What does it mean to believe?

It is simple. It is more than a matter of whether or not you acknowledge that God exists and that Jesus was a real person. The real question of faith is what is your disposition toward the God of the Bible? If it is one of opposition, hostility, disinterest or irrelevance, then even though one acknowledges the existence of God, one is not really a 'believer'. The one who has really come to believe is the one whose disposition toward Jehovah God, God of Abraham and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ is one of honor, praise, faith and love. It is in this light that we can answer the question "Do I believe?"

Colossians 1:21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.

Lord, I pray that your honor would always be before me. For you are good and your greatness is beyond measure. I honor you for the good that you have promised those who believe and the grace you have given to us sinners who do not deserve your blessing. Please do not take your Holy Spirit away from so that I may have a willing spirit who continues to believe.

God's Goodness and Justice

What does God's goodness mean to you and I? How are you and I to respond to His goodness and kindess toward us? Here we are getting into the whole notion of what justice really means. When someone has been genuinely nice to me, it is right and just that I treat them with honor and respect according to their kindness. If they have been extremely good and nice to me, then I owe them greater honor. On the other hand to treat the person with comtempt and dishonor is an injustice.

The right, fair and just way to respond to God's loving kindness toward us is with love, respect and honor. To respond with hostility, disrespect and dishonor is a great, great injustice toward God.

If God had not been good toward us, there would be no obligation to honor him, but because everything we have that is good ultimately and intentionally comes from him toward us, our obligation is not only honor, but worship and love above all other things.


The book of James says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (chapter 1, vs 16). Every breath we take is because God actively sustains our life. Every love we experience is His gift because "love comes from God" (1 John 4:7). Every hardship that we have been delivered out of and that we have grown because of is due to the saving power of the Lord's deliverance. Every blessing is given by "the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17).

In closing, I include one of my favorite Psalms:

Psalm 103:2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;