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Will You Believe from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

The word "Believe" occurs 309 times in the Bible (NKJV), and one-third of those are in the book of John. While writing his Gospel, John wrote "believe" 101 times. Apparently, he believed it to be a very important word.

John was one of Christ's earliest Apostles and very close to Him. Peter, James, and John were often with Jesus when He put the "others" out (Mark 5:37). They were on the mount of transfiguration with Jesus when He spoke to Moses and Elijah and in the garden on the night of His betrayal. Notice how John even separates perishing and everlasting life with "believe."

(John 3:16–18 NKJV)  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

What does John mean by "believe?" The DBL Greek lexicon gives us a definition like this:

4409 πιστεύω (pisteuō): Str 4100;

- think to be true, to believe, implying trust (Mt 24:23; Lk 1:20; 1Co 11:18; Jas 2:19; Mk 16:13);

- trust, faith, believe to the extent of complete trust (Mt 18:6; Ro 4:3; 1Pe 2:6; Mk 16:17 v.r.); 3. - have Christian faith, become a believer of the Gospel (Ac 4:32; Ro 1:16; Mk 16:16 v.r.);

- entrust, put something into the care of another (Ro 3:2; Gal 2:7; 1Th 2:4; 1Ti 1:11; Tit 1:3).

What I find as examples throughout the book of John is to believe in something enough to take action on it. Will you believe? Do you believe in Him enough that it will affect your actions and the decisions you make today? Will you choose to do something because of your faith in Him? Will your relationship with Christ affect your relationships here on Earth?

The real test of your faith is not in Church on Sunday but in the trenches on Monday. Will you believe? Three small words that will change your life. The kingdom of God is inverted from the natural realm. We like to see the result first, then we can believe it.

(John 6:30 NKJV)  Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do?"

It doesn't work that way. In Scripture, we must believe in the unseen first, and then it becomes a reality. For example, Jesus instructed us to go into a room, shut the door, and pray to our Father in secret and He would reward us openly (Matthew 6:6). Signs follow those who believe, but most people expect to follow signs.

(John 6:2 NKJV)  Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.

Multitudes followed Jesus, but following is not the same as believing, and as soon as the sun got hot, they withered away. John was the only Apostle at the foot of the cross when Jesus was crucified (John 19:26). Will you believe enough that it will affect your choices in life? The writer of Hebrews describes it like this:

(Hebrews 11:1–3 NKJV)  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

What strange sounding ideas, yet today we know that the objects around us are made up of invisible atoms. Simply put, the things we see are made from things we can't. Will you believe in what you can't see enough to take action? You walk across a floor because you believe it will support you. The Apostle Peter walked across water the same way. The universe was created by the word of God, and at His word, the atoms can be arranged any way He chooses. In light of that, consider this:

(Mark 9:23 NKJV)  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."

(Mark 11:24 NKJV)  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Will you believe enough that it affects your actions and decisions? Will you do it simply because of your faith in Him, and not because of what you have seen Him do? Do we really have to see a sign from God before we choose to obey Him? The writer of Hebrews continues on:

(Hebrews 11:4 NKJV)  By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain...

Abel offered God the best he had, the firstborn lamb from his flock (Genesis 4:3–5). His faith was firm, and his generosity extravagant. He gave his best because he believed.

(Hebrews 11:7 NKJV)  By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household...

Think of it: Though it had never rained on Earth, Noah built a huge ship in his yard while the people around thought he was nuts. Noah believed enough in the invisible to take action, and in doing so, he saved his family and humanity from extinction.

(Hebrews 11:8 NKJV)  By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Abraham left his home and traveled to a new land, though he wasn't sure where he was going. The Lord just told him to leave, so he did. We had a similar thing happen to us when we started Refreshing Hope. The Lord told us to leave our current employment without knowing what we would do next. Within 72 hours of giving notice, we were in ministry. Will you believe Him enough to take action?

(Hebrews 11:17 NKJV)  By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac...

Abraham was even going to sacrifice his son Isaac because the Lord asked him to. That is extreme, but that is Abraham's level of faith in the unseen realm. He was confident that the Lord would give Isaac back and that the Lord must have had a real good reason for asking for such a sacrifice. Abraham was willing to give up something he loved dearly because he believed.

Will you believe? I could continue for the next several hours with examples of people who believed enough they took action and were rewarded. Faith is the currency of heaven. If you want to see the goodness of God in the land of the living, you will have to learn to believe in what you can't yet see. 

You can pray this with me if you like:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I believe in You! Please help me overcome unbelief in every area of my life. I choose to trust in You to take care of me. My life is in Your hands. Give me a clear vision of what You have for me. Help me align with You and fulfill my part here. I love You, Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!