Can You Believe God?

Q: What does the Bible say about believing God?

The Bible emphasizes that believing God leads to righteousness and acceptance, as exemplified by Abraham's faith (Romans 4:3). The Bible consistently underscores the importance of believing God. In Romans 4:3, it states, 'For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.' This exemplifies that faith is not merely acknowledgment of God's existence, but a deep-seated trust in Him and His promises. Abraham, often referred to as the father of the faithful, illustrates that true belief in God leads to righteousness and acceptance by Him. This principle is not exclusive to Abraham but extends to all who believe God, highlighting that such faith is vital for receiving the same righteousness and holiness.

Q: Why is faith important for Christians?

Faith is essential for Christians as it is the means through which we are justified and receive God's promises (Hebrews 11:6). Faith holds a foundational place in the Christian life because, as stated in Hebrews 11:6, 'Without faith, it is impossible to please God.' This indicates that faith is the requisite approach to God, which must be coupled with the belief that He exists and rewards those who seek Him. Faith is not merely an intellectual assent; it encompasses trust and reliance on God and His word. For Christians, faith also signifies a commitment to live according to God's commands and promises, serving as a catalyst for transformative works that reflect the genuine nature of our belief. It is through faith that we are justified, as demonstrated in the teachings of Paul that emphasize salvation is not by works, but through faith in Christ alone.

Q: How do we know if faith is genuine?

Genuine faith is evidenced by obedience and good works, as true belief in God will naturally lead to a changed life (James 2:17). To determine the authenticity of faith, one must examine the alignment of belief with actions. James 2:17 states, 'Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.' This means that authentic faith invariably produces works; it cannot exist in isolation from how one lives. True faith manifests itself in obedience to God's commands and a life that reflects His character, as seen with figures such as Abraham, who acted on God's word by faith. Moreover, the scriptures affirm that those who genuinely believe will show evidence of their faith through love, service, and conduct that honors God. Therefore, when assessing the genuineness of faith, one should look for the fruits it produces in a believer’s life.

Q: What does it mean to believe God?

To believe God means to trust Him fully and act accordingly, not merely acknowledging His existence (James 2:19). Believing God transcends simple acknowledgment of His existence; it entails a deep trust in His character, promises, and authority. As articulated in James 2:19, even demons acknowledge God exists, but they do not possess genuine faith. To truly believe God means to place complete confidence in Him, leaning on His word and promises. It involves surrendering oneself to Him, knowing whom we have believed as Paul stated in 2 Timothy 1:12. This belief is demonstrated by a commitment that affects all aspects of life, leading to actions that align with God's will. Thus, true belief is marked by an ongoing relationship characterized by trust and obedience.

