Moving To Believe And Believing To Move

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:12-13 (NKJ)

It's not my goal here to be offensive, but instead productively provocative toward faithful, believing, conduct worthy of my brothers and sisters in Christ- toward a more perfect reflection of Christ in us as we're in submission and obedience to Him. 

I have a certain concern for at least part of a generation that has been taught that by saying a few words they are now saved. If you've studied the scriptures for yourself, my hope for you is that you realize that there's more required than a simple verbal confession. True belief comes first or the confession is hollow and our continued belief is reflected in our reaction to what we say that we believe.

For example, let's say that I'm walking down a sidewalk beside a busy city street. As I'm walking along my eyes spot a car drive onto the sidewalk in front of me and see that it's heading toward me at a high rate of speed. If I believe what my eyes are telling me that they're seeing and if I value my life, do I not react to get out of the way? There's a definite change in my direction if I'm to be spared because of my belief. I could instead just say a few words, perhaps confess that I see the car coming, but not otherwise reacting to it, not changing my course... and the end result could likely be different. 

Keeping that in mind...

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."   John 3:16-18 (NKJV)

If we first know of Him, we can say that we believe Him, but if we believe Him, what is our reaction to that belief and to all that He said and taught? Do we remain unchanged and unrepentant (not changing course)? If we believe Him, we believe also what He's said. And if we believe Him and what He's said, is there not a reaction - indeed multiple reactions, as we submit to the Holy Spirit obediently while we continue through the process of sanctification to become more reflective of the likeness of our Christ Jesus?

As in the scripture that I quoted at the beginning of this writing, "all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." We can't hide our lack of repentance or our resistance toward the further progression of our becoming more like Christ from Him. He sees everything and our true belief, or lack of it, may be revealed in our reaction to what we've been told.  And so no one thinks that I'm looking or talking down to my fellow believers, I confess that I find myself continuing to be confronted by the Holy Spirit about things that need to be changed in me as well. That's part of the process that we should all be going through regardless of titles or how many days, years, or decades that we've walked with Christ. The process should continue until He decides that our time is up. 

The closer that we draw near to God, the more that our remaining imperfections are exposed by the light of God's Holiness to be dealt with in submission to the Holy Spirit. It's the process of the Christian - those truly following Christ because of their belief in Him. If we're not growing, continually changing in our hearts and minds toward a better reflection of the true Christ, I humbly submit that it might be time to do a little self examination. And I say it not because I think I'm better than or even equal to you. I may well be beneath you, but I've said all of this because I love all of my forever family in Christ.

I firmly do not believe that we're called to be stagnant and unchanging in our relationship with such an amazing and awesomely awesome God as the One True God who calls us to be His own children. I believe that experiencing life in Him should continually draw us to become ever closer to His likeness. If we're not, it might just be time to rekindle that progress in our relationship with Him and to submit further, surrendering self, to what He's been asking of us from wherever we are now. Real life, truly worth living, and responding to the purpose of our creation, is found in true relationship with our God. 

As I've said before and will continue to say as long as I have breath, the most important thing that we do in all of this life is to respond to God. How is your response and reaction to what you truly believe going? I pray the Lord that you find ever increasing life in Him.

In Scripture...

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 (NKJV)

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it." Deuteronomy 10:12-14 (NKJV)