How Do Living and Believing Relate to Each Other?

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

 I am curious about what Jesus says in this translation when he says, "whoever lives by believing in me."  Other translations says, "whoever lives and believes in me."  The bottom line is that Jesus in some way equates our believing with our living, which relates to the nature of eternal life. 

 So what might we make of this?  First of all, I think that this is saying that believing is not all about just an assent to a set of intellectual assertions. Meaning belief is not just agreeing to a set of propositons.  In our Western intellectual mindset, I think we sometimes overly focus on the intellectual aspects of faith.  I am not saying we not be mindful of what we believe, or that thoughtful inquiry into what we believe is not needed.  But what I am trying to point out that is that belief is inextricably related to our lives as well as our thoughts.  

 It seems as though Jesus is saying in John, "to believe in me is live in me." Meaning we don't bifurcate belief from everyday life.  This creates problems when "belief in Christ" is separated from our life "in Christ".  Paul uses in the phrase "In Christ" 27 times alone in the book of Ephesians, and 81 in all his letters. 

 What might this mean for us? I think this points to relational nature of our faith and our relationship with the object of our faith, Jesus. Faith is trusting in something. In Christianity it is trusting in Christ who is a person.  When Jesus called his disciples he did not say, "Believe in these aspects of who I am!" He said believe and live in me for, "I am the resurrection and the life". Finally, he said "follow me", which was a whole life proposition to his disciples.  Jesus did not separate out belief or faith in him, for a life in him.   

 A Question for You To Consider? Does what you believe dictate how you live? What would it mean for you to "live in Christ"? Or if Christ were living in you, how would that change how you live each day? Since this is what I believe Jesus is saying, I think it is important for us to consider.  To believe in Jesus is to follow him. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why are you persecuting me!"  Paul thought he was serving the Lord, but he was persecuting him b
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in
Read more