Faith Overcomes

The understanding I have from Scripture is believing is simply being convinced or persuaded a proposition is true.  You either believe it or you don’t.  Consider James 1:5-7 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.

Faith and doubt are opposites.  If one has doubt then we can say he doesn’t have faith, he doesn’t believe.  There are not degrees of faith nor can one almost believe something.  Again, you either believe something or you don’t.  I have looked up every use of the word believe in the New Testament and not once does it appear with a modifying adverb.  Jesus Christ never spoke of truly believing or really believing, He only said believe.  The concept of a saving belief vs. a non-saving faith is not Biblical. 

Is it possible to believe something for a period of time and then change your mind and not believe it?  Absolutely, believe does not rule out a change of mind.   That is the beauty of God’s promise of everlasting life.  I point you again to what Jesus Christ said in John 5:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.  The person who believes in Jesus Christ for everlasting life receives it immediately.  The moment they believe they pass from death to life.  They will never come under judgement for their sin.  So, what happens if the next day they have doubt?  Well, they no longer believe but since everlasting life is everlasting, they still have it.  This is what we call assurance of salvation.  Once you have it you can’t get rid of it. 

God knew what He was doing in providing salvation.  He knows our weaknesses.  Afterall, he made us.  Look at what He said in Psalms 103:12-14 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. 14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.

He knows us and would never entrust the guarantee of His gift of everlasting life to us alone.  So, He removed our sin.  It is also why the covenant He made with Abraham was an unconditional or unilateral one.  He secured that in the immutable nature of His promise.   Hebrews 6:17-18 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
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When God wants something done, He takes the responsibility to make happen.  Israel’s exodus from Egypt to the promised land is a good example.  He kept His promise even though He had to drag Israel kicking and screaming across the Sinai Wilderness.  And He will do the same for everyone who will believe in Jesus Christ for the gift of everlasting life.