the God of the Bible, then I must believe He is the Creator. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” It’s the first of the 31,301 verses in the Bible and it speaks to us of the most fundamental belief about God and who He is. “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (11:3). The Psalmist tells us that, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth” (33:6). So, first and foremost, to believe the Bible I must believe that God created the universe. That means everything in it. Time, space and matter are His handiwork. Even I am the product of the Creator (Ps. 139:13-16).

To believe in the God of the Bible is to believe in a God who was able to simply speak a thing into existence. From nothing, all things came forth. That tells me Elohim is naturally supernatural. What seems like a miracle to us, is actually normal for Him. What binds and restricts us normally, like time, space or matter, means nothing to Him because if He created it He is outside of it and is in it. Clearly those realities exist for our benefit. Yet, if He chooses to work outside of what we consider the “laws of nature” He can do so effortlessly, if you will. What is a miracle to us is simply the infinite, omnipotent God just being God. There are no limits to this Creator God. As Solomon said, “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27).

Back to our question. Did God do miracles and, let’s add, does He do miracles today? Surely you figured where this was going. If God is the Creator and has no limits upon Him and can do anything He chooses to do, why would there be any problem at all in my believing in the miracles of the Bible or that He is able and even willing to do miracles today? If I believe in the God of the Bible and that He is the Creator then I must believe He can do whatever He wants. And, because He is a God whose desire is to reveal Himself to us, then miracles would certainly be a likely way of His doing it. Throughout the Bible He does miracles as He deems best for His purposes and our good. The Incarnation and the Resurrection are two of the high points for us when considering the Miracle God Elohim, and ultimately the two miracles we must embrace and cling to as New Testament believers in the Christ of God. Certainly you can’t leave out the miracle that brings us into the Faith, the new birth.

God is a miracle God! The Bible is a miracle book. And my relationship with Him is the product of a miracle working God.

The Real Love of John 3:16

Often we hear people say that God loves everyone in a defense of overlooking sin in the life of people. The Word of God is ignored and how people live is disregarded in the name of being “welcoming.” To do otherwise will cause a believer or church to be labeled as bigoted or hateful.

The problem with this view is that it is usually expressed by people who either don’t know or don’t really believe the Bible. Once it was the supernatural that was disbelieved and now even the precepts of morality are ignored. All is explained away. It’s completely carnal and worldly. It is an attempt to make the Bible fit into the world’s mold.

No real believer would deny that God loves everyone. He “so loved the world.” This would include every person who has ever lived and lives today. Doesn’t matter the race or nationality. What someone has done (or not done) doesn’t matter either. God loves because He is love. There is nothing He does that doesn’t flow out of His love, even judgement. His commandments are not given arbitrarily but out of His love for us.

There is also the misunderstanding caused by what it means to believe in Jesus. The promise of eternal life is conditioned on the person believing. To believe in Jesus is not simply to give mental assent to the Gospel. According to the New Testament it is to follow Jesus. This means one will believe what He believed and live according to the standards He did. It is to allow Him to be our Lord, Teacher and Master. There is no real believing without being a follower of Jesus.

This is illustrated in how Jesus called His disciples to Him.

And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Mark 1:16-18

Simon and Andrew immediately changed the direction of their lives to become followers of Christ. It took more than them giving Jesus a “I believe in You” or to “make a decision” about Him. They had to change to match their lives up to follow Him as Lord. One cannot continue to live the way they did before they made Jesus the Savior of their lives and say they are followers of Jesus. I submit that one can’t say they are saved and not be followers of Jesus (Luke 8:34-38).

God loves us so much He gave His only begotten Son to pay for the penalty of sin and the power of sin to give us freedom and salvation. We are sinners in need of salvation and in His great love He has provided that. Why would we not be affected by that great sacrifice of His love? Why would we continue to live in a way where we do things that caused Him to have to come and die? How could that be a reasonable response to His love for us?   

God loves us! What a powerful thought that the Holy Creator of All Things loves us. This divine love should change us. It should cause us to treat others as He treats us. But it should never be an excuse for withholding the truth of God’s Word to people or the world. He paid too high a price for us to do so. Full salvation has been provided in His great love for us. Let’s live it and declare it. That is love. The love of God being expressed to a world that desperately needs it.