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Believeing God

Discussion in '2005 Archive' started by donnA, Jan 26, 2005.

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  1. donnA

    donnA Active Member

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    What do you think the difference is in believeing IN God and believeing God is?
     
    #1 donnA, Jan 26, 2005
  2. TaterTot

    TaterTot Guest

    Folks I know from a charismatic background use it this way:
    Believing IN God - is for salvation
    Believing God - is having faith for a miracle.

    (Ex : One lady told me to pray and believe God and he HAd to answer my prayer, b/c the Bible said he would.)
     
    #2 TaterTot, Jan 26, 2005
  3. FBCPastorsWife

    FBCPastorsWife New Member

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    That's a good way to explain it Tater!!!
     
    #3 FBCPastorsWife, Jan 26, 2005
  4. Glory Bound

    Glory Bound New Member

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    Maybe it's me - I don't really see a difference. Maybe one is implied by those using the expressions. I would think if one believed IN God then they'd have to believe God, otherwise they wouldn't believe in who God really is. :confused:
     
    #4 Glory Bound, Jan 26, 2005
  5. dh1948

    dh1948 Member
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    A lot of people believe in God, that is,in His existence, but they do not believe God. In such a case, they are not saved.
     
    #5 dh1948, Jan 26, 2005
  6. Pastor Larry

    Pastor Larry <b>Moderator</b>
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    Scripturally, there is no difference. To believe God is to believe in him or on him.

    DH's comments are indicative of a philosophical inconsistency on the part of the unbeliever. If you believe in God, then you would be God. These unbelievers believe in "a god" of their own making becuase they will not believe in God.
     
    #6 Pastor Larry, Jan 26, 2005
  7. av1611jim

    av1611jim New Member

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    dh1948 is right.
    Consider this;
    Jas 2:19
    Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

    One may say they believe IN God but it will get them nowhere until they just believe God.
    IOW; if you do not believe what God has said and required of us to be saved, you can believe that God IS all day long but it won't get you saved.

    For example. One may say, "I believe in God, but I don't think He sends people to hell". How many times have we heard THAT one? In truth, they don't REALLY believe God. To believe God means to believe what He has said is true.

    When Jesus said, "Ye believe in God, believe also in Me." He was saying to put your trust in Him. For example, I believe my chair will hold my weight, but until I put my trust IN it; it does me no good.

    This is how I have come to understand the difference.

    In HIS service;
    Jim
     
    #7 av1611jim, Jan 26, 2005
  8. Pastor Larry

    Pastor Larry <b>Moderator</b>
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    Reading my post, I made a major faux pas ... I have no idea how or why. Please disregard the above and consider these my comments on the matter:

    Scripturally, there is no difference. To believe God is to believe in him or on him.

    DH's comments are indicative of a philosophical inconsistency on the part of the unbeliever. If you believe in God, then you would be saved. These unbelievers believe in "a god" of their own making becuase they will not believe in God.
     
    #8 Pastor Larry, Jan 26, 2005
  9. donnA

    donnA Active Member

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    I think believing in God is differnet. I grew up beielveing in God, beleived He exsisted and everything. I have never not beleived in God. So beleiveing in God is not salvation, nor is it believing Him. To believe Him is to believe what He says in sripture. So you can see how one might believe in Him(His exsistance) and not believ Him(what He says in the bible, especially what He says about all have sinned, and we all need salvation through Jesus alone, which was a foreign concept to me the first time I heard it when I was 27).
    Pastor Larry, I grew up being told about THE bible GOD, I beleived in that GOD, not any old god or any other god, but the God of scripture.
    I know a lot of people who beleive His is real, they've always been told HE was, and believe it is true, they just do not believe His word.
    One can beleive in His exsistance yet not beleive His word is totally true. What made me start thinking about this is a lot of the posts here on the BB, people doubting what God said, did HE really mean to say that, people who beleive in evolution and not creation, I've seen christians who did not beleive people go to hell at all(I think we have all met some of these). There are a lot of things we could site on this but won't.
    I hope I've made myself clear as to what I meant. I think I might not have in the op.


    av1611jim
    Thank you, this is it.
     
    #9 donnA, Jan 26, 2005
  10. Glory Bound

    Glory Bound New Member

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    I took your intention to be: "If you believe in God, then you would believe God."

    Sometimes we like to play word games, by making such differences between using and not using the word "in". But if I state that I believe "in" the God of the Bible, then I must believe Him also, for He is God.

    I sometimes like to make a distinction between pastors who "Preach from the Bible" and pastors who "Preach the Bible"... but I'm aware that the distinction is really one in my mind only. I have to explain it else folks won't be sure of what I mean.
     
    #10 Glory Bound, Jan 26, 2005
  11. Soulman

    Soulman New Member

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    Believing in God has two meanings. Most people believe in God. The bible says it is a fool who doesn't believe in God.

    Truly believing in Him is trusting in His word to perform that which He promised. We have to trust Him enough to know we have a God which cannot lie.
     
    #11 Soulman, Jan 29, 2005
  12. donnA

    donnA Active Member

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    I like this. Now say this in the trusting God or science thread.
     
    #12 donnA, Jan 29, 2005
  13. dianetavegia

    dianetavegia Guest

    Jas 2:19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!

    Donna, anyone can believe there is a God but not believe, trust, have faith in, trust for their salvation.
    Good question, tho. I think this is where we differ from evolutionists.
     
    #13 dianetavegia, Jan 29, 2005
  14. KeeperOfMyHome

    KeeperOfMyHome New Member

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    You have to take into consideration this simple fact: many religious people believe IN God but do not believe in WHO He is.

    Also, for salvation to occur, you must believe on Christ. Jesus said He is the only way to God.

    John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

    John 12:44 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.

    I think to totally believe God is to believe on Christ since Christ is God. Or maybe to believe on Christ is to believe on God. This is one of the major differences between us and churches such as LDS/Mormons. They do not believe who Christ truly is and you cannot be saved by believing that Christ is anything other than who He says He is.

    John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

    John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

    Julia
     
    #14 KeeperOfMyHome, Jan 29, 2005
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