Believing VS Knowing

[believeume]

If Jesus is real, why do Christian's say they believe in him. Shouldn't they say I know him?

How can one believe something they know?

 

[farout]

If Jesus is real, why do Christian's say they believe in him. Shouldn't they say I know him?

How can one believe something they know?

Welcome to C F ! I hope you enjoy your time spent here. You bring up a very good point. The Bible uses believe and know as much the same thing. You can't know Jesus if you don't believe in Him as Gods one and only Son. Do you understand this now? Good to ask questions. have a few more?

 

[believeume]

Welcome to C F ! I hope you enjoy your time spent here. You bring up a very good point. The Bible uses believe and know as much the same thing. You can't know Jesus if you don't believe in Him as Gods one and only Son. Do you understand this now? Good to ask questions. have a few more?

So you know what you believe, do you ever know in a classical sense?

Not withholding your biblical terminology of belief and knowing, but they mean two different thing's in the english language.

 

[farout]

So you know what you believe, do you ever know in a classical sense?

Not withholding your biblical terminology of belief and knowing, but they mean two different thing's in the english language.

I gave you my answer. If you prefer to accept it fine, if not that's fine too. I really don't want to split hairs.

Just starting out why be so technical? If you don't like an answer by someone ignore it. Unless I am reading you wrong. Your post back to me seems a little snarky. Am I?

 

[believeume]

I gave you my answer. If you prefer to accept it fine, if not that's fine too. I really don't want to split hairs.

Just starting out why be so technical? If you don't like an answer by someone ignore it. Unless I am reading you wrong. Your post back to me seems a little snarky. Am I?

No, my intention is to get to the crux of a dilemma I have with believing or knowing. I believed in Jesus for a very long time but it never came around to actually knowing anything (In a classical sense) Sustaining belief 24/7 was exhausting, and my faith never held up to scrutiny.

I can't walk back into belief blind again, it's dangerous for me and I get taken advantage of.

 

[rob_aston]

How can one believe something they know?

doesn't your mother believe your father

 

[believeume]

doesn't your mother believe your father

Yes she does, since she's hearing about it and not seeing it. She should wait till she sees and knows before formulating an opinion, even husbands can be wrong.

 

[farout]

No, my intention is to get to the crux of a dilemma I have with believing or knowing. I believed in Jesus for a very long time but it never came around to actually knowing anything (In a classical sense) Sustaining belief 24/7 was exhausting, and my faith never held up to scrutiny.

I can't walk back into belief blind again, it's dangerous for me and I get taken advantage of.

I understand your issue. Can I help in some way?

 

[believeume]

I understand your issue. Can I help in some way?

Do not know.

 

[rob_aston]

She should wait till she sees

true but it does bring up an interesting point, well if one wants to know Jesus

 

[2PhiloVoid]

If Jesus is real, why do Christian's say they believe in him. Shouldn't they say I know him?

How can one believe something they know?

Hello Believeume,

Basically, many Christians say they "believe" in Jesus because the semantic notion of coming "to know" someone typically means to have a social, empirical, face-to-face interaction with another person. As I'm sure you understand, this isn't usually the kind of interaction that most of us will ever have with Jesus in the space of a single lifetime.

So, we Christians refer mostly to the notion that we "Believe" in Jesus, or that we have "Faith" in Jesus, because we rely on a body of Christian tradition which is not comprehensive in its epistemological scope or in its social or psychological depth.

Peace
2PhiloVoid

 

[St_Worm2]

Hi Believeume, first off, WELCOME TO CF

You wrote:

No, my intention is to get to the crux of a dilemma I have with believing or knowing. I believed in Jesus for a very long time but it never came around to actually knowing anything (In a classical sense) Sustaining belief 24/7 was exhausting, and my faith never held up to scrutiny.

I can't walk back into belief blind again, it's dangerous for me and I get taken advantage of.

Frighteningly, there is a kind of faith/belief that does not save. The demons "believe" in God, and they know what and who He is (and they shudder because of it .. James 2:19), but their "kind" of faith cannot save them.

Belief/faith that saves involves "trust", therefore, it's more than simply an intellectual ascent to His existence. True Christians don't simply/only believe "in" God, we truly "believe God" as well, knowing (for instance) that His promises to graciously save us, based upon the merits of Another, are true.

