Belief is Only the Beginning

Belief is Only the Beginning

This paper contains Scriptures from the Holy Bible that are backed up and explained by Scriptures from the Holy Bible without any human reasoning or speculation. Please, read the Bible verses carefully and resist the temptation to just breeze through them.

Must believe: The Holy Bible is the God-inspired, true, and infallible Word of God in its entirety. Without this belief, you will believe anything you want to believe about what the Bible teaches and be tossed about by doctrines and teachings that are not from the Bible and never gain a true knowledge and understanding of God, the Bible, or the reason for being alive.

Having a personal relationship with God and Studying the Holy Bible are the only ways mankind can get an in-depth and personal knowledge of God. Studying nature will also teach people about God if they are looking for Him through His creation (Romans 1:20), but by prayerfully studying His direct Word, the Holy Bible, people will gain much more wisdom, knowledge, and understanding much faster and more thoroughly than if they contemplate nature alone.

Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding come from God. People who desire to gain wisdom, know God and his will, and understand the Holy Word of God must have the Holy Spirit indwelling them or speaking to them because He is the Teacher and Helper. Without the Holy Spirit dwelling in a person, that person will not be able to understand the depths and richness of the messages in the Bible. The only way a person can have the Holy Spirit dwell within is to become a born-again believer in Jesus Christ.

John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

John 16:13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.

1 Corinthians 2:13-14 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. [The god of this age is Satan. Once you have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you, the god of this age cannot blind you anymore, and you will be able to gain understanding of the Word.]

Who Wrote and Where We Got Our Bible

2 Peter 1:21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

Galatians 1:11-12 I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Grace, Salvation, and Belief Are Only the Beginning – Do What the Word Teaches

Over the last several hundred years the Church has been getting attacked by deceptive doctrines and teachings. Although the Church has rejected some of those doctrines and teachings, it has also unwittingly accepted some of those doctrines and teachings as if they are from the Bible because they were written by respected theologians, elders, or leaders in the Church in centuries past. Although the work that they accomplished gave us the building blocks for sound biblical doctrine and teachings, their work has led to much of the current Church having some doctrine and teachings that were not quite finished back in the day – this is my opinion, and it is based on what the Bible teaches compared to some of the doctrine we have today. It appears that either some of their work was not thoroughly searched out by using the Bible, or that influences from outside of the Bible led them away from the truth.

What we are seeing in the Church today is that people say a prayer of salvation that asks Jesus to save them. That is great! However, many of those people are not seriously asking Him to be the Lord over their lives. Well, what’s the deal? Isn’t asking Jesus to save them the same as asking Him to be their Lord? Well, no, it isn’t. The atoning work of Jesus Christ is salvation and lordship, meaning He is Savior and Lord. In other words, Jesus Christ is the Savior, and people must allow Him to be their Lord. Both of those atoning qualifications must be involved or salvation will not be established. [See “Count the Cost,” Luke 14:26-30]

Salvation without lordship came out of the “once saved – always saved” movement, which is a spinoff from early church Gnosticism and John Calvin’s – doctrine of “eternal security.” A spinoff from the doctrine of eternal security is the recent “radical grace” movement, also known as the “hyper grace” movement, which is deceptive doctrine and teachings that produce a false and lazy pseudo-Christianity. There is more about radical grace/hyper grace near the end of this study. If a person is truly saved, their salvation is eternal.

What does it mean when we ask Jesus to be the Lord over us? In simplicity, it means that we seek Him and His will for us every day, strive to do His will, and live in His will every day of our lives. How do we know what His will is for us? We find that out through prayer and studying His Word, the Holy Bible, not by just reading or skimming through the Bible. Hebrews chapter eleven, the faith chapter, will give you a deeper understanding of faith and how to live by faith.

John 5:39-40 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Matthew 7:26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand….

2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. [Calling, called: see Romans 8:28-30 and Ephesians 1:3-14]

James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves, do what it says.

Luke 6:46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? [Jesus speaking]

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” [Jesus speaking]

James 2:17-24 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

1 John 2:3-6 We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His Word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did. [Live a holy life as Jesus did, as much as you possibly can.]

John 15:9-14 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. [“If” is a condition that must be met.]

1 John 1:6-7 If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.

1 John 5:3-5 This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

1 John 5:11-12 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Hebrews 10:36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. [Fear: a deep and holy respect.]

Matthew 7:22-27 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Take Comfort in This:

Ecclesiastes 7:20 Indeed, there is not a righteous person on earth who always does good and does not ever sin. (NASB)

Romans 11:32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Hebrews 10:35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!

