This post is one of a series looking at four Scriptural truths highlighted by Tim Chester in his book You Can Change. You can read more about Tim and the “4 Gs” here.
What we believe matters, and has a concrete effect on our lives. We can see this in the simplest of examples: my car might be roadworthy, with a clean MOT and a full fuel tank – but if I believe that it’s unsafe or out of fuel, I’m not going to drive it. For me to fully benefit from having a car, I need to know the truth about the car, and I then need to exercise faith that it’s true by getting in and turning the key.
This works itself out in our beliefs about God too. Scripture is full of truths about God’s nature; however, if we don’t believe them, we don’t live in the full good of them. This is seen very clearly in the parable of the talents. Two of the servants are confident enough in the character of their master that they are happy to risk their talents in order to see them put to good use – sure enough, their master is pleased with their actions; the last servant has the same master, but believes wrong things about him:
Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.
Luke 19:20-21
Because of his wrong beliefs, the servant acts wrongly- to the master’s detriment and his own.
Over four blog posts, I’m going to be looking at each of four fundamental statements about God’s nature, how it affects our lives if we fully believe it, and how we can “be transformed by the renewing of our mind” where we find our belief lacking.
Lastly, if these posts challenge or provoke you, I’d encourage you not to process it on your own. We are made for community, and “as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Talk it over with a prayer partner, with someone from your home group, or with a church leader. I am convinced that this is the most effective way to grow in faith!