Do I really believe? What does “believe” mean? (Continued from “End Times: The time has come. The Storm is coming.”

In John 3:36 NASB and NKJV, it says, “If you believe on the Lord you have eternal life, if you do not obey the Son you do not have life but the wrath of God rests upon you!”

Holy cow you say! ” In the KJV the first part is the same. The second part says, ” if you do not “believe” the Son you do not have life and the wrath of God rests upon you.” “I believe in Him and I believe Him too.”

Right. My point exactly. We have seen the same word, been taught the same word but in the original text the word “believe” is two different words. (John 3:36 KJV, but NASB and NKJV [are different.]

The first “believe” is “Pisteuo” which means to entrust. (Strong’s G4100If I give my life savings to a financial counselor, I am saying, I trust You and will literally follow your counsel, risking all that is precious to me. This is why we gain eternal life. Our Way to eternity is determined by our Counselor and we agree to submit to Him.

The second “believe” in the KJV is the word “apeitheo.” (Strong’s G544) This word gives us the word apathetic. In the Greek it means to be disobedient or to disobey, unbelieving, obey not, believe not).

John is pointing to a discipline that has been cast aside as some sort of works. Not so. Obedience does not purchase anything, it maintains what you have. It maintains your reconciled relationship with God. More on that soon.

Remember the rebellion in heaven? Lucifer and 1/3 of the angels were cast down to the earth. Do you think there will ever be a rebellion in heaven again? Why would God populate His Son’s kingdom with a rebellious lot? Right…He wouldn’t.

The church is about to be awakened to the discipline of obedience. The Word says Jesus, yes that’s Jesus the Son of God, the Son of Man, “learned obedience by things that He suffered.”

The child of God obeys the Father and the things taught by Jesus, in His name. This is a maturing process that takes time but must eventually be “fruitful” or be demonstrated. This obedience proved the Lord’s submissive will to the Father and the Father’s plan to us. Jesus saw past now into the future and the joy set before Him. WE are that joy. Why us? Because He knows we will come to know  Him and we too will learn discipline by the things which we suffer. Oh great Mike what an uplifting message.  I am sure Jesus felt the same way in the Garden.

“Obey” is almost a bad word in church. Just remember, bad will be called good. The time has come for us to embrace what looks like bad and realize it is on the path to heaven. We must start to obey the Lord’s teachings now in order to have mastered them in the coming time of distress. As we daily pick up our cross, faithfully dying to self, we are willing ourselves unto Christ. To others we will remind them of Christ. There is a time coming when that act will save us. Jesus has spoken it.

So, when Jesus took that cross in our place, what was that to us? “It is eternal life! We are forgiven. It is salvation! We are saved forever!” Not quite according to John. Our first confession/submission to Christ does accomplish all that by God’s grace. It is all true because God is faithful to keep His end of the deal. John then implies there is a second half to the “deal.” He says our obedience is necessary or we “have no life but the wrath of God rests upon us.”

This is why “believing in Jesus” is not salvation. Entrusting ourselves obediently to His instructions, that, is our salvation. Our English vernacular for “believe” fails to express the critical factor of obedience. It is not works. It is obedience. It is a required discipline in heaven, to be demonstrated by us right here. Yes, right here! If Jesus had to demonstrate obedience, how can we not know it is required of us as His brothers and sisters? We have not been taught might be one reason we do not know.

Think about this. No doctrine intended here. Once Jesus came to earth, took upon Himself sinful flesh, even though He did not sin, is it possible even His “Son of Man” side had to be tested for absolute obedience? After all, the “Son of Man” was going back to heaven in a different form than when He left. He is coming back here to rule and reign for a thousand years! I am not saying His divinity had to be tested. The Word does say as a Son He learned obedience. I think He learned it so He as King of Kings could say to us in eternity, or even now, I’ve been there and done that, I understand.” This is a king we can honor. His judgment will be just because of this.  He does not ask us to do anything He has not done or endured.

Did you not think there is a reason we are restricted to this earth?  Those who enter into eternity will be wearing the red badge of self-denial, self-crucifixion, maybe even the bloody badge of a glorifying Christ like death. Can you imagine the look in the Lord’s eyes as He receives you, knowing you died as He died, even interceding for those who killed us, NO, who helped us “accomplish our departure.”  (See Mark: The Mount of Transfiguration)

Next time we address Paul’s confirmation of John’s verse. Be prepared for an understanding that will shake your foundations. Just remember, I come to you in the spirit of Daniel 12. The message is distressing but it rescues those written in the book. Why do they need rescuing?

You are deeply loved,

Michael