True Belief Requires Faith
The consequences of our sin required an act by God that would overshadow the darkness in us. God had to do something.
True Belief Requires Faith
In Romans 8, we are told that nothing can separate us from God’s love.
Romans 8:38–39
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come … will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
That truth will never change. It’s amazing when you consider the absolutely incredible lengths God went through to show us that love. This is what Christianity is all about: God sent His Son to save us.
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
That love is all-encompassing and eternal—but it demands a response from you. John 3:16 is speaking about those who believe in Him.
Belief is a funny thing. There are different levels of belief. I can believe something you say and never think about it again. I can also believe something is true but never let it “sink in” or change me. That’s not what Jesus means when He talks about belief.
In the Bible, belief involves faith. Faith is believing in something to such an extent that it changes who you are and how you live.
When we put all of this together—God’s love, the depth of His commitment to us and His promise of eternal life to those who believe—a response is required. It is not optional. These are not truths we can simply learn about and then go on with our lives as if nothing happened.
The consequences of our sin required an act by God that would overshadow the darkness in us. God had to do something.
So He did. This verse says it all:
John 15:13
“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”
What kind of response is worthy of that? How could you possibly thank God enough or return that kind of love?
The answer is painful. You can’t. But God knows that. What He wants is for us to follow Him. He wants us to lay aside our past and embrace His love. He wants a relationship with the person He created.
That person is you.
Ask Jesus to change your heart. It’s what your life is missing. It’s the answer you’ve been looking for. It’s the response He is waiting for.
