What it means to Believe

There was a time that I truly thought that all I had to do in order to be a Christian was to believe that Jesus was the Son of God and He died and rose again. That seemed easy enough to me. It was a simple choice between believing or burning in hell for all eternity. Why not just believe it? As I got older however, I began to ask myself what it means to believe. What does it really mean?

For most of my Christian life, I went along with this interpretation and even taught it to others. In my heart, however, it felt like a silly way to enter salvation. There's really no intimacy in believing that. There is nothing particularly good or spiritual about believing it either. It's really just a matter of believing a story that took place 2000 years ago. One could just as easily choose to believe in Santa Claus. It doesn't seem that a nonchalant choice should hold the weight of salvation behind it. Would God really make salvation so random and sporadic? It sounds like it's a hit-and-miss message that can be stumbled upon accidentally. Surely there is something deeper that we're missing.

It wasn't until I began preaching the message of grace that I finally understood exactly what it meant to believe in Christ. Among the hundreds of people who viciously turned against me, I was surprised to find that even members of my family thought I had lost my mind. I think what devastated me more than anything to date is the look and reaction that I still receive from many of them today. To put it simply; they don't believe in me any more. The moment I walk into the room where they are, they literally reek with unbelief in me. This became so disheartening that it began to drive me further and further into depression.

These were people who believed in me from childhood. It was because they believed in me that I was able to become successful in life. I rode the wave of their belief in me all throughout life's most difficult circumstances. When I look into their eyes or hear of comments they've made concerning me, I feel like something inside of them has died when it comes to me. They literally think I'm crazy.

There was a time when they believed whatever I said because I was the one who said it. It wasn't necessarily what I said that they believed. It was me they believed in. They respected and trusted me. Today, however, they think in their hearts that I'm just looking to cause trouble or stir up controversy. Today, when I say something, they immediately don't believe it because it came from me. In fact, they won't even consider believing anything I say until they've heard it again from someone they DO believe in. I know this to be true because it's happened about a dozen times in the last five years.

It was through this experience that God began to show me what it means to believe in Him. He never said to believe in the story about Him. He said to believe IN Him. Belief is NOT a technicality that opens a door to heaven. It's literally the same spirit of when a child believes in his father or mother. Salvation doesn't come because we believe in the story of Jesus or the things He taught. Salvation is only found when we believe IN Him. I finally understand why He is so troubled and hurt when we don't believe in Him. I've now experienced it firsthand. It's not because people didn't believe His words. It's because they don't believe in Him. That strikes on so many personal levels that it's difficult to even begin to explain the significance.

I once heard Tiger Woods say that he is what he is today because his father literally believed he could do anything. It was his father's "believe" that carried him and caused him to be the best golfer in the world. When you hold that up to verses that say, "If you believe, I'll give you anything you ask for in my Name," it takes on a completely different light. This isn't about buying a story someone randomly told you in a church. This is about loving the very essence of a person. The essence of a person is the only thing that "believe" can attach itself. When my children look into my eyes before they do something difficult, like jump off the diving board and into my arms, they're looking to see if I "believe" in their essence. If I do, they'll jump. If they don't see it in my eyes, they won't.

The essence of Christ can be seen all throughout the world. Some have embraced that essence and believe in it and others reject it. Oddly, I have found that the majority of Christians that I've met in my life actually reject the essence of Christ. They despise it, yet they believe in the story about the historical Jesus so they call themselves Christian. Then they have the gall to point their fingers at someone who believes, lives, breathes and completely embraces the essence of Christ but rejects the false Jesus that was presented to them by church. You tell me who is a Christian and who is not.

You cannot believe in a name alone. Believe can only be applied to the essence of a person - the inner heart. It cannot be applied to things, concepts or even stories that you haven't personally experienced. Believe only attaches itself to the heart-core of a person. Believing in Jesus, is believing in the essence and heart of Christ. Not the story about Him, the doctrine concerning Him or even His name. All of these things come after the essence is known and belief is established. Many people believed in His essence long before they ever heard His name. This is why they knew Him and followed Him when He came on the scene. For these people it was like being introduced to a pen-pal they had known their entire lives but had never formerly met.

The reason Christianity is so offensive to the world is because we present it in a heartless way. We say, "If you believe THIS, you'll go to heaven and if you don't, you'll go to hell." Then we twist and tangle the very essence of Christ and make it hideous to any thinking person, making it even more difficult to accept. I think there are thousands of people who embrace Christ's essence but reject His reputation. Will they go to heaven? If you ask me, the answer is YES.

If that makes you angry, you can be sure of one thing. Your anger alone is a rejection of the essence of Christ.

Believe is only possible when the essence or heart-core of a person has been penetrated and embraced. Putting believe in doctrine and tradition is a waste of time. It won't attach itself - it can't. True believe only comes alive when it's rooted in the heart of a person. This is why it is so devastating when we intentionally withdraw believe from any one person. It's not about not believing in that person. That is actually impossible. Believe is alive always. Unbelief is actually belief AGAINST a person. That same power of believe is still in existence, only now it works in opposition to the person it is pointed towards. To not believe in a person is to believe the worst about them. It strangles and suffocates them. It literally rapes their heart of everything.

When I hit 40 years old, I made some pretty strong life decisions. I decided that I was only going to allow those who believed in me to share my life. That meant that I would be rejecting family members and embracing others who had embraced me. I think I now understand more than ever why Jesus wanted to create a world where only those who believed in Him could enter. Having someone who doesn't believe in you sit in the same room is a grueling experience. It literally sucks every ounce of energy from you. It's exhausting. I think we all eventually create our own heaven of sorts. We spend the majority of our time with people who love and believe in us. It's just natural. The older I get, the more I understand the concept of, "Believe in me or you can go to hell."

Not believing in someone is truly a terrible thing. It's hideous. If you've ever seen a parent not believe in their child, it is the most awful thing in the world. You just want to steal that child away and protect them from that parent forever. I think we underestimate the power of "believe" in our generation. It is humanity's only way to embrace the power of the universe. When we don't believe, we are literally embracing darkness. It's that serious. Every single great thing that has been accomplished in this world came about as a result of the power of believe.

I have a 12-week series on believe that I plan to post on the members page next month. I truly hope you get a chance to listen to every single teaching. This wonderful word has been so watered down in our generation that it has lost its power and meaning. I think part of being a Free Believer is reclaiming the energy of this word and wearing it throughout our lives. Believe is personal and powerful. Because of this fact, being a Free Believer is absolutely necessary. The power of "believe" cannot be harnessed, caged or cultivated by others. It cannot live in captivity! It must live in the wild for it to survive.