What is Belief?

PART A: TO BELIEVE IS TO OBEY

Matthew 7:24-27

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

From the above passage we can conclude the following definition:

To Believe means: to accept known and/or witnessed truth. This word acceptance means to act upon the truth that you hear. Known truth is truth that you personally and directly experienced. Witnessed truth is an indirect experience or the witnessing of truth in the lives of others.

This definition implies that one has not believed until he gives a positive reaction to the truth he has heard or experienced. That positive reaction must be the action that the truth itself demands.

Therefore the operation of belief is to hear and do. You have not believed until you act upon what you have come to know as the truth.

To know and to believe are very different in operation. To know means to experience or to learn by the experience of others. This Truth demands a positive reaction.

Learning is knowledge that carries the power of influence. Influence is designed to dictate a desired response. This is true whether the influence is good or bad. A response to the influence is mandated.

Now to reject this acquired knowledge is to deny the influence. Therefore, the knowledge remains but the action it requires is rejected. This is called unbelief.

Unbelief is the act of rejecting known and/or witnessed truth. It is imperative that you understand this meaning, because it is vital to your servitude in Christ.

PART B: BELIEF IS SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY

To fully understand the mind of the Lord in bringing His people into obedience, we must go back to the original transgression.

In the garden we are dealing with three personalities: God, Satan, and man’s mind. We must remember, however, that the mind of the man was given over to the service of the Lord. For at this point he had not been introduced to evil.

Let us identify AUTHORITY:

1. exousia ^1849^ denotes "authority" (from the impersonal verb exesti, "it is lawful"). True authority is to operate in that which is lawful for one to operate in, as in the case of God and Satan. The Lord as creator of all that is in existence, including Satan, has the ultimate authority over all that He has created. This means however, that the authority of Satan was given to him by God. Therefore it is also lawful for Satan to operate in the realm of authority that God has given him.

From the meaning of "leave or permission," or liberty of doing as one pleases, it progressed to that of "the ability or strength with which one is endued," then to that of the "power of authority," the right to exercise power, e. g., <Matt. 9:6; 21:23; 2 Cor. 10:8>, or "the power of rule or government."

2. the power of one whose will and commands must be obeyed by others,

(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)

(Copyright (C) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

The above definition implies that God is the one that delegated authority to Satan and man. They must only operate in the realm assigned. For it is the authority of God that has set the boundaries for both.

Here we can also note that according to the discourse of Satan and consequently the proven fact, Satan was given greater authority than Adam.

Note the following scriptures:

2 Peter 2:11

11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

Hebrews 2:6-8

6. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

7. Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

8. Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

Hebrews 2:14-15

14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Genesis 2:16-17

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Notice that the devil had the power of death. This proves that he had greater authority than Adam. He was given this power by God. The Lord said to Adam, “...the day you eat of the tree ye shall surely die.” This means that God’s judgment for Adam’s sin was to turn over all authority to Satan to fulfill the commandment of God. For it was Satan to whom God had given the power of death and destruction.

PART C: THE REVELATION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

It was the mind of God for man to live and walk a certain way before him. However, it was impossible for man to know that mind until it was revealed by the spoken word. Therefore, the will of God and the authority of God as it relates to the consequences of our actions must be revealed to us by His spoken word.

This is the righteousness of God. For He reveals His mind and authority over His creation. He always delivers what He promises, whether good or bad. All of His dealings with man are contained inside of the Word that He has spoken to man. This is what makes it possible to anticipate God. He never changes. This is what makes Him a “just” God. Because He is “just” He is able to justify others.

Hebrews 10:1-22

1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God.

8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

21 And having an high priest over the house of God;

22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 10:29-31

29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

It is written that the purification of all things in heaven and in earth must be by blood. Therefore, The Lord raised up Jesus to be His sacrificial lamb, to die for the sins of man. This means that the penalty of death, placed on the human race, was satisfied by the blood of Jesus. Once that blood is applied to the life of a sinner, through the eternal spirit {the Holy Ghost}, then he is vindicated and made just before God.

In the salvation process, man experienced a positional change as well. He is now the son of God. He is an extension of the divine Godhead in the earth. Therefore, he has overcome the bondage of the authority of Satan. The sons of God have established the presence of God in the earth. They are not of the kingdom of darkness and death. They are of the kingdom of light. They have been given power over all the power of the enemy. They have been given the Holy Ghost, the eternal Spirit of God.

The sons of God become weak when they yield their members to Satan. It is then, they become his servants, submitting themselves once again to the bondage and authority of Satan.

THE REVELATION OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS

Satan is unrighteous in that he never reveals the truth concerning the consequences of man’s actions in obeying him. Furthermore, he promises things that he cannot deliver. What he promises man is outside of the boundaries of his authority. This makes him “unjust and unrighteous.” Thus, in order to be successful in his quest to destroy the human race, he must utilize the weapon of deception. He is a liar.

To obey Satan is to willingly submit to the authority the Lord has given him. Therefore to obey him is to submit to the power of death. This is the bondage of the enemy. He holds his victims captive by the power given to him by God. Satan had the power of death before he rebelled against the Lord. This power, however, could not be used against man, unless man chose to obey the voice of Satan. Likewise, Satan had no authority over man while he obeyed the word of God. The boundaries set by the word of God restricted Satan’s wrath against God’s creation.

This planet was given to Adam to rule. However, notice the declaration of Satan in his attempt to entice Jesus.

Luke 4:5-8

5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

The devil boasted that all the kingdoms of the world were delivered unto him. Now he is the authority over the kingdoms of this world. Therefore, being in authority, he is able to give the power of the kingdoms to whom he would. Notice that Jesus did not dispute that Satan was indeed the god of this world. In other passages he even conceded to this fact.

John 8:44

44 He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar, and the father of it.

To obey Satan is to submit to the power of death.

However, He knew the limitations of the devil. He knew that there was no kingdom that Satan could establish that Father God could not destroy. He knew that Satan’s power was only for a season. Moreover, he knew that God’s power and authority superseded that of the devil.

Daniel 4:24-25

24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king:

25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

Jesus knew the limitations of the devil. He knew that in the kingdoms of this earth, the devil could not operate beyond the boundaries set by the word of God. Jesus knew that in the earth realm the devil could only do that which guaranteed the purpose of God. Therefore, He responded with the truth: the spoken word of God.

Once again we see the character of unrighteousness. Satan never tells man the whole truth. He always leaves out the part that reveals his weaknesses, failures, and unlawful desires. He always promises more than he can deliver. He never reveals his limitations nor his true purpose. If these things concerning Satan are to be revealed, they must be done so by the word of God.

Let us take note of the fact that Satan, in direct contrast to God, never speaks the whole truth to man. The same is true of those that walk in the way of Satan. This is true, whether they are saved or unsaved. If there is an area of unrighteousness in the life of a saint that they are not ready to change, then it will be covered with lies, religion, and cunning craftiness.

To believe God is to obey him and to keep his commandments. To believe is to accept known and established truths by obeying that which they dictate. Furthermore, to believe is to submit to the authority of the truth.

To be an unbeliever, is to reject known truth. Even the truth that bears witness with your very own human spirit. To be an unbeliever, is to submit to the penalty and authority of sin and death. To walk in unbelief is to be a servant of the devil.

Beloved, fight to walk in the truth. Fight to maintain faith in the spoken word of God. Don’t war against the truth. Accept it and move on in God.

Love,

Bishop and Doc.