I Believe in God

Know What You Believe; Believe What You Know: 

I Believe in God

“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”  Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)

What does it mean to “believe in God?” What must you believe about God?  Why should you believe in God at all?   Man has been wrestling with the concept of belief in God for thousands of years.  The most brilliant minds from every side of the issue have argued for and against belief in God.  We make it so complex with our human perspectives. But it really is simple: God is who He says He is.  Belief in God is the very foundation of faith, in fact, it is the foundation of our lives. In my last post, we discussed the concept of worldview, which is the basis from which we determine all things related to God, the universe, life and man.  Your worldview starts with your view of God.

Belief in God is declining in the U.S. In a 1944 Gallup poll 96% of Americans claimed to believe that God exists; in 2016, that figure dropped to 89%.  But is “believing” in God enough?  Not according to the Bible.  One New Testament writer said: “You believe that there is one God.  Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder” (James 2:19).  If the demons of hell profess to the existence of God, then there is more to faith than simply saying “Yes, I believe there is a God.”

Our key verse declares that faith believes that God exists, and there are evidences all around to prove His existence.  God has revealed Himself through His creation.  Romans 1:19-20 says “What may be known about God is plain to [men], because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities- His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made; so that men are without excuse.”  The Psalmist David said “the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands…Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”  (Psalm 19:1, 3).  The world around us professes to the reality of God.

But the word “exists” holds a deeper meaning in the original Greek than just being; it carries the impression of acceptance, companionship, belonging, involvement.  It means relationship.  To believe in God is not just intellectual assent, though we cannot miss out on that first vital understanding.  Believing in God means investing all I am in a relationship with my Creator.  It means that I am His and He is mine.  That’s the difference between how the demons believe and how faith believes.

I believe in God. This is not just a rote statement I declare, it is the deepest conviction of my heart.

Do you believe in God?