Following are three different Bible translations demonstrating new behavior that proves a change of heart, and a conscious decision to turn away from sin:

Matthew 3:8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. [New Living Translation]

Matthew 3:8 So produce fruit that is consistent with repentance. [Amplified Bible]

Matthew 3:8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. [New International Version]

Count the Cost

You must love Jesus above all and have a sincere desire to live for Him and do His will. He must come first in your life.

Luke 14:26-30 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’” [Hate: A vivid hyperbole meaning that you must love Jesus even more than your immediate family and closest loved ones.]

What does it mean when we say that we “believe” something? The Merriam Webster dictionary says it means: To consider to be true or honest; to hold as an opinion; to accept something as true; or to have a firm or wholehearted religious conviction or persuasion. Therefore, if we truly believe something, we should live our lives and act, or have actions displaying that we believe it. We believe we are hungry, so we prepare a meal. We believe the sun will rise in the morning, so we prepare to go to work or school the next day.

So, when we say we believe in Jesus and have asked Him to save us, we should act and live a life that shows we are saved by producing fruit, as the Bible calls it. Fruit is our actions that are motivated by our belief, and is our outward display of our belief if we are truly saved. We should pray to Him and ask Him to build and strengthen our relationship with Him. We should study the Bible to learn about Him and how to live for Him.

In Matthew 28:19-20 we are called by Jesus to go out and make disciples in all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are also told that we should be taking care of widows and orphans, feeding the hungry, taking care of the poor, visiting those who are captive in prison and in their sins, and healing the sick and the lame, and much more. The point is that we are not called to go to our respective churches on whatever day we worship and just sit in the pews thinking we are doing everything we are supposed to be doing by just doing that. We are called to be the salt and light in this world. The salt adds flavor to this bland and tasteless life, and the light brings God’s light to this darkened world for people to be able to see and walk the path.

Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

If we humble ourselves before the Lord and obey what Jesus said are the greatest commandments, we will automatically produce fruit and show by the way we live our lives that we are believers and followers of Jesus Christ.

Mark 12:29-31 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Matthew 7:12-14 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Just like “belief,” “love” is a verb, an action word, it is not just a feeling. To say that you love someone is just talk. To actually love someone there must be action that shows that you love someone. So, when you say that you love God and that you love your neighbor, you must put action to your feelings (1 John 5:1). Just like faith is dead when there is no action attached to it, likewise, love without action is an empty and useless love and is virtually dead (James 2:26).

Psalm 119:104-105 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore, I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

In Summation

Belief is necessary, but belief is not enough:

James 2:19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.

Grace and salvation are only the beginning of the Christian life. Grace and salvation must be followed with a lifestyle of action that testifies of faith. See 1 John 5: 3-5, Hebrews 10:36, James 1:22, Matthew 7:21, and Matthew 3:8 above.

One of the current non-Bible-based and dangerous movements in the Church today is the “radical grace” or “hyper-grace” movement. In its ear-tickling simplicity it teaches salvation by God’s grace without commitment to Jesus as a personal Savior and without Jesus as a personal Lord.

The following definition of Lord is taken from the Merriam Webster dictionary:

Lord – one having power and authority over others; a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due; the male head of a household. [The head of the Church, Jesus Christ.]

The radical-grace/hyper-grace movement is the most destructive movement to come along because it results in people believing that they can willingly sin all they want and live any way they want after being saved. It causes them to recite a prayer of salvation without the sincere heartfelt desire to mean it and without the knowledge to understand the full depth of what it means and requires. It is, in effect, teaching God’s grace without teaching faith or works (fruits, actions). It causes a lazy pseudo-Christianity.

James 2:26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Matthew 7:20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

Ephesians 2:8-10 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

This teaching, that belief is not enough, is one that is from the Bible, but it is very seldomly taught anywhere anymore. It is one that will stir the ire of modern-day theologians and pastors because it will clear out churches that are full of people who don’t want to hear it. However, by the willful omission of this teaching and other teachings from the Bible, I believe God’s ire is being stirred, which is why many lampstands have been removed from many churches. [Revelation 1:20; 2:5]

It seems that the current goal of people in Church leadership today in most churches is to get the people saved by just getting them to pray a prayer of salvation. They hope that somehow after that, the people will get a revelation from God as to the correct way to live for God, or be touched by God and be changed immediately as was Saul (Paul). Well, that is hopeful and positive thinking, but it is not thinking that is based in what the Bible teaches. Just as people need to be led (pulled along) in worship and praise to God, they also need to be led by sound teachings from the Bible as to how to live for God.

Salvation is not enough; it is just the beginning! Repent! Stop sinning!

2 Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Mike Watkins has been studying the Bible for over four decades. He has taught Bible studies in Church, Children’s Church, care facilities, and home meetings along with playing his guitar and leading people in praise and worship.