Enclosing the Spiritual Gap – Believe

Enclosing the Spiritual Gap – Believe (Part 1)

The simple word ‘believe’ is not so simple in the Christian Faith. One may say “I believe in God”, but that person may not understand what that statement really means. When one says “I believe in God”, the phrase usually connotes the same as “I am a Christian”, or “I am a follower of Christ”. Yet, it may also mean something else - which unfolds a spiritual gap in one’s life.

Biblically speaking, there are two types of ‘believes’. The first type refers to a person who acknowledges or knows the existence of a God – a Creator, Saviour, and Friend.

The second meaning of ‘believe’, is to believe with one’s heart – one giving his/her heart to God. When one believes in something with all of his/her heart, actions will follow. This explains why the early church would ‘go to the ends of the earth’ (Mark 16:15) – risking their lives and absorbing prosecution or execution – to baptize people in the Name of Jesus Christ. When someone believes – with his/her all - that a certain ideology, value, or God, as the real deal, actions will follow. Another example is Communism. (I’m not a proponent) Many early Communists of China in the 1920s knew of how their belief would be likely to get them killed due to the Nationalists’ oppression; yet, many went on protesting and demonstrating because of their belief.

One who solely believes in the existence of God – The Healer and Way to Eternity – may not be a follower of Christ. One who believes that God exists may not even claim to be Christian – which isn’t a problem. In fact, King Cyrus the Great – God’s anointed shepherd and deliverer of the Jews – did believe in the existence of the Hebrew God, but did not love Him or follow Him. Cyrus helped reconstruct the Temple in Jerusalem, yet he also built Babylonian and other pagan gods.

Yet, being a Christian is about loving God with everything and living a transformed life to serve the Creator of all. Being a Christian is being a warrior in God’s army, where one does not act according to his/her will, but the Will of his/her King – The Lord God of Hosts. These correspond to how we are to ‘deny ourselves and carry our cross daily’, live a life ‘worthy of God’, and ‘fight the good fight and endure till the end’. We are to be Holy like our Father in Heaven.

Yet, the Christian Faith is not legalistic. Being a Christian is about having a relationship with God, and about reconciling our lost relationship with our Creator. (which is why the gospel is a ministry of reconciliation – 2 Corinthians 2) The Christian life is not about rules, and if you are struggling in your faith because you feel that living a life of sanctification is hard, there’s something missing in your life; that is, a Spiritual gap. This article intends to provide a solution to it.

Many people call religion "blind faith" because religion is conforming to a set of specific morals and regulations. Yet, to be a Christian without experiencing God – to strive for a Holy and Righteous life without experiencing (or constantly experiencing) the indwelling of the Holy Spirit - is an impossible task. If the human nature is evil, and God’s nature is Holy and Righteous; we are overturning our inborn nature and pursuing something beyond our capability. A lifestyle of sanctification was never intended for man to accomplish by himself/herself – or even with a community – but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you look into the New Testament, you’ll realize that no disciple of Christ, author of a book, martyr, evangelist, or preacher, did what he did simply because of a shift or change in the mind. Yes, we are to be transformed in the renewing of our minds – which we can attest and set ourselves to walking in God’s Will (Romans 12) – but experiencing the supernatural – The Holy Spirit and God’s love – carries equivalent importance.

John 13:34 says how we are to love others as Christ loved us. Yet, how can one love others – or even their enemies, and pray for their salvation (Matthew 5:44); honor someone above themselves (Romans 12:10); walk in the way of love (Ephesians 5:2); and ultimately, live a life worthy of Gospel (Philippians 2:27); unless one has experienced Christ - who loved us first? If the source of love is not in us, how can we spread that to others? (I’m not saying that our choices doesn’t matter)

In the same way, if there are some areas in your life where you are – or you think you are – struggling with righteousness and being a living testimony for all to witness – not only in the works you produce, but in your life, you need the constant presence of God and His Love in you; because only through experiencing God in your life, are you able to ‘believe’ in Him with all of your heart, and not only in your mind. (The difference between ‘to know’ and ‘to believe’)

There’s many ways to experience God, but one way I believe that can enable you to feel the presence of God, is – obviously through prayer and devotion – (but ultimately) worship. (Read 1 Chronicles 16:23-31) Worship is where you draw near to God, and as evidenced in James 4:8, one who draws near to God, God will draw near to him. The more you worship with a selfless and sincere heart, the closer you are to God. There is power in praise and worship, and many people need to worship God in a constant manner. Only through constant worship, can one constantly set his/her sight on the Lord, and keep Him in his/her heart. One who constantly thinks about something reflects the importance of that thing in one’s heart; and in the same way, the more you worship God – in a constant fashion, whether it be worshiping out loud, worshiping in your heart, or worshiping through listening to praise and worship songs with your earphones – the closer God becomes your center, and the easier it is to access the power of the Holy Spirit to live a life of sanctification. Let the worship of Jesus Christ be the center of our lives.

Make the choice of worship (there’s always a choice), for it will enclose the Spiritual gap of your life, tighten your bond with Christ, and enable you to ‘believe’ with all of your heart, soul, and mind!

Understanding the Word of Righteousness (Part 2 of Enclosing the Spiritual Gap)

***This article is connected to the one above, please read that first in order to get a fuller context.

The Word of God is also known as the Word of Righteousness (Hebrews 5:14). God is Holy and Righteous, and all Scripture is God-Breathed (1 Timothy 3:16), therefore It must be righteous.

Yet, one cannot fully understand (or to a large extent) what he/she cannot associate with. One who has no knowledge of football or soccer, cannot fully understand what a soccer analytical book means even if he/she manages to complete it. In the same way, many people find bible study, scriptural reading, or devotion unable to be applied to life, because they are not living a righteous life.

Understanding the Bible as a whole and to a large extent does require studying of it’s context, yet, as 1 Corinthians 2:14 epitomizes, the catalyst to understanding the Bible is the Holy Spirit. The Bible is about God, and God is beyond man. Therefore, unless God Himself reveals to us what His Wisdom, Mystery, and Word is, we will not and cannot understand.

1 Corinthians 2 says how The Spirit reveals even the depths of God, but The Spirit does not indwell in one who does not seek God, or attempt to practice a disciplined lifestyle of sanctification through Him. Therefore, if you want to understand the Word of God – Word of Righteousness – you need righteousness through the Holy Spirit; for until then, you cannot understand something beyond your understanding.

However, when you’ve finally got a glimpse of the greatness of God through His Word – by disciplining yourself and practicing a lifestyle of sanctification in the power of The Spirit – you’ll realize that the Word of God is truly amazing, and it is truly the lamp for our feet, and light to our path. (Psalm 119:105) Grow in the knowledge of the Word of Righteousness, and the more spiritually mature you become, the closer you are with Christ – enabling yourself to accomplish greater, better things which God has assigned you to do!

(Feel free to read Hebrews 12, it talks about the beauty of Christian discipline)