What does it mean to believe?

[sh284]

What does it really mean to believe in Christ? When I was younger, I thought I believed, but it now seems that I didn't. I had what was more a head belief than heart belief. Also, what does it mean to love God and love your neighbor?

 

[Cuddles333]

To believe in in Christ is to be a changed person from what you used to be. You are much more sensitive concerning moral injustices than you used to be. The things you used to fear so much no longer have that much power over you now. You have more energy for positive things. This is just a few things that at least I and many others have experienced.

 

[chilehed]

It's not terribly different than believing in your girlfriend.

 

[drich0150]

What does it really mean to believe in Christ?

To know that you are a sinner in the eyes of the Lord and to know that with our the blood sacrifice of Christ on your behalf you would perish in Hell for your sins. So to believe in Christ is to believe that He was God sent to earth by the Father to be the ultimate sin sacrifice, so that all who believe or except this sacrifice on their behalf will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

When I was younger, I thought I believed, but it now seems that I didn't. I had what was more a head belief than heart belief. Also, what does it mean to love God and love your neighbor?

True belief is not an intellectual acknowledgment as you have pointed out it is a change in heart a change in your life. This change includes loving God with all of your being "Heart, Mind, Spirit and strength." and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Love Here refers to the Greek Agape. Agape is the highest purest form of love that consumes the love giver. It is selfless and gives with out question or end. To love God like this means to love God in a way where nothing on earth can be given or take the place of God. To love your neighbor as yourself means to give and forgive in the same manner you wish to receive and to be forgiven.

 

[wpage]

Christ combined the 10 comandments into Love God and your neighbor as yourself...

On these 2 hang all the law.

 

[razeontherock]

What does it really mean to believe in Christ?

I learned how to read by reading the Bible. I recognized that I did NOT know what Jesus meant when he said to believe in Him. That type of humility is something G-d can work with ...

 

[sh284]

I learned how to read by reading the Bible. I recognized that I did NOT know what Jesus meant when he said to believe in Him. That type of humility is something G-d can work with ...

Do you know what it means now?

 

[razeontherock]

It sort of snuck up on me By reading many posters here define the gift of Faith, you would think I have it! I don't think this is a coincidence, but rather, connected to the content of my previous post.

If you want to define Faith I have to refer you here:

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

3 things to notice: now, substance, evidence. My heart breaks when I see so many unbelievers on CF all crying out for the same thing: evidence, NOW, preferably with some substance.

So the question turns to, how do you get it? First of all, it is the gift of G-d. Now:

Romans 10:17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

I do say that fear comes by hearing, and hearing the will of the enemy. (satan and all powers of darkness) Yes I do find that TV, movies, etc directly un-do Faith. The word we have translated as "Church" literally means "called out ones."

My point being that if you want Faith to grow, you have to intentionally cultivate it!

 

[elman]

What does it really mean to believe in Christ? When I was younger, I thought I believed, but it now seems that I didn't. I had what was more a head belief than heart belief. Also, what does it mean to love God and love your neighbor?

Jesus answered that in the parable of the good Samaritan and in Matt 25:31 and following. Love is acting in behalf of another.

 

[bling]

Faith (saving faith) is referring to the humbling experiencing of “trust” God’s Love enough to forgive you of hurting others in the past (sin) and is contrasted with prideful trusting in self to handle the pain in your conscience from hurting others. “Trusting” Jesus makes it easy to trust God’s love to forgive, since Jesus defines that love in everything he did and said and explains how God can forgive us (through the cross). The whole idea is to become like God (who is Love) by accepting God’s Love (the humility needed to accept this charity comes from the humility needed to trust God [faith]) in the form of accepting God’s forgiveness and thus Love much yourself (…he that is forgiven much will Love much&#8230.

 

[Emmy]

Dear sh284. Jesus said, " if you believe my words and follow them, you will show your love for me." What are the words Jesus means?? In Matthew, chapter22, verses 35-40, Jesus tells a Lawyer: " The first and great Commandment is: Love thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself." How do I show my Belief? A good start is: treat all you know and all you meet, as you would love to be treated. God will see our sincere efforts to show our love to God by: being kind and considerate, use friendly words rather than angry words, give a helping hand where needed, and show our love to our neighbour: all others, friends or not friends. When God sees our friendly behaviour, He will approve and bless us. And no matter how often we stumble or even fail, we will get up again, and try again and again. God will forgive us as we will forgive those who sin/trangress against us. Jesus told us to " ask and ye will receive," and Jesus will give us His Love and his Joy, and the Holy Spirit will empower us with His Love. It is straightforward, sh284, and easy to remember. Jesus is the Way, He died that we might live, and now we are reconciled to God. Jesus is the Way, and we follow Jesus by believing His Words to us: Love God with all our beings, and love our neighbour as ourselves. I say this with love. Greetings from Emmy, sister in Christ.