Believe: July 11, 2012

TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2012.

BELIEVE

DEFINITION:

Accept as true; to have confidence in the truth, existence, reliability, or value of something.

SCRIPTURE:

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. I John 5:13.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

When we believe in something we make a choice. As individuals we make choices daily to believe in something or someone or not to believe. We all have been given the choice to believe or not to believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We do this by faith. This is not something we can claim because we were born to parents who believed in Jesus or because we attend church or live in a so-called Christian country but because by faith we became a child of God.

In order to be a true believer in Jesus one must believe the precepts to several principles that have been made clear to all of us in the scriptures.

One must first of all have a clear understanding of the gospel and accept the message of the gospel to be true. It is essential in order for a person to believe and receive the good news (the gospel) of Jesus Christ. The death of Jesus on the cross was the only sacrifice required to remove us from our sins and to pay the penalty for them, which is death. God has offered His grace as a gift to anyone who will receive it.

It is not head knowledge about Christ that makes us right with God. It is what we believe in our heart. In Romans 10:10 Paul writes, “For with the heart one believes and is justified (made right with God), and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

At sometime each one of us must make a conscious decision to believe in Jesus.  People just do not slip into becoming a believer in Jesus. It does not happen accidently. Faith in Jesus is a conscious and definitive choice. The choice to believe in Jesus defines who we are and determines where we will spend eternity.

When a person makes the choice to believe in Jesus the result is a blessed assurance that comes into the heart of the believer that his or her sins are forgiven and he or she has been made right with God.

Those who make a choice to become a believer enters into a personal relationship with Him and surrenders to Christ. He will desire to embrace the Word of God and live his or her life fully for the Lord. One will no longer want to muddle through the rituals of some religion out of habit but, instead will relish the opportunity of worship and fellowship with other believers.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Acts 4:12.

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

PRAYER:

Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross to atone for my sins and make me right with God. Thank You for giving me the opportunity to choose to believe in You. Give me the certainty that I know You and am serving You according to Your will and not mine. Help me to be a faithful child of God who lives for You daily and serves You and loves You with all of my heart.