Choose to Believe

An age-old question hanging over the heads of too many people—people who live their spiritual lives in the margin, on the fringe, in the vestibule, as it were, of the church—is what do you really believe about Jesus?  It’s time to answer.  Do you believe that Jesus is God? This question spawns other questions: Is He personal to you? Is He the only way to eternal life? Many say NO, emphatically.  Others remain undecided.  Still others won’t answer.  Ironically, some remain silent for lack of evidence.  God, so they say, needs to do more to win them over. 

In a court of law, admissible evidence consists of relevant, non-prejudicial facts based on actual findings. Such evidence existed. The Jews, however, wanted more evidence, as we read in the gospel of John, 10:22 “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” “How long do you make us to doubt?” they asked.” Others believed. Why not the Jews? Today, the real question for us is, why do people refuse to believe? Is Jesus responsible for making anyone to doubt? Are people responsible for choices they did not make? No, this was not a sin of genetics, but a sin of the attitude. They had the power to believe any time they chose to execute it.  The Bible says otherwise. “Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:19-22.  The real truth is that Jesus is alive, active, working in our lives, living in our hearts and involved in an authentic, personal relationship with us!  His entire ministry aimed to make people believe, not doubt. His words were spoken with power and authority. His miracles proved that He was not subservient to laws of physics and mathematics. His healings demonstrated that he was divine. In His week of passion, He exchanged his crown of gold for a crown plaited with thorns. The scourging, the beating, the spikes and spear were God’s appeal to our belief. 

Will you choose to believe? Admissible evidence abounds. Jesus turned water to wine. Healed the nobleman’s son. Caused the draught of fishes. Healed the demoniac. Healed Peter’s mother-in-law. Cleansed the leper. Healed the paralytic. Healed the palsied. Healed a withered hand. Healed the crowd near Galilee. Healed the Centurion’s servant. Raised the son of the widow of Nain. Healed another demoniac. Stilled the wind and waves. Healed a demoniac. Healed the woman with the issue of blood. Raised the daughter of Jairus. Healed a blind man. Healed a deaf mute. Fed the five thousand. Walked on the water. Healed a Gentile woman’s daughter. Fed four thousand. Healed the blind man at Bethsaida. Healed the demoniac son. Healed ten lepers. Healed another blind man. Raised Lazarus from the dead. Healed a woman of her infirmity. Healed a man with dropsy. Healed two blind men. What a display of supernatural power! And he did it so that all men through him might believe. 

You’re not going to get any more evidence than you have now to make you believe!  You have His word. You have His works. You may get more from Him AFTER you believe—joy, peace, love, hope, a clean mind, a clear conscience, freedom—but most importantly, you will get Jesus!

You will get the peace-speaker, the water-to-wine changer, the leper-cleanser, the blind-healer, the soul-saver, the mind-healer, the alcoholic-deliverer, the addiction-breaker, the Great-l-Am! Put your faith into motion today! 

When all is said and done, believing is your choice.  With no evidence, you can choose to believe; with all the evidence in the world, you may choose not to believe.  External circumstances, whatever they may be, do not impinge on the sacred right of choice.  It’s up to you.