I’ve had people tell me that they believe in God but that they don’t believe in Jesus! Not certain how they can even begin to accomplish that.
Actually some would say that they are a Christian – though how can one be a Christian without believing in Christ??? Ohhh, they believe Jesus existed but not that He was the Son of God, our Savior and our only way to the Father. If He wasn’t who He said He was and did what He did… what’s the point? Then again I wonder if they don’t believe that God is our Father.?! Or is it merely an excuse so they don’t have to acknowledge not only Who Jesus was but What He did because they say and believe(?) they are a good person, which smacks of self sufficiency and all that is associated with that belief.
Why do we find it so very difficult? (And how can we justify such a belief? – Personally, I can’t.) I suspect we can point to many reasons why such a belief exists but mostly it comes down to the point that we want to do life… ‘our way’. (And just how successful is that?) And that’s just one confusion. What about – scripture is extremely clear about salvation.
” For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him].” [John 3:17-18]
“This Jesus is the stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief Cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].” [Acts 4:11-12]
Those are only 2 of the scriptures that describes HOW we are saved and WHO saves us. Period. Without Jesus the Christ we are still dead in our sins. DEAD. Believe only in God?
According to Google (and they ARE always right – yes?) but they say and cite their ‘authority’:
“A person who believes in the existence of a god or gods is called a theist. The opposite of a theist is an atheist.
Dictionary.com
Theists believe in the existence of a god or gods. The word deist refers to someone who believes in God
Wikipedia
More simply stated, Deism is the belief in the existence of God—often, but not necessarily, an impersonal and incomprehensible God…
Deism: The belief in God, but that God created the universe and then left it to be governed by natural laws. Deists often base their beliefs on rational thought, rather than religious authority.
When you read those definitions, aren’t you left a bit empty? What do you receive from such beliefs? But when you read the Bible you discover:
“You believe that God is one; you do well [to believe that]. The demons also believe [that], and shudder and bristle [in awe-filled terror—they have seen His wrath]!” [James 2:17]
Do you really want to be counted among the demons!! Why do you not realize the significance of Jesus and all He has already done for you? In Him, your sins have been nailed to His cross. In Him you are blessed. In Him you are a joint heir with Him. There are so many ‘things’ that are yours… in Him. Cutting off your nose to spite your face? You cannot even count yourself a Christian without accepting Christ.
In Him, Jesus, you have everything you need. What more do you need? There is a slight caveat to becoming a Christian… Jesus comes first because He is Lord.
