Shema Living—Heart Belief vs. Demonic Belief
You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that –
and tremble with fear. (James 2:19)
“You need to just believe.” “Only believe.”
These are just some of the common lines I have heard Christians say. How awesome is Christ’s gift and work on the cross for humankind’s salvation. Receiving-believing that gift is what is left to make it real and personal. It does sound so simple that it is only a ‘just’ or an ‘only’ kind of step. Yet, not all belief and faith is transactional and transformational.
Andrew Murray in his book, A Life of Power, shares a definition of believing. Murray is discussing Jesus’s words in John 7:38—He that believeth in me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water. The author reminds the reader that believing is more than mere remembering and thinking. “Believing is that power of the renewed nature that forsakes self and allows the glorified Christ to come and take possession of us.” This is true heart belief.
In a recent family texting conversation that was pivoting off of the idea of believing, Samantha wrote, as part of the conversation, a part of her personal spiritual journey regarding belief that also compliments Murray’s definition. She shared the following…
Hmmm......believe....what a word I sure got tripped up on throughout this journey....
There came a point early on when God was trying to introduce Himself to me and teach me Who He was and His love for me---at first I was believing Him----but I got to the point of a lot of unknown and cluelessness and fear. I ditched Him. What I can explain now but didn't understand then was that I ditched believing Him, God, His Person, and began to work really, really hard to believe "about" Him. I believed religious generalities and overarching promises and Scriptures.... but all of these were arm’s length or farther away from Him....and absolutely didn't bear any fruit of His Life and All He could become and be and do in and thru me.
My belief turned out to look a lot like this verse...Jas 2:19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror .... I now know the faith/belief God is asking for is the kind that surrenders us and receives Him, His Person, His Life. The kind of belief the demons have leaves themselves as their god, with their own truth and right.
For you see I was raised and had become so convinced of and confident in me that I knew relationally very little about God, didn't trust Him. So, when God invited me to converse, trust, and let go of me, God was really like a black hole. I could believe God like the demons and remain a god myself. But I couldn't and was clueless on the next step of believing-trusting God to become and be and do SomeOne completely different in me--SomeOne I really didn't know. To love me. To be Health and Life. To be Confidence and Identity. To be Protection and Provision. To be Shepherd and Tender Care. To be my God, my Authority, my Truth and Right. To be my Words and my Mind. To trust Him to love me, to give me All of Himself.
I look back on specific moments when I could have "jumped" into that black hole and believed Him/trusted Him, though I couldn't see Him or understand who He was, and He would have faithfully caught me and held me tight ...forever and ever and ever. He would have been who I desperately needed Him to be...and more.
So very thankful I did finally take that jump into His great loving gentle arms for He is certainly the Bestest Father, Creator, Shepherd, God ever--and sooo very personal, speaking directly to me, so I know exactly what He needs me to believe He will be and do in and thru me. What intimate, personally unique love from Father to me!!
Brother or Sister-in-Christ, does your belief reflect the transaction-transformation of the internal, spiritual exchange of self with the Spirit of Christ? Have you lived your Christian life with a mere external, shuddering demonic-like belief but has kept self unchanged, distant, and buffered with idols? Do you need to “jump” into real, heart belief and trust in Christ Jesus?
Our Father, You are empowering Your children to leave a self-Christianity to fully launch into heart belief the Spirit nature continually renews and glorifies Christ. Your church is in desperate need of such a life of belief and trust. We deeply appreciate You being the “Bestest Father, Creator, Shepherd, God ever” that leads us to a fully surrendered “Yes” to trust You. Thanks for loving us with such an opportunity to experientially relate and know You. In Jesus’s name, amen.
