Beginning Bible Studies
03. Just What Do YOU Believe?
Just What Do YOU Believe?
Everyone believes in something. Everyone holds some kind of faith. Just what exactly is it that you believe? What do you believe about God; about the Bible; about Christ; about his church; about faith; and about religion? Surely you believe something. Surely you have an opinion.
There are those who think that God just does not exist. Maybe that is a case of “wishful thinking” or maybe they simply do not see him very clearly and do not know him very well. Then there are those who think that the Bible is just a lot of ignorant myths and full of contradictions. Maybe they have never really looked into the Word of God for themselves and studied it carefully. Some do not know what to think of Christ – the most controversial figure in history. And when it comes to his church most of the religious world is obviously confused as evidenced by all of the division in modern day religion. There are so many different churches; so many different faiths all claiming to follow the same Bible; so many different religions. No wonder you have such a difficult time trying to figure out exactly what to believe!
There are many who teach and many who believe a watered down gospel of “faith only” or “once saved, always saved” instead of accepting the truth about grace, faith, and obedience to the Lord. Many would rather go to the church of their choice, than the church of God’s choice and the one Christ died for. Some believe that they can worship God any way they want rather than according to the Truth. Others teach that it does not matter what you believe as long as you are sincere, and many believe that as long as you are a good moral person you will be saved. Some actually go so far as to change God’s plan of salvation; others even add to the Word of God with their man-made scriptures – their creeds, doctrines, catechisms, disciplines, prayer books, manuals, confessions, etc. Many are simply not satisfied with God’s will, God’s way.
Too many man-made churches are more interested in foolish “end-time prophetic speculations” then they are in what the Bible actually teaches about salvation or about God’s purpose in history. Too many religious teachers are trying to force current events back into the Bible while many are all too eager to hear what these false teachers are saying. Some are more interested in promoting a “social gospel” than in the “spiritual gospel”. And then there are those who are more interested in “supernatural experiences” and “mystical feelings and flights of fancy” than they are in what the Word of God really teaches about our salvation. Many are more interested in “the miracle” than in the message of God’s truth. Some put their subjective feelings before the objective facts of God’s Word. Others would rather have a religion of convenience than one of conviction and commitment.
So we come back to our question: “Just what do you believe?” And we might ask one more question: “Why do you believe what you believe?” If you are having difficulty knowing exactly what to believe and are confused by all of the different religions, churches, and faiths in the world, then maybe you have been looking in all of the wrong places. Why not go back to God and his Word for your faith? Why not study and see for yourself what his Word actually says? If we could be of any help to you as you seek to know God’s revealed will for your life and faith, then please give us a call or write us. Come worship and study with us. We are a Bible-believing church that belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ and we seek to stand for and live by the Truth of God’s Holy Word. Feel free to email us here.
