WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BELIEVE?

"He who gives you His Spirit and works miracles among you–does He do so on the ground of your obedience to the Law, or is it the result of    your having heard and believed"

(Galatians 3:5 Weymouth translation)

Belief is a powerful thing. To believe is not just to give mental assent to a fact. It is to have that fact be the platform from which you live your life. It is to have your heart so persuaded by this fact that it drives your life. This is what the apostles meant when they said believe.

Many people nowadays view Christianity as some academic exercise; We just know a bunch of facts in our heads so that we can go around arguing with one another based on bible verses. But that is not what it is at all. This life is much deeper. It is to come face to face with the God of the universe and to see him for who he really is. It is to realise that Jesus is the owner and supreme ruler of this Cosmos and to bend the knee and say "your will be done". It is to receive the Holy Spirit in yourself and become conscious of the fact that your body is now the home of God himself.

This means something.  This translates into a life that cannot originate from you; A life of fruit bearing; A life where the mundane and elemental principles of this world cannot hold you or rule you anymore. This is what is meant by believe. Your life cannot be the same when you believe this Gospel. This is the promise of the Holy Spirit. Right believing leads to right living.