It Matters What One Believes

“For the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from God.”  John 16:27

There are folks, and I think their numbers are quite large, who say they believe in God yet do not want anything to do with Jesus Christ, God’s Son.  Some view God as some giant “Spirit in the sky” who grants favors to people for their “good deeds”.  Others think of God as a grandfatherly type with a long white beard who floats on clouds all day watching over creation.  Then there are others who view God as a vengeful God who is always ready to display His wrath on unsuspecting folks.  God is none of these descriptions.  He is a Spirit, a sovereign, righteous, and holy LORD who, in His grace and mercy, gave His only Son, Jesus, to suffer the penalty for man’s sin.  God loves all men and women, boys and girls, because He is love.  However, we can’t love Him truly if we don’t love His Son.

Suppose that you had what you considered a good relationship with another person, but you found out that this friend had made some very ugly and disparaging remarks about your son or daughter.  How long would that relationship last?  Not very long I suspect.  Thus, if an earthly parent will defend the honor of his or her child resulting in breaking off a relationship with the one who dishonored his or her child, would it not stand that the great God of the universe would not have a close relationship with those who dishonor His Son, the One who suffered and died for them?  In order to have a right relationship with and be reconciled to our Creator, we must receive Christ as our Lord and Savior.  It is those who love and honor Christ with whom God is pleased to call His children.

The Apostle John also wrote in John 5:22-23 that God has committed all judgment unto His Son.  He went on to write that “He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him.”  I don’t know how much more clearly that can be expressed.  Jesus died to pay for man’s sin, so it stands to reason that He would be the One to judge man.  A judge is to receive honor.  Our earthly judges are known as “the honorable judge so and so”.  There is a certain respect and fear of judges because of the power that they wield.  No one in their right mind will go before a judge in a haughty, disrespectful manner because they know that the judge can bring the power of the entire judicial system against them.  If man gives honor to the earthly judges, should he not do even more so to the Judge of all the earth?

Jesus and His Father are one (John 10:30).  Jesus is God personified.  They cannot be separated.  Men and women cannot righteously worship one without the other.  Think of it this way.  Suppose you poured a pitcher of hot water into a bucket, and then a pitcher of cold water into the same bucket.  Then someone told you to separate the hot water from the cold.  Impossible.  Any religion which does not honor Christ as it honors God is a religion with no substance.  Thus it does matter what one believes, and it also matters that we live what we believe.