I'm going to speak to you for
a little while on this subject. It's a question. Can you believe
God? Can you believe God? Now, I have three texts. The
first one is taken from Romans 4, and it talks about Abraham. Abraham, the father of the faithful. Abraham, the pattern of faith.
Abraham, to whom the Lord showed such grace and mercy, called
the very friend of God. It says here in Romans 4, 23,
and Abraham believed God. That's what made the difference.
He believed God. And it was counted to him for
righteousness, the fact that he believed God. It was imputed
to him or reckoned to him or counted to him for holiness,
for righteousness, acceptance. Now, Paul, the writer of this
scripture, goes on and says something else to you and to me. He says,
now, Abraham believed God. He believed God. And it was counted
to him for righteousness. Now, this was not written for
Abraham's sake alone. That righteousness was imputed
to him through faith. But for us also, to whom this
same righteousness and holiness and acceptance shall be imputed
if we believe God." Isn't that something? Same thing. Abraham
was a man just like you, the fellow listening to me right
now. He was a man just like you. Same man of like passions, family
man, working man, laboring man, farmer. Abraham believed God. And it was counted to him for
righteousness. And that wasn't written just
for Abraham. He was no special character in this sense of the
word, but it was written for us also to whom this same righteousness
and holiness and acceptance by the same God shall be given if
we believe God. Can you believe God? And then
in Mark 16 verse 15, our Lord gathered his disciples about
him after he'd been crucified and risen from the grave and
before he ascended back to the Father. And he said to them,
to these 11 apostles, Judas was dead, Paul would later join them,
but he said to these 11 apostles, you go into all the world and
you preach the gospel, my gospel. the gospel of my grace and the
gospel of my glory. You go preach my gospel to everybody,
to every creature. Preach it to everybody. And he
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. But he that believeth
not, this gospel shall be damned." Now, can you believe the gospel?
These are the words of Christ himself. You go preach this gospel
wherever you go, to whomever you preach. And as they listen
to you, that person who believes this gospel shall be gloriously,
eternally, unchangeably saved. And the person who does not believe
this gospel shall be damned. Now in Mark chapter 9 verse 23,
there was a man who came to our Lord, a man who had a son, that
had some sort of disease, epilepsy or something like that, a demon
possessed. There was some problem. And he said to the Lord, he said,
I brought my son to your disciples and they couldn't do anything
for him. Now, if you can do anything for him, will you help us? And
our Lord looked at that man and this is what he said, if you can believe, If you can believe, all things
are possible to him that believeth. And that's what I'm asking you
today. Can you believe God? Can you
believe His Word? Now, if there's any one thing
that's established, I've read three texts, I could have read
3,000 on this subject. But if there's any one thing
that's established in the Word of God, it is the importance
of believing God. Just believing God. Listen to
Hebrews 11, verse 6. Without faith, it's impossible
to please God. Without faith, it's impossible
to please God. He that cometh to God must. If any man comes to God, he must
believe that God is. and that God is the rewarder
or the redeemer of all those who diligently seek Him. If any
man comes to God, he must. There's no alternative. He must
believe God. Without faith, it's impossible
to please God. And then four times the scripture
says this, Habakkuk, Galatians, Hebrews, and Romans, the just
shall live by faith. That's how they live. They live
by faith. All the promises of God are to
those who believe. There are no promises to people
who don't believe. There's no love, there's no grace,
there's no blood, there's no redemption for a person who does
not believe. All the promises of God are in
Christ. And they're yes. They're not
yes and no, they're yes. But they're to those who believe.
Hebrews chapter 11 talks about Noah, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, Moses, Sarah, Rahab. Talks about all these people
of the Old Testament who walked with God. And you know the one
thing that all of these people had in common? The one thing,
according to Hebrews chapter 11, faith. Faith. By faith, Noah being warned of
God. prepared an ark. By faith, Enoch
walked with God, pleased God. By faith, Abraham was called
out of his father's house to go to land that God would show.
By faith, Jacob. By faith, Isaac. All things are
possible to them that believe. Can you believe? Believe God. Well, let me ask this question
and try to answer it from the Scriptures. What is it to believe
God? I hear everybody talk about faith,
faith, faith, faith. What is faith? Believing God. What is it to believe God? Well,
it's not just to believe there is a God. James says, you believe
there's one God, you do well. The devil believes that and trembles. So it's not just to believe that
there is a God. It's to believe Him. To believe Him. It's not just
acknowledge that there's a God. You know, when our Lord Jesus
Christ encountered the man with the evil spirits, those evil