If sustaining belief in Him was exhausting for you, then I think it's pretty safe to conclude that you never had "saving" faith in Him, IOW, that you never became a "Christian" to begin with. Saving faith is not exhausting, in fact, it's quite the opposite. What is truly exhausting and frustrating for me is trying to live my life as a Christian 'apart' from faith and trust in Him.

You are correct though, our "knowing" Him (and He us .. John 17:3; Matthew 7:22-23) is at the very heart of our salvation, as those who do not know Him (nor He them) cannot be saved.

I was baptized a baby and attended church and Sunday School regularly through to my college years. I very much believed that there was a God, and that He was the one described in the Bible. So I always believed that I was a Christian, that is, until I actually became one when I was 30 years old.

Yours and His,
David

"If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and
believe in your heart that God raised Him
from the dead, you shall be saved"
Romans 10:9​

 

[civilwarbuff]

How can one believe something they know?

That is a nonsensical question.
How can you not believe in something you know? I know 2+2=4 just as I believe 2+2=4; knowing is believing.

If Jesus is real, why do Christian's say they believe in him. Shouldn't they say I know him?

And I do know Him and believe in Him because He lives in me through the Holy Spirit.

 

[aiki]

If Jesus is real, why do Christian's say they believe in him. Shouldn't they say I know him?

How can one believe something they know?

I believe in my wife because I know her. Belief and knowledge are not mutually exclusive things.

Selah.

 

[believeume]

true but it does bring up an interesting point, well if one wants to know Jesus

On the flip side I've also heard Christians say "Would you like to know Jesus?"

But is it a knowing what you believe?

 

[believeume]

Hello Believeume,

Basically, many Christians say they "believe" in Jesus because the semantic notion of coming "to know" someone typically means to have a social, empirical, face-to-face interaction with another person. As I'm sure you understand, this isn't usually the kind of interaction that most of us ever have with Jesus in the space of a single lifetime. So, we refer mostly to the notion that we "Believe" in Jesus, or that we have "Faith" in Jesus, because we rely on a body of Christian tradition which is not comprehensive in its epistemological scope or in its social or psychological depth.

Peace
2PhiloVoid

So does one know after they embrace belief?

 

[believeume]

Hi Believeume, first off, WELCOME TO CF

You wrote:



Frighteningly, there is a kind of faith/belief that does not save. The demons "believe" in God, and they know what and who He is (and they shudder because of it .. James 2:19), but their "kind" of faith cannot save them.

Belief/faith that saves involves "trust", therefore, it's more than simply an intellectual ascent to His existence. True Christians don't simply/only believe "in" God, we truly "believe God" as well, knowing (for instance) that His promises to graciously save us, based upon the merits of Another, are true.

If sustaining belief in Him was exhausting for you, then I think it's pretty safe to conclude that you never had "saving" faith in Him, IOW, that you never became a "Christian" to begin with. Saving faith is not exhausting, in fact, it's quite the opposite. What is truly exhausting and frustrating for me is trying to live my life as a Christian 'apart' from faith and trust in Him.

You are correct though, our "knowing" Him (and He us .. John 17:3; Matthew 7:22-23) is at the very heart of our salvation, as those who do not know Him (nor He them) cannot be saved.

I was baptized a baby and attended church and Sunday School regularly through to my college years. I very much believed that there was a God, and that He was the one described in the Bible. So I always believed that I was a Christian, that is, until I actually became one when I was 30 years old.

Yours and His,
David

"If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and
believe in your heart that God raised Him
from the dead, you shall be saved"
Romans 10:9​

What a relief, but why did I miss the mark for so long. How is it possible to reach the right faith now?

 

[believeume]

That is a nonsensical question.
How can you not believe in something you know? I know 2+2=4 just as I believe 2+2=4; knowing is believing.

And I do know Him and believe in Him because He lives in me through the Holy Spirit.

Yeah, I guess the spirit would be strong evidence. Is it even detectable? How do you know your got the right spirit, are there tests you can put yourself through.

 

[Geralt]

because they believe what they know to be true.

If Jesus is real, why do Christian's say they believe in him. Shouldn't they say I know him?

How can one believe something they know?

 

[believeume]

because they believe what they know to be true.

And what do they know is true?