He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
—1 John 5:12-13 (NKJV)
You have to do more than believe God's truth. You have to receive it.
Many people hear the message of the Gospel but never receive its truth in their hearts. They “almost believe” in Jesus for salvation. Those who do believe His Word in their hearts receive Jesus as their Savior. They have received His life.
When you believe in the name of the Son of God, you have the assurance that you have received eternal life. You also have the assurance you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. John is saying that believing in the name of Jesus will not be ineffective for you. Believing is putting your faith in the name of Jesus. Jesus told two blind men seeking healing that they would receive according to what they believed (Matthew 9:29).
Why do some Christians, having put faith in Jesus for salvation, find it hard to put faith in the Word for what God promises? They “almost believe” His Word.
When they first received Christ as their Savior, they believed in Jesus by faith and confessed their belief in Him. Why then is it hard for them to believe by faith in some truths in the Word? They say they believe these truths, but then reduce the power of these truths in their lives by asking God if it is His will. Adding “if it is God’s will” to what the Word says is true for you, hinders the power of God to work out that truth in your life. “Almost believing” does not receive (James 1:7).
God’s truth is not real for us until we take possession of it. We have to make His truth our truth.
Our relationship with Jesus is one that can only be lived by putting faith in God’s truth. The truth of His Word will only be realized when we put faith in it. We live by faith not by sight. We trust that His truth works out what we do not currently see or experience in our lives.
When you doubt because of not seeing or experiencing God’s truth, you doubt God’s will. You doubt His promises. A person who doubts God’s promises doubts his right standing with God. He may not realize this but he doubts He is worthy enough to receive from the Lord. God deemed you worthy when you believed in His Son’s love for you.
If something is in the Word, it is God’s truth. Just because you might not experience His truth as your reality at this moment does not mean that it is not true for you. When you know what the Word says about something, you can pray for a specific outcome knowing that it is God’s will. You can have confidence that when you pray according to God’s will, you have what you have requested of Him (1 John 5:14-15).
What about God’s truth “by His stripes, you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24)? Do we say we believe it but question it in our hearts? God heals others but maybe you question if it is His will for you personally to receive healing. The Word says healing is something that Jesus accomplished for us in His finished work of grace. Healing has been accomplished for us in Christ’s payment for our sins. It is a complete and done payment. We have to do more than just say we believe it. That truth has to be sown in our hearts. It has to be protected from the lies of the enemy. That truth has to renew us in the spirit of our minds until it becomes our identity. It has to become God’s truth in the abundance of our hearts. We receive the truth of our new life in Jesus—we receive the truths that God declares are ours—by putting our new life on (Ephesians 4:23-24). We take God’s truth as ours. We make it our own.
Don’t be more concerned about the opinions of men than the praise of God (John 12:42-43). Don’t allow the things you experience in life—like illness—to keep you from confessing God’s truth as “your” truth. Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and you will receive the fruit of what you confess (Proverbs 18:21). His truth is life to you. Don’t doubt His truth in your heart. Anything you believe that is not God’s truth speaks death to your faith.
When you received Jesus, you received His truth. That truth is yours because God gave it to you. If you have the Son, you have His life. Just as you received Jesus by faith, you also have to receive His truth by faith.
Believe His truth. Speak His truth into your life. Confess it. Take possession of it.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).
You have to do more than believe His truth. You have to receive it.
“By His stripes, you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
© 2023 Lynn Lacher
www.lynnlacher.com/2023/02/almost-believing.html
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