spirits says, we know who you are. You're the Holy One of God. Have you come to torment us before
our time? They acknowledged that Jesus
Christ was God. They acknowledged that they had
a time when he would deal with them in judgment. And they said,
have you come to torment us before the time? So, to believe God
is not just to acknowledge His presence, His power, His judgment.
It's to trust Him. To trust Him, to lean on Him.
To believe Him, to trust Him, to lean on Him. And then it's
not just to profess a faith with the mouth. It's to act out that
faith in coming to Him. What is it to believe God? It's
to believe Him. and to trust Him, to cast myself
upon Him, to lean upon Him, and to come to Him and keep coming
to Him. Paul sums up faith through the
years of trying to preach. I've looked for definitions of
faith, little places here and there, words, verses, scriptures
that would help me to teach faith. But here in II Timothy 1.12,
Paul said, Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed.
I know whom I have believed, and I'm persuaded that He's able
to keep that which I've committed to Him." Now, here's the definition
of faith. Here's a man of faith. Here's
an apostle. Here's the man God used so mightily,
so greatly, a man of great revelations, a man who wrote 14 of the 27
books in the New Testament, and here he gives a summary of his
faith And this is the way he gives it. He says, I know whom
I have believed. Notice he didn't say, I know
when I believe or I know what I believe. He said, I know whom.
Salvation is a person. I know whom. I know who he is. I know he's a sovereign God.
I know he's the almighty God. I know he's the just God. I know
he's the merciful God. I know he's God in Christ. I
know he's Jehovah, the Lord, my savior. I know he's the redeemer. I know whom. I have believed. I know something about Him. Not
everything by any measure. Oh, that I may know Him, He said
in the power of His resurrection. Oh, that I may win Christ. But
I know Him. And I'm persuaded. That is, I'm
confident. I know Him and I'm confident
that He is able. That's what Abraham, that's what
they said about Abraham. He believed God, that God was
able to do all that He promised. And that's exactly what Paul
is saying here. I believe God, I know Him, and I know, I'm confident,
I'm persuaded that what He says, He can do and He will do. He's able to save to the uttermost
them that come to God by Him. He's able to keep us from falling.
He's able to raise our vile bodies and make them like His own. He's
able to accomplish His divine and holy will. I know it. I'm confident. And notice this
last word. I know whom I have believed,
and I am persuaded, confident, that He's able to keep that which
I've, watch it now, committed to Him. Committed. That's faith. That's faith. Not only knowledge, I know God. I know who He is. I know what
He did. I know why He did it. I know
where Christ is now, the right hand of God. But I'm persuaded
that He's able to fulfill and do all that He promised. And
He's able to keep that which I've what? Committed. Oh, yeah. None of these things are secondary,
knowledge, confidence, but I'll tell you this, faith, if it is
faith, acts. Faith, if it is faith, commits. Faith, if it is faith, surrenders. Oh yes, God said, Abraham, get
thee out of thy father's house to a land I'll show thee. Abraham
believed God. Preacher, how do you know he
believed God? He went out. He went out. That's how I know
he believed God. Faith acts. You can't separate
faith and obedience. Faith and conduct, as a man thinketh
in his heart, so is he. If you receive Christ, walk in
him. Rahab, they said, hang a scarlet line out the window, and you'll
be spared. She believed God. How do you know she believed
God? She hung the scarlet line out the window. Moses, put the
blood on the door, and when I see the blood, I'll pass over you.
How do I know Moses and those people believed God? They put
the blood on the door. Romans, you see, the book of
Romans talks about the justification of the soul. By faith we're justified, not
by works of righteousness, which we've done. But according to
His mercy, we conclude that a man's justified by faith without the
works of the law. That's what Paul teaches in Romans.
Justified, forgiven, pardoned, redeemed by His death, by His
life. by his work, by his doing and
dying, not by anything we do. But James comes along and James
teaches that the justification of faith is works. See, the justification of the
soul is by Christ through faith. But how do you know a man's faith
is genuine? By his works. Because faith without
works is dead. So Paul said, I know whom I have
believed. And I'm persuaded that he's able
to do all that he said and able to keep. But I've proved my confidence
in him and proved my faith in him and prove I know him by committing
everything to him. You see, obedience, that's what
separates false faith from true faith. Christ said, if you love
me, you'll keep my commandments. Keeping my commandments doesn't
make you love me, but loving me makes you keep my commandments. Christ said, you're my friends.
If you do whatsoever, I command you. I'm not the friend of God
because I do what he says. I do what he says because I'm
the friend of God. You understand what I'm saying? Faith produces works. Real faith
will produce labor of love and works of faith. And if faith
A person claims to believe God and doesn't live like it and
