Just Believe

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do. [John 14.8-11]

Do we dare read these words without being absolutely certain we comprehend the intensity of their meaning?

Everything that might be known about God is seen in Jesus. Everything that is known about Jesus reveals God.

Oh the wasted time and resources humanity has spent in futility to understand God and the Bible while John 14.8-11 points us to all we need to know - that everything we need to know about God has been placed on display for all to openly see and freely experience in Jesus Christ.

What is God's will about sin? Jesus said, "Repent!"

What is God's will about offenses? Jesus said, "Forgive!"

What is God's will about sickness and disease? Jesus said, "Be healed!"

What is God's will about hunger? Jesus said, "Be filled!"

What is God's will about mental illness? Jesus said, "Be delivered!"

What is God's will about captivity? Jesus said, "Be released!"

What is God's will about oppression? Jesus said, "Be set free!"

What is God's will about fear? Jesus said, "Believe!"

And there is so much more!

Here is the standard of God's character and His will, our calling, and our faith: it is Jesus. And what did Jesus say? "Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do."

Religion has so complicated everything. Religion has distracted us from Jesus, and therefore caused us to entirely miss God! Religion has given alternatives to the one thing God requires: just believe. Instead religion offers confusing and complicated theology and doctrine that panders to the adolescent emotion of refusing to do the one thing God requires: just believe. Religion suggests hard-to-understand "loopholes" in simple faith causing doubt and unbelief, rendering simple faith ineffective and therefore useless.

JUST STOP ALREADY!

Jesus told Philp, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am?"

We have had the Gospels, even the very Red Letters of Christ's own sayings, for centuries and yet we still struggle to see and know God. Who's shortcoming is that? God sent us His Son - what more do we require?

We still struggle with sin ...and yet Jesus's words say, "Go and sin no more."

We still struggle with sickness and disease ...and yet Jesus's words say, "Be healed!"

We still struggle with fear and doubt ...and yet Jesus's words say, "Just believe!"

We simply MUST get back to Jesus because only then do we get to God! There is no other way...

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. [John 14.6]

Father, forgive us for so complicating the Good News of Jesus Christ - that Jesus brought clarification of Who You Are to the world and settled, once and for all, the dilemma of man depending upon himself by offering Himself as the object of all our confidence and faith.