Does it matter what one believes?

     Many around us would say that it does not matter what one believes.  According to these you can believe whatever you want, as long as it is truth to you.  This concept has led to the idea that no objective standard of truth exists.  All truth is subjective, and it only is true if someone believes it to be true.  Does the Bible agree with this concept?  Does it make a difference to God what we believe spiritually?
     Let us first notice some Bible examples in which it did matter what one believed.  Consider for a moment Adam and Eve.  God told them that they could eat of any tree in the garden except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  They were both warned that if they ate of that tree, they would surely die.  Satan came along and told Eve that if she ate of the forbidden fruit, she would not surely die.  Adam and Eve chose to believe Satan, and, consequently, they were made to leave the Garden of Eden.  This decision cost Adam and Eve immortality, fellowship with God, and numerous other things.  Do you think it mattered what they believed?  Consider also Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10).  God had legislated how the priests were to conduct worship in offering sacrifices.  God specified that a certain fire was to be used in offering sacrifices.  Nadab and Abihu believed that one fire was just as good as another, so they took fire from a source other than the one God had specified.  For this action, they were consumed by fire from heaven.  Do you suppose that it did not matter what they believed?
    Now let us consider some Bible passages that will help us to see the importance of believing an objective standard of religious truth.  Jesus remarked that all those who do not believe him to be the great I AM will die in their sins (Jn. 8:24).  That is, those who do not believe that Jesus (the Word) is eternal, and that he is equal with God, will die in their sins.  There are those in the world today who will tell you that it is not necessary to believe that Jesus is equal with God.  They will say that it is o.k. to believe that Jesus was created, that he was merely a good teacher who lived an exemplary life.  The words of Jesus as recorded in John 8:24 speak to the contrary.  Consider also the words of Jesus as recorded in Mark 16:15, 16.  The disciples were commanded to go into all the world and preach the gospel to all men.  Those who believe the gospel and are baptized will be saved.  Many will say that all you must do is believe in Jesus, just acknowledge that he lived upon the earth.  However, the words of Jesus tell us that those who do not believe the gospel (i.e., the doctrine of [from] Christ) will be condemned.
     It matters very much to God what we believe religiously.  God has left us His word, an objective standard of truth, which we are to follow.  To believe something contrary to the word of God does not make it truth simply because one believes it to be truth.  To believe something contrary to the word of God makes one lost, because he has left the direction of God’s word.

Do you have a Bible question that deserves a Bible answer?  Do you want more information about this subject?  Feel free to contact the Mabelvale church of Christ at 455-2548 or by fax at 407-0072.  We may also be reached by e-mail at mabelval@cei.net, and we have a web page at www.cei.net/~mabelval.  On the web page you will find archives of all of the “Ask A Bible Questions” to date, as well as other items.  Also, tune into the Search television program on Sunday mornings at 8:00 on channel 4.