What is belief? According to dictionary.com, belief is confidence; faith; or trust (in something or someone).
Belief is something that is instilled in us from the time we are born and it grows with us as we grow. Our parents are usually the ones who give us our belief system. And we build upon that (or change it altogether) as we mature, based on our experiences and outside influences, such as society or our culture.
What I find most interesting about a belief system, especially in today’s world, is that it’s crucial you have one.
Why? Well, there is a saying that goes “if you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.”
I bring this up because I recently have had several conversations with different people who are in pursuit of truth, (which is actually a good place to be). It was in those conversations that I noticed how we can be moved from our beliefs if we are not grounded in our faith.
There is a lot of information out there, and there are plenty of self-proclaimed gurus who are ready to show us the path to enlightenment. If we are not careful, we can get pulled in many directions and lose faith in what we first believed.
This is why social media outlets prevail in our culture today. You can build a brand, gain millions of followers, and create a lucrative business all by sharing your beliefs, whatever they are, even if they aren’t true.
As we engage in our present culture, we are always getting bits and pieces of someone else’s story based on their experiences, their views on history, culture, and the ever-popular “science”. So what do we do when what they are presenting resonates with us in some way? Should we just accept it as truth?
I would say no. As Christians, we are to test every spirit to see if it is from God because there are many false teachers in the world (1 John 4:1).
Most of the time if find these people are just regurgitating something they have heard, or taken at face value, without researching themselves.
But for us, we should be able to explain what we believe and why, should someone ask. (1 Peter 3:15).
So here it goes:
At the core of my belief system is Jesus Christ.
- I believe that all the scripture is the word of God, and is given for our instruction (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
- I believe that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. And that he sent his son to die for a sinful world, and all who believe in Him will be saved (John 3:16).
- I believe that Jesus died, was buried, rose again, and is seated at the right hand of the Father (God) making intercession for us (Romans 8:34).
- I believe that Jesus is the only way for us to be redeemed back to the true and living God of the Bible (John 14:6).
- I believe that we have been given the Holy Spirit of God to guide us into all truth (John 16:13).
- I believe it’s by faith we are saved by God’s grace and not based on any of our works (Ephesians 2:8-9).
- I believe that Jesus will return and take his church back with him to live with him for all eternity (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
This is the foundation of what I believe. I believe in the Bible, all of it, and the truth that is within its pages.
Therefore, everything in my life is measured by the word of God. Any outside belief, new ideas, or information, anything that would challenge or question my belief, I weigh it against the Bible, God’s word. If it does not stand up against what I believe, I toss it.
Now some people may say this is closed-minded and I totally agree, it is. But that’s exactly what we must do as believers of Jesus Christ. If what is being presented doesn’t line up scripturally, we toss it.
Remember in the last days the bible talks about a great falling away. That means people who were once with the church will leave because they no longer believe. This happens when we are not sure or confident in what we believe in the first place.
The Bible tells us we should examine ourselves to make sure we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).
In doing so we should be able to answer these questions:
- What do I believe?
- Is this the truth? How do I know?
- Can I put what I believe into words? Can I share it clearly with others?
- Do I have a source from which my belief stems?
- Has my belief been proven to work, in my life personally?
- Can I maintain my belief even when the world around me is changing fast?
- When everything is falling apart in my life can my belief sustain me?
If you are not able to answer these questions with confidence, get back to reading the scriptures and rebuilding your faith.
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Having a belief system is what can help sustain you in this world, but it will always be your bridge into eternity. But that of course depends on what you believe