In the last issue of the Tidings, we discussed from the Word of God, the importance of the basic divine principle upon which your salvation (upon which anyone’s salvation) is predicated — and that is True belief in God.
We found upon examining the Scriptures, that it does matter what you believe IF you are interested in a life beyond the grave. We found that it is only true worship — worship in spirit and in truth—that is acceptable with God.
A worship in response to a clear understanding of what God has promised for all who believe, in accordance with those promises.
Promises by which (according to the apostle Peter) we can be partakers of the divine nature! Immortality, in God’s Kingdom ! This can be YOURS, friends, but the basic requirement is an unqualified belief of the Truth.
Don’t be misled, by those who would tell you that it doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you do and believe what You think is right. What men think is not important — the deciding factor is what GOD has said to be true. The apostle Paul writing by the inspiration of God through His spirit warns, “Though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”
Although this is a divine principle, it is also demonstrable in human logic, in experiences that we encounter in our everyday lives. In the things that we do from day to day, we realize the importance of a correct belief or understanding of the things that govern our activities.
For instance, traffic laws, traffic lights, road signs, etc., a lack of understanding of these simple things would be disastrous. So we learn the correct way to observe them and try to live within their requirements, realizing that we must suffer the consequences of either ignorance or neglect or rebellion. Are God’s laws of less Importance than men’s? Of course not. God’s laws, too, must be learned correctly and must be obeyed !
Let’s take another example, one from the field of medicine. Suppose you were suffering from an incurable disease. This is not a very pleasant thought, but it will help to emphasize this point.
Suppose you had cancer and had only a few months or years to live. Then when all hope seemed to be gone, a new medicine was discovered, the use of which would guarantee a complete cure. A medicine which was not expensive but which required constant, regular use under very exacting and specific conditions.
You’d be overjoyed, wouldn’t you, at the prospect of a cure from this dread disease and you’d welcome this medication, being very particular that you followed the directions and conditions pertaining to its use. You would realize that as long as you were consistent with a daily application of this treatment, you’d be reducing the cancerous condition of your body ; and on the other hand you would realize that if you neglected this medication, it would allow the spores to continue their deadly growth.
In this situation I’m sure that you’d be extremely careful to follow the directions very faithfully. Now since this medicine would result in an absolute cure, how ridiculous it would be to say, “Well, I don’t believe you have to follow those directions just exactly as it says, I think that you can use your own judgment how you take it. Seems to me this other way would be just as good. It would be a lot more convenient to take this treatment, say once a week or once a month instead of daily.”
Such thinking would be foolish and you wouldn’t dream of such a thing because you would realize that it does matter what you believe about the application of this medicine if you want to be cured.
Now the same principle applies to the spiritual analogy of this illustration. The dread disease that infects all people, condemning them to death is SIN. The apostle Paul said that the wages of sin is death!
From a human standpoint this is an incurable malady. Nothing that man can do, could ever affect a cure. But God has provided the means of cleansing man from sin and eventually abolishing death.
The prescription is found in the Bible. It’s contained in the gospel of Christ. The gospel which the apostle declared to be “the power of God unto salvation.”
Now it’s a paradox of human nature that even though men are afflicted with the dread disease of sin, many won’t even bother to read the prescription that could cure them of it!
The directions and the conditions that the Bible prescribes for the abolition of sin and death are very specific and these conditions must be met, just like the medication to cure a disease. It is not necessary or wise to speculate, for God has left us instructions as to what we must do and how we must live and what we must believe if we would attain unto the eternal life that He has promised.
We must acquaint ourselves with these prescriptions for life unending and then follow them religiously. He is the one who can give us life, He is the one who determines the requirements. To believe and to obey is the course of wisdom.
It’s only the foolish and the rebellious who say that it doesn’t matter what you believe ; that you can follow the dictates of your own conscience. This does not coincide with the instructions of God—this will NOT affect the cure of sin.
Jesus said (John 8:31) “If ye continue in my word (Notice the “if” here, showing that there are conditions attached to the abolition of sin and death) if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed and ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free”
Yes, friends, it does matter what you believe if you are seeking the glories of the kingdom.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One