Does It Matter What I Believe?

   It’s rather amazing how many people subscribe to the notion that it doesn’t really matter much what a person believes, when it comes to Christianity.  They would hold that a few beliefs, and it would be a very few , are basic to being a Christian.  If pressed, many of them would probably state that while their personal preference is Christianity, they don’t necessarily believe that a person has to be a Christian to be saved.

  They would affirm that a person must believe in God in order to be a Christian, though their concept of God might differ wildly from individual to individual, and it may vary markedly from the image of God portrayed in the Bible.  They would also hold to a personal belief in Christ, which ought to go without saying if one claims to be a Christian.  But, once again, their personal concept of just Who Christ is might leave one wondering as to how much faith they really have in Him.

  Does it matter what a person believes?  One might as well ask, does truth matter?  Some people might feel liberated, enlightened, even intellectual in advocating a philosophy of relativism in regard to truth.  But they don’t really believe that.  In almost every area of their personal lives, under almost all circumstances, virtually every one of them understands that truth definitely does matter!  Indeed, they accept the truth behind that statement so thoroughly that to question it does not even enter their minds.

  Consider some examples that illustrate the point.  A married person knows, without a doubt, that to call their spouse by the name of a former boyfriend or girlfriend is certain death!  An employee knows, without question, that he has to sign his own name on his paycheck in order to cash it.  Anybody understands that, if their destination is to the south, they cannot get there by driving north.  Silly, trivial examples?  Not at all.  They are so basic that they emphatically make the point.  It matters what we believe.  It matters what we do in a given situation.   Truth matters!

  Now, if truth so obviously matters even in ordinary areas of life, how is it that so many people think it does not matter in the most important area of life, the spiritual side of life?  Does our spiritual well being matter?  Does our relationship with God matter?  Does our eternal salvation matter?  The answer to each of these questions is the same resounding “YES!”

  Jesus put it succinctly when He stated, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” ( Jn. 8:32 ).  In the previous verse, He laid out the condition for being a true disciple: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.”  Living by God’s word is equivalent to living in His truth, for the Lord stated, “Your word is truth” ( Jn. 17:17 ).  We need to not just believe something , we need to believe the truth of God’s word .  Believing, we must also obey His teachings ( Jn. 14:15, 21 ).

  If you would like to carefully study what God’s word teaches as to how you can be assured of eternal salvation, and what it means to live a faithful life before God, enroll in our Bible study by mail, for free!  It is straight from the Bible and easy to understand.  It could, literally, change your life!  You can enroll by speaking to one of us here at Sunny Slope or by emailing us at: sunnyslope@churchofchrist.com .