Believing is more than just knowing that the Bible is true and agreeing that it is inspired by God. To believe is the same as having faith that God exists, that He is alive, is active, and is very much interested in you today. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists …” Hebrews 11:6 (NIV). Here it is written that God exists, not that God existed!
Believing is not passive
When you truly believe in the Bible, you will start doing something! Belief is not a passive feeling. If you read Hebrews, chapter 11, you will see how the heroes of faith in the Old Testament overcame many great difficulties through their faith. They served a living God who helped them in wonderful ways.
Faith in God drives me to do something, as it’s written in the last part of Hebrews 11:6 (NIV): “… He rewards those who earnestly seek him.” The heroes of faith earnestly sought God and were very active in their faith: “It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood.” Hebrews 11:7 (NLT). Today, we too must earnestly seek God by reading, obeying His Word and believing that He will reward us.
How does God reward those who earnestly seek Him? There are many examples in the Bible. For example, read 2 Peter 1:4 (NLT) and you will see that God has “… given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine [godly] nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”
A precious promise
Sharing Jesus’ godly nature is the greatest reward there is and it is not something that is difficult to understand. Godly nature is simply the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control which are described in Galatians 5:22-23. Another way of describing godly nature is “the life of Jesus”, which can be seen in us by others. (2 Corinthians 4:11.)
Once again, we have to seek Him earnestly and be obedient if we want to share in the fruit of the Spirit. We must “escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires”. 2 Peter 1:4 (NLT). We must “always carry Jesus’ death around in our bodies …” 2 Corinthians 4:10 (CEB). To escape the corruption of this world, which includes the sin within ourselves, and to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit - that is what the whole New Testament is about.
Through their living faith, the heroes of the Old Testament experienced God’s mighty power to destroy their enemies. In the New Testament, God has done something far more glorious: Within Jesus’ body, He destroyed the sin that is found in human nature. (Romans 8:3.) God didn’t force Jesus to sacrifice Himself; but Jesus Himself believed and obeyed God in all His life’s situations.
Read more about this in “Has Christ come in the flesh?”
Jesus has overcome, and He has made it possible for you and me to overcome in the same way. (Revelation 3:21.) He can save us completely!
“Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’” Mark 9:23.