walk like it and talk like it and act like it, then he doesn't
really believe God. Abraham, take your son up on
the mountain and sacrifice him to me. Abraham believed God.
How do you know? He took him up there on the mountain. He
did what God commanded him to do. You see, to believe Christ
is to receive him, to receive him as your Lord and your master,
Lord of your life, and bow to his will. No man can serve two
masters. People out in this world who
claim to believe on Jesus and yet they give no evidence. They're
selfish and greedy and unthoughtful and unholy and indifferent and
not identified with God's people. They don't believe God. If you
believe God, you walk with God. To believe Christ is to receive
Him. To believe Christ is to come to Him, body and soul. Ruth,
what did Ruth say to Naomi? She said, I love you. And where
you go, I go. And your people are my people.
And where you lodge, I'll lodge. And where you die, I'll die.
And where you're buried, I'll be buried. Now, she loved that
woman. And I tell you, if a person loves Christ, he'll say the same
thing. Where you go, I go. Your will is my will. Your command
is my command. Your people are my people. Where
you lodge, I lodge. And when I die, I die in confidence
and faith in you. To believe Christ is to trust
Him. for my needs, spiritual and material and physical. Trust
Him. He said, take no anxious thought
for what you're going to eat or drink or wear. Your Father
knows you have need of these things. Seek ye first the kingdom
of God and His righteousness. Do you really believe God? Then
you'll walk in His Word. To believe Christ is to continue
to believe Him, to continue to trust Him, to continue to believe
Him, to continue to rest in Him, You know what John says about
people that run hot for a little while and then get cold, and
they serve God a little while and then quit, and they come
to church a little while and then lay out, and they believe the
Bible a while and then quit believing it, and they walk with this crowd
a while and walk with that one? You know what John said about
those folks? He said they went out from us because they never
were of us. Or they claimed to be for a little
while and professed to be for a little while, but he said they
never were of us. How do you know they weren't of you, John?
Well, if they'd been of us, they no doubt would have continued
with us. We are the house of Christ if we hold fast the profession
of our faith firm unto the end. If anyone asks me, what is, preacher,
what is it to believe God? What is saving faith? I'd say
it's to know Him, it's to have confidence, be persuaded
that He is able to do all that He said, and it's a genuine,
continual commitment, heart, body, and soul, and all that
I possess and all that I am to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is,
this isn't a sign I wear, I put outside the house. This is an
experience. He is Lord. All right, here's
the second question now. Second point in this message,
and an important part of this message, can you believe God?
You see, this saving faith has a chief object. It's not just
a general faith. I know, in a sense, we do believe
the Word of God. From Genesis to Revelation, God
can't lie. We believe the Word of God. And
the Word of God is an object of faith. God said, My Word will
not return unto me void. I believe the Bible. And then,
secondly, is to believe the promises of God. From Genesis to Revelation,
from that first promise, the seed of woman, to the very last
promise. We believe God. We believe His
promises. We believe His mercy. God's plenteous
in mercy. But really and truly, now listen
carefully to me. Are you with me? What is the
chief object of this saving faith? This saving faith is brought
together in one point. There's someone whom I believe.
I believe God. I believe His Word. I believe
His promises. I believe His mercy. I believe His grace. But all
of this is in Christ. You see, Christ is the Word of
God. Christ is the Word of God, and
the only way I know the Word of God is in Christ. No man has
seen God at any time, save the Son, and He to whom the Son will
reveal Him. He's even called the Word of God. And so I believe
Christ, and therefore I believe the Word of God, for He is the
Word of God, the very revelation of God. I believe God, and Christ
is God. And I believe the promises, but
all the promises of God are in Christ. There's nothing for the
sinner outside of Christ. Every promise of God Almighty
is centered in the Lord Jesus Christ. And when I believe Christ,
I believe the promises of God and the mercy of God. What Paul
keeps saying, grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God the
Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. And that's the reason. Now listen to this. I bring this
to my point. Listen to it. That's the reason
when the jailer in Philippi asked Paul, Sir, what must I do to
be saved? Paul replied in one sentence,
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Because
Jesus Christ is God. God was in Christ. Jesus Christ
is the Word of God. In Christ are all the promises
of God. And in Christ is the very mercy
of God. So when I believe Christ, when
I receive Christ, when I embrace Christ, when I rest in Christ,
then I'm resting in and trusting and believing all the Word, all
the promises, and all the mercy. That's the reason John said in
1 John 1, 10 through 12, listen to it. This is the record. God
hath given to us eternal life. This life is in His Son. He that
