Do your beliefs matter?

There’s a popular saying, “belief kills and belief cures.” There may be some wisdom in that adage. In other words, either your beliefs could destroy you or they could save you. From a religious perspective, we can find even more relevance and meaning to this proverb.

We read in Mark 1:14, “ Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

Did you notice what Jesus said, “…believe the gospel.” Why should we believe the gospel? “Romans 1:6, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” The  gospel is God’s power to bring those who keep on believing to everlasting life.

What is the gospel? The gospel is about the good news of Jesus Christ and His coming kingdom, which He will establish on the earth. He came and died for the sins of humanity and is returning to set up a kingdom that will never end. It’s not about going to heaven; God’s kingdom or government is coming right here on earth to rule for one-thousand years. All human governments will vanquish and divine rule establish.

Furthermore, we read, “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses, (Acts 13:39). And, “if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, (Romans 10.9).

Of course, it is not just believing and everything will be fine; believing in God comes with responsibility. One has to demonstrate their belief in the Master by following His prescription to inherit eternal life. James 2: 19, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”  You just can’t say you believe and everything you say and do is contrary to what you believe in, but that’s for another article.

Some people think it does not matter what you believe as long as you profess God, or a god, you will be fine. Is that so? For example, the Bible, says all the other gods are false. There’s only one true God, YAHWEH.

Isa. 44:6, “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel,
And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God. Verse 8,” Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’ ” Is 45:5, “I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, ⁶ That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other…”

If you believe otherwise, perhaps in the name of political correctness or plurality, this belief could take you to the second death in the lake of fire. There is no way, according to the Holy Bible, that tells you one can inherit eternal life if you don’t believe in YAHWEH and accept Jesus Christ is LORD and SAVIOUR.

Make no mistake about it, your belief can destroy you or save you. Inventing a man-made religion or anything contrary to the Word of God and embracing it as a belief won’t save you. You just can’t believe in anything and expect it is acceptable to God. You just can’t say you are “spiritual” and does not believe in the God of the Bible and believe you are okay. Jesus Christ said, “believe the gospel.” The all-powerful, all-knowing, all-mighty God of the Universe says all the other gods are false. If you believe in Him, you must accept His Word. Anyone is free to dismiss His statements, but you cannot profess to believe in Him and accept teachings to the contrary.

Do your beliefs matter? From a biblical perspective, yes. Be careful, study your Bible, and see what it says as opposed to common practices in Christianity that are not Bible-based or Christ-centred. Many preachers are always recommending you go to a “Bible-believing church.” That is fine, but ensure you open that Bible and see if what is being preached matches up to what it says. When you are satisfied, and it is biblically accurate or is truth (thy word is truth), then you can say safely, this is what I believe. Your belief will matter in the long run! For more on this subject, download FREE our booklet, HOW TO STUDY YOUR BIBLE.