The Centrality of Belief

UV 962/10,000 The Centrality of Belief Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? Isaiah 53 v 1 The arm of the Lord holds certain truths and He chooses to reveal it to certain people whom He knows would respond with belief. There happens a revelation of truth that cannot be discovered by study or experimentation or experience. When we respond in faith or believe, we take an action based on that faith. For instance, Mary had a revelation of her being pregnant by immaculate conception by the will of God. She responded by glad acceptance and submission to this revelation. Joseph had a revelation by a dream not to hesitate in taking her as wife and not to break off their engagement. The shepherds had a revelation that the Saviour of mankind is born in a manger and they went to see the baby. They praised God and told all the people they met about the amazing things they saw that night. The Magi had a revelation from the heavenly bodies in the new star that shone over Bethlehem in Judea and they took the long and arduous journey to Bethlehem. Zechariah and Elizabeth heard the message. Zechariah could not believe the message that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son. He could not speak till after the child was born. But the child in Elizabeth’s womb leapt in joy when it heard the voice of Mary. There was a revelation to the future John the Baptist even while in his mother’s womb and he responded with joy. The ruler of Judea, Herod the Tetrarch did not have a revelation from God but he heard about the birth of a new king and felt threatened by the new born. He ordered the massacre of the innocents thereafter not being able to locate the new born king. History records that Caesar hearing about the tyranny and misrule of Herod removed him from the Tetrarchy and replaced him with a Roman governor. The lack of revelation and the lack of belief also leads to an action to oppose the will of God The innkeeper did not have a revelation and he refused to give the family a room to stay. In geography there is the concept of the rain shadow area where one side of a region or hill receives the rain and the other side does not. Similarly, belief or lack of belief determines whether we are on the spiritual rainfall area or the rain shadow area. When we believe and respond like Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the Magi we come into the favour of the Lord. The centrality of belief also shows up in the certainty of blessing. Faith involves hearing a message from God directly or indirectly or from the Word and believing in the message and acting on it. It comprises of a revelation, a response of belief and an act of obedience. When we hear the Word, believe the message and act on it, we find favour with God like the shepherds, like Mary and Joseph, like Zechariah and Elizabeth and the Magi. The word “ belief” is broken into two words “ be “ and “ lief” for kingdom. By belief in Jesus we are born in the spirit into the Kingdom of God. Prateep V Philip