Title: Real Faith and False Faith
Gospel of John (21) Real faith and false faith (John 3:9-15)
Fortress education is very important. Education is also important to some extent. However, if academic background is literally “intellectual ability acquired through learning,” it is not determined whether or not you have an educational background just by graduating from a prestigious university. There are people who graduated from a prestigious university but are not really good in intellectual ability, and there are people who did not go to a prestigious university but have good intellectual ability. After all, college titles and actual academic background are not directly proportional.
When Jesus told the mystery of being born again, Nicodemus, who had the best education at the time, asked, “How can a man enter the second mother’s womb and come out?” (verse 4). Then, when Jesus spoke of the principle of being born again by the Holy Spirit, Nicodemus asked again, “How can such a thing be?” Was he ignorant to ask such a question? no. He was such a learned man that Jesus called him ‘Teacher of Israel’ (verse 10). This scene shows that faith is more important than knowledge.
If you do not believe in the knowledge that others have discovered and accumulated, you cannot add new knowledge. Ultimately, learning and knowledge must also be based on trust. Also, faith must be the foundation of all life. Without faith, you can't buy anything, and you can't even buy one. That's why trust is so important. Among such important beliefs, the most important 'the highest peak of faith' is 'the faith of eternal life'. The faith of eternal life is believing that Jesus is the one who came down from heaven and believing in Jesus who was crucified as the Savior (verses 13-15).
"Real Belief and False Belief"
God said to the Israelites who were bitten by fiery serpents in the wilderness that they would live if they looked at the bronze serpent, but did not explain the reason in detail. Nevertheless, the people who said Amen to the word and obeyed it were saved. Even if it is not clearly explained in human terms that when we receive Jesus, we are free from sin and receive eternal life, we gain eternal life when we believe in Jesus according to His words. Ultimately, faith is obedience. True faith is not turning away from the Lord when someone proves it with certainty, but obeying the Lord's words without knowing why.
Obedience without question is faith, but faith is firmly believing in God's love, promises, and blessings within God's will, not 'blind trust'. That's the difference between real beliefs and fake beliefs. Real faith is believing in 'what God has promised', while false faith is believing in 'one's request will be fulfilled'. Faith is not thinking that God can do everything that God does not promise or want.
Someone says: “We can do all things through him who strengthens me. Therefore, if you ask in faith whatever you want, God will grant you.” This is the product of false beliefs. How many people follow this false belief with an empty heart? God is omnipotent, but He does not do everything we want, He does everything He wants us to do.
True faith is “Amen!” in the Bible and in the will of God. and react. In the end, blindly believing without the word is highly likely to be a false, false belief. Fortress New Age ideas propagate that belief. New Age ideas also emphasize faith, but they have no God, no God's will, and no God's promises. It is said that if you just believe, it will happen. It is a false belief. That is why it is important to know God's will through the Bible.
It is foolish advice to say, “You just have to believe” without any concern for God’s will and promises. Such beliefs cause greater suffering, tests, and problems. Faith is not optimism, hope for the best, and positive thinking. Faith is the substance of things hoped for in God (Hebrews 11:1-2). The original meaning of ‘actual reality’ is ‘solid base’. In other words, faith is not ‘walking on the head’, but ‘walking on the rock’. It is true faith to boldly set out on the path of spiritual adventure with confidence in God's love and promises.