hath the Son of God hath life. And he that hath not the Son
of God shall not see life. But the wrath of God abideth
on him. You see, Christ is, listen to 1 Corinthians 1.30. Of him,
of God, are you in Christ. who of God is made unto us wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. In Christ dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." You see what we're saying?
Everything's in Christ. That's the reason we... Paul
said, I preached Christ and Him crucified. I determined to know
nothing among you save Jesus Christ. When you preach Christ,
you preach God. Christ is God. When you preach
Christ, you preach the Word of God. In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was made flesh.
When you preach Christ, you preach the promises of God. When you
preach Christ, you preach the mercies of God. When you preach
Christ, you preach the wisdom of God, the righteousness of
God, the redemption and sanctification of God, because it's all in Him. Do you understand what I'm saying? How does this saving faith generally
come to a person? Can you believe God? Can you
look to Christ and believe Christ? Well, how does this saving faith
generally come to a person? How does God work faith? For
by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves. It's the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. But how does God work faith?
How does a person generally come to faith? Just ordinarily, I
know that God works when He will, with whom he will and really
the way he will, but usually I can give you four or five things
if you'll listen. Number one, how does God generally
work faith? The Lord by the word, never without
the word of God. God is chosen by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. But God generally by
the word and through his spirit will convince a man of sin. If
you're not lost, you'll never be found. If you're not a sinner,
you'll never be saved. If you're not guilty, you don't
need grace. Christ died for sinners. Christ died for the ungodly.
Christ came into the world to save sinners. He said, I didn't
come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. So that's
a prerequisite. That's necessary. A man's got
to be convinced he's lost, that he's a sinner. And God, our Lord
said, when the Holy Spirit's come, he'll convince the world
of sin. UNRIGHTEOUSNESS AND UNBELIEF. THEN SECONDLY, THE LORD BY HIS
WORD AND BY HIS SPIRIT WILL NOT ONLY CONVINCE A MAN HE'S A SINNER,
BUT HE'LL SHUT HIM UP TO HIS MERCY IN CHRIST. THAT MAN WILL
DISCOVER THAT THERE'S NO WAY TO GOD BY HUMAN MERIT. THERE'S
NO WAY TO GOD BY HUMAN WORKS. BY THE DEEDS OF THE LAW SHALL
NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED. IT'S NOT BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
WHICH WE'VE but by His mercy He saved us. Paul said, When
the law came, I died. In other words, in the flesh
no man can please God. So we shut up to mercy. We shut
up to His help, to His will. Like the leper said, Lord, if
You will, You can make me whole, because I certainly need it,
and I can't make myself whole. Thirdly, the Lord will then by
His Word and by His Spirit reveal Christ to that sinner. to that sinner's heart as his
redeemer. He'll reveal Christ in his life as our righteousness
and Christ in his death and by his blood as our atonement. We'll
find out who died on that cross and why he died on that cross
and where he is now. And the Lord by his Spirit will
reveal that salvation is in Christ. Because he died, I don't have
to die. Because he lived a perfect life, then it counts to me for
righteousness. And then fourthly, Usually, the
Lord, by His Word and by His Spirit, will work repentance
and saving faith in that sinner's heart. He'll make us willing
in the day of His power. The goodness of God will lead
us to repentance, and He'll grant us eyes to see Christ, and ears
to hear His voice, and a heart to love Him. And then the Lord,
by His Word and by His Spirit, will continue to reveal Christ.
And we'll grow engrossed in the knowledge of Christ Day by day,
as we feast on the Word and feed on the Word and feed on Christ,
we grow to know Him better. See, we have been saved, we're
being saved, and our salvation is nearer than when we believe.
Now, last of all, what's the confidence of faith? Well, you
say, our faith, the Word of God gives us assurance. Yes, but
God Himself is the confidence. God is almighty, God is unchangeable,
and God is faithful. And He'll never leave us and
never forsake us. And our confidence is not in
ourselves, it's in Him who saved us. If you want this tape, if
you want this message on a cassette tape, the title of it is, Can
You Believe God? Can You Just Believe God? And
the one I preached last week on the four important questions. Send two dollars, I'll send you
both messages on one tape. Till next time, may God bless
you, everyone.

Can You Believe God?

What does the Bible say about believing God?

Why is faith important for Christians?

How do we know if faith is genuine?

What does it mean to believe God?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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Can You Believe God?

What does the Bible say about believing God?

Why is faith important for Christians?

How do we know if faith is genuine?

What does it mean to believe God?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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