The Evidence Of Belief

           In Mark 16:16, Christ lists belief as one of the requirements of salvation. Of course we know there are other steps that one must obey to obtain the salvation freely offered by the grace of God, but for this particular study let us take a closer look at belief. We understand that one of the first and most basic principles in God's plan of salvation is belief that Jesus was, and is, the Christ, the Son of the living God. But how do we believe someone or something we've never seen. More than that, how can we possibly entrust our eternal salvation to someone we have never met, who proclaimed to be the Son of God?

            The answer is that the Bible, the word of God, reveals evidence, it reveals proof that Jesus is who He said He was. We have the evidence of the signs and wonders that Jesus performed while on Earth, proving He was, indeed, God's Son. Notice John 20:30-31 "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; (31) but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."  The faith a Christian has in Jesus being the Christ is based on evidence, such as the historical recordings of the signs and wonders He did. A Christian's faith is not blind-faith.

            In Acts chapter 10 we see further evidence of Jesus being the Son of God through the eyewitness testimony of those who were with Him during His time on Earth, even after He was raised from the dead. Notice Acts 10:39-41, "And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. (40) Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,(41) not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead."  Truly we can have faith and trust in Jesus as the Messiah!!

            A similar eyewitness account of the majesty of Jesus is given in II Pet. 1:16-18, "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. (17) For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory; 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' (18) And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain."  Further evidence of the validity of Jesus as the Christ is revealed in the prophecies concerning Christ's coming that were fulfilled by Jesus. Notice what Paul said as he spoke with King Agrippa in Acts 26:22-23, " Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come---(23) that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."  Moses and the prophets of old spoke many prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah, and the things that He must suffer in order to save man from sin. It is no coincidence that Jesus fulfilled over 300 of these prophecies. Simply put, Christ is who He said He was. He is the Son of God and believing that and following God's plan of salvation is the only way we can be saved from our sin. May we rejoice and be thankful that we don't have to fear believing in vain, but that our faith in Christ is based upon absolute evidence given in God's word.

- Garrett Alsip