People who grow up in Christian settings are taught from a young age that God created the world, Jesus is the son of God, Jesus died on the cross for our sins, God has endless grace and love for us, and we are forgiven of our sins if we ask. Theological ideas and patterns of thought are emphasized over and over till they can be repeated from memory. Children are taught an almost endless array of biblical knowledge that they can discuss in casual conversation by the time they are teenagers. The question is do they believe what they know? 

For any of us who know all the things the Bible says, do we believe that God, beginning with nothing but Himself, created everything, from the cosmos that are billions of light years away, down to the very atoms that make us? Do we believe that Jesus was fully God and fully man? Do we believe that God truly forgives us of all the wrongs we have done when we simply ask him for forgiveness? Do we believe that His grace covers everything every day of our lives? 

It is one thing to know, it is something completely different to believe. If we do not believe what we know about God, we can easily go an entire day without talking to him, or reading His word, or asking for forgiveness. We live stuck in guilt and shame, never quite knowing the full potential of the characteristics of God. If we do not believe in God and all the things He has promised, He has no value to us. A lifestyle like that leads to spiritual dehydration, but until we believe what we know, our lifestyles won’t change.

When we truly believe the things we know we can live free from guilt and the burdens of past sins because God forgives. We can live in preparation for eternal life with the living God because eternity is not just a concept. We can live renewed everyday by God’s grace because his mercies are new every morning. We can live without worry because He takes care of all His creations, even the sparrows. We can live courageously because God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power.

This temporary world offers knowledge, but God offers more. He calls us to something higher. Our lives can transcend knowledge. We can live in the power of believing what we know.

About the Author

Tina calls Northwestern Pennsylvania her home where she enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, reading captivating and educational books, spending time in coffee shops, and occasionally engaging in an active lifestyle via biking, rock climbing, hiking, and running. She values the power of words and loves to see writing change and impact lives. If you’d like to contact her directly, you can reach her at tina.thesimpledesignco@gmail.com.