Believing Is Seeing

The Matrix was on TV last night. Even by watching just a few minutes of it, I was reminded just how true it is when Morpheus says, "You've been living in a dream world."

And so have those who have not received Christ yet. When we place our faith in Jesus, and receive the Holy Spirit, we become changed. A friend of mine describes it this way:

"Since placing my faith in Jesus, I see things differently. It's like being in the shower. Once you've been washed clean by the shed blood of Jesus, you pull back that curtain, and you see everything differently than you did before."

Ain't that the truth!

The sad thing though is that people we love just can't see and feel the same things that we do. And that hurts. Why? Because we are destined for different places after we die.

One could focus on that alone and remain depressed for the rest of this earthly life, but that's not what God wants us to do. Read this:

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ²Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." - 1 John 3:1-2

[1st John is a great book. It's short and to the point, and if you look closely as you read, you can discover a checklist of sorts to determine whether or not you are truly saved.]

But let's get back to our topic. "You don't know what you don't know." Our pastor used that phrase on Sunday. It stresses the importance of reading The Bible.

We can say that we believe in God, but then we come across verses that test our beliefs. For example . . .

"You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe - and tremble!" - James 2:19

James was saying that there HAS to be more to our faith than simply "believing" in God. There must also be evidence of that belief in the things we say and do.

In the very next verse, James tells us that " faith without works is dead." He then goes on to say . . .

"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." - James 2:26

What James is getting at is this: What do we do with your faith? Do we go to church and that's it? Do we put money in the tithe box and say "look how much I have given?"

The Apostle Paul said, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." - 1 Corinthians 11:1

And what did Paul do? He preached the Gospel everywhere he went. How are WE doing with that?