Once again, define believe.
Why? I've already defined it, and even posted a long study on the word with the Hebrew definition too. Perhaps you didn't see it. Fran rejected this by the way.
Believe is to entrust your entire well being to another that you trust. When we hear the gospel, we repent of sin, turn to God, and He receives us. It is not mental assent. And nobody here in this thread thinks this way.
Once we believe the gospel message of Jesus, we are born from above. Something a devil will never be. Then we are gifted with faith. We all are given a measure. The measure grows as we experience the faithfulness of God.
So to back up what I just said about believe...let's look at Strongs.
Which is something I do on a regular basis stunned, and I thought you did the same.
~G4100
πιστεύω
pisteuō
pist-yoo'-o
From G4102; to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), that is, credit; by implication to entrust (especially one’s spiritual well being to Christ): - believe (-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.
Total KJV occurrences: 248
emons believe He is who He said He is, they knew it for a fact. They know and believe He was raised on the third day. They know what is going to happen, just as He said it will - (did you come to torment us before the time?)
ok.
If you believe Him, you will do one of two things:
1. Yo
u will do all He said or,
2. You will see that you don't and will ask for the help you need.
If we are born of God, baptized in Holy Spirit, and are gifted...we hear the voice of God, and we are led by Him. This is greater than following laws that control. For we are under grace now...a new master. Grace is unmerited empowerment of Holy Spirit to become the Sons of God. He uses His Word for guidance, true.
Aren't we constantly doing these two things as He shows us what our heart is up to in matters? Who hasn't struggled with belief? Who hasn't examined the storing of treasure on earth against all He told us? Who hasn't had their life fall apart or implode at some point and asked, where ARE You, Lord??
Maybe in our immaturity. But, eventually we should be able to see that Jesus has risen and His resurrection power is the life that He wants His body to experience.
We are in three phases of growth that is found in 1John. Babes, young men, and fathers.
Is believing simple? There are a lot of hindrances (the world and our own self for two) to the obedience of faith. Try not storing treasure on earth and wait to hear your own family calling you a fool and the entire world siding with them. Then wait and hear the Christians you know saying you're a fool too!
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I've had that happen when first baptized in Holy Spirit. My family thought it was the devil and can't be faulted for this because the church I grew up in taught it.
But, my parents eventually came to this too. It is a hard time but it's a trial of our faith. And trust in the promises of God that all our house will be saved. Found in Acts.
So stunned, nobody has said the Christian life is a piece of cake. And nobody has said all you have to do is just acknowledge that Jesus died and rose from the dead and we are saved. It's a piercing of our spirit with His Spirit and we are sealed then by Him. He takes the responsibility of drawing us, and then keeping us.
This is what (Fran is calling us a team) we are saying.