Why Do You Believe Enough to Take Risks, Face Dangers, and Suffer Loss for the Sake of Jesus?

[Mark Corbett]

“I live by faith” (Galatians 2:20).

“We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God's service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. (1 Thess. 3:2-3a NIV)

I would like to ask you share some of the reasons that you personally believe the Bible to be true. This certainly includes the types of evidence and influences which the Lord used to initially bring you to Himself. But I also invite you to include lines of evidence which may not have had a major role in your initial conversion, but which the Lord has used to strengthen your faith along the way.

Our faith is constantly tested. Our faith shines brightest when we are willing to take risks, face dangers, and suffer loss for the sake of Christ. What evidence is there for you that is strong enough to support such a faith?

To get things going, I will offer a poem in which I share some of the types of evidence which are important to me:

Lord, How could I not Believe in You?

When I watch Your flocks of birds above me fly,
In endless lines against a predawn painted sky,
Your wisdom, power, and glory like warm sunshine I feel,
And then I cannot doubt that my Creator God is real.

Your Apostles in Your Bible speak convincingly to me;
They do not speak of fables, but tell what their own eyes did see.
Some men lie for their advantage, but when the Apostles testified
It brought them beatings, prison, and death; so I don’t believe they lied.

I’ve seen a few supernatural signs which speak clearly to my heart,
Like when You spoke the same word to my wife and me when we were far apart;
Or when our small group all heard that demon voice before it was cast out,
And other little signs and dreams there’s not space here to share about.

There’s more evidence inside me, though that’s harder to explain.
I feel You in my heart and mind, where I want You to reign.
You really walk and talk with me as I go through each day,
And I feel You in a special way when on my knees I pray.

In this world around me, in Your Word, and in my heart and mind,
There are endless reasons to believe and always new evidence to find.
Please open eyes so others may see wonderful signs that point to You,
And soon, like me, they’ll cry out, “Lord, how could I not believe in You!”
​

This poem was originally posted on my blog as part of a series on why I believe the Bible enough to take risks, face dangers, and suffer for Jesus.

While I used a poem to try to get you thinking, feel free to answer in normal comment form. Or, to put it another way:

There’s no need to compose poetry, for that would take much time;
Nor should you feel compelled to make your comments rhyme!

 

[Mark Corbett]

Which of the following has God used to help you believe?

1. Logical evidence that the Bible is true
2. Some type of sign or miracle in your life (the issue isn't how spectacular the sign may be to skeptics, but how meaningful it has been for you)
3. Seeing the fruit of the Holy Spirit in a Christian friend or family member
4. God doing something for you
5. Other (please explain)​

 

[Steven Yeadon]

Great question.

1. The Christian martyrs are the only group of people I will stand with if it means being tortured to death for loving them and believing them.
2. I am that afraid of going to hell.
3. The bible actually works Word for Word if you live it out.
4. My existence and the universe's existence tell me that there is someone Who made me, it, and all other people. This Creator is unfathomable to my minuscule mind, but He seems to love me enough to make me at all and place me in the life I have
5. Because the hope of the heaven, the resurrection, and the eternal life to come is that real to me.
6. Because the fear of a Judgment to come for all people at the hands of our Maker is that real to me.
7. I gain a hope from my faith in Jesus Christ that I will not trade away for anything, no matter what.
8. Jesus is a historical leader Who suffers just as much, if not more than, those that follow Him, even those who are tortured to death for Him.
9. The Holy Spirit clearly testifies to my spirit that I am a child of God.
10. The Holy Spirit is clearly evident in my day-to-day life through the mental and emotional results of living my faith.
11. The world just makes more sense on an intuitive level beyond my understanding if the whole bible is true.
12. History can at best be interpreted as futile beyond all belief if the Kingdom of God and His saints is taken out. In short, Ecclesiastes is that real and true.
13. Because the Old Testament Law is a moral code beyond most Western nations today, despite its detractors.
14. Because Jesus and His apostles have the audacity to teach a moral code that seems almost flawless from my 21st century, Western point of view. They even live this code out themselves. I know from faith that it is in fact a flawless moral code, and that is where the problems with Western culture are most exposed.
15. Because anyone who lives a life like Jesus Christ's is living a nearly perfect life. Again such a life is perfect, but God's wisdom in knowing this is simply beyond my ability to understand from my own flawed humanity and I must understand that Jesus Christ's life is in fact flawless through faith.
17.The marvelessness, mixed with disgust and horror, at knowing that a human sacrifice of God Himself through His Son was required to be cleansed of my sins if I only have a living faith in this. The Cross. This seems insane to understand from a merely human perspective, as the bible tells us (1 Corinthians 1:20-31). Yet, this insanity, that is in fact a set of truths beyond me, is what shocks me into believing it is true.
18. The shear beauty of the Beatitudes.

My mind is starting to get tired, but I have more to write on this, and I will do so later.

 

[Mark Corbett]

Great question.

1. The Christian martyrs are the only group of people I will stand with if it means being tortured to death for loving them and believing them.
2. I am that afraid of going to hell. . . .

Great reply! Thanks for sharing these thoughts.