What?

 "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believe in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?' " John 11: 25-26

In one of my recent readings, I came across a truly confrontational question concerning all that the Father has spoken through His Word, as well as the words of His Son, Jesus Christ. The question is simple but so direct; "What will I believe today?" In relation to all of His promises, all of what He has told us, commanded us, called us to, given us, and poured upon us, what, in total, will we believe about it today? How long must we think before we answer? How much of His Truth, that we have always said is His Truth, will we believe today? Seeing it become an active part of our lives? Stand upon and trust in? What is it concerning all of His claims and claims upon us, that we will believe? What will you believe.....today?

Jesus' question to Mary follows His proclamation that He is the resurrection and the life. Literally, that He is resurrection life itself. He then asks Mary if she believes this. Her reply is that yes, she does. But then we see that what she believes is not really the answer to the question He was asking. She believed that His resurrection life was something she, and all who believed upon Him, would enter into when they physically died and stepped into eternity. That was only part of what Jesus was promising. He was proclaiming and promising that He was giving the fullness of His resurrection life right now to all who believe upon Him. This was a mind boggling promise then. It still is now. Jesus is saying that He gives life that has the power to overcome all the fallenness of this broken world, and that He gives it now. This is what He promised when He physically walked this world, and the promise was built upon by Paul, Peter, and John, when His Holy Spirit inspired and spoke and wrote through them. The result is that we have a book that is not just a book. It is a record of His Living Word at work through both the Old Testament and the New. Throughout this "account" which is really an account of God's working and relationship with His creation and the ones that He created....you and me. In this account He tells us who He is, who we are, and particularly who we are without Him. He tells us of how the sin of our ancestors, Adam and Eve, separated the human race from Him, and how He made a bridge back to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. He promises to forgive, restore, heal, make whole, and bring abundant life. He makes promises that seem too wonderful to be true, except that they are. Then, in the midst of it all, He asks if we believe Him. He asks us now.

That's why that daily question, "What will I believe today?" is so central to entering into His abundant life each day. What will we believe? This will require us to go much deeper than we normally are willing to do. This means we have to be willing to be questioned as to the reality of our faith. This means that our faith will be tried, and where it is lacking, will be exposed. That's a crucible many will seek to avoid at all costs. Where do we avoid it right now?

So His Holy Spirit asks anew that question: What will we, you and I, believe today? Will we believe that He has conquered death in all of its forms, as well the author of death, Satan? Will we believe that He, the Author of Life, freely offers that life, abundant life, to all who will believe upon and receive from Him that life? Will we believe who we are without Him, and what we are in Him? Will we believe His Truth, or the enemy's lies? What will we believe today? What will you believe today?

Blessings,

Pastor O