This week’s devotions are based on the Week 4 “Explore God” – Is Christianity too narrow? (WATCH HERE)
“I believe in God…”
Great?
How do you react to this statement? Are you satisfied that belief in God is good? Sufficient? Saving?
Recently I had a conversation with an individual who had a friend die. The comment was made, “He believed in God and was a good person.”
When someone tells me they believe in God, do I take a sigh of relief and trust that they are headed to heaven?
Fortunately, many people believe in God. Unfortunately, not as many people believe in Jesus as their Savior. The demons believe in God…in fact in just ONE God. Yet they are not in heaven, but rather understand and are experiencing the justice of God.
James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
When we say, “I believe in God” and I mean I believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as the Bible defines him, then I take a deeper sigh. If it is just a general belief without any definition or awareness of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, the statement is less comforting. However, the Bible is very clear. Belief in God’s Son, Jesus is key to eternal life.
John 3:16 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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
This is narrow in the sense that there is only one Way to heaven. It is broad because the promise is for the world. Jesus came because God loved every person of the world, past, present or future. Jesus came to live a perfect life that is able to applied to any person. Jesus came to die on the cross for the punishment every person’s sin deserved. Jesus rose from the dead to assure every person they too will live.
The key?
God’s Spirit works faith in one’s heart to believe that Jesus is THEIR Savior.
We are not saved because we believe in God and are good people.
We are saved because we believe in Jesus who was our perfect substitute.
Apply: How do you react to the statement when someone says, “I believe in God?”
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for revealing yourself to the world through Jesus and giving us eternal life through him. AMEN.