Believe in God

What the Bible Says:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. Romans 5:1-2

The Lord says, I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on thee, I will answer, I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue them and honor them. Psalm 91:14-15

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6

What the Research Says:

Belief and having faith in God gives us hope and provides us a framework for living life. Those who have made a choice to believe that God sent His son Jesus to die for our sins and to give us eternal life have an additional measure of hope and peace. When we believe what we read in the Bible and live in the faith that flows from this belief, our faith and the hope it provides grows even deeper. Medical researchers who explore the faith and health connection provide an explanation of how these beliefs affect health.

"The medical research is clear that the deeper your true spiritual faith, the more likely you are to have a better mental and physical health outcome. You are much more likely to cope well with illness and to recover from disease.” (Walt Larimore, M.D., God's Design for The Highly Healthy Person)

"The implications of simple faith for health and illness are intriguing. Whether or not God or the spiritual dimension is objectively real or true, and regardless of one's religious affiliation, attendance, worship, or belief, merely thinking or affirming that one is religious or spiritual, or simply having faith or trust in God, a higher power, or the tenets of a religion, may benefit our health and well-being. The reason is that religious faith can produce hope.... The consequences of hope for well-being are significant... Any resource that can provide hope merits consideration as a potentially protective factor against physical and emotional illness. One such resource is religious faith… For the devout believer, (Holy) scriptures represent powerful promises that, taking apart, they become self-fulfilling prophecies. Mere faith in God’s existence may be

enough to promote health and can prevent or even cure illness. Independent of all the other health-giving factors discussed in this book, hope and expectation seem to be capable of miracles. This is amply supported by both scientific evidence and theory. There is a faith factor in health." (Jeff Levin, Ph.D., God, Faith, and Health, Exploring the Spirituality-Healing Connection.)

What You Can Do:

Belief in God is a choice we must make. To Believe in God you need to get to know Him. To know Him, I suggest you begin to read the Bible. You might consider buying a copy of the New Living Translation version of the New Believer’s Bible. It is designed to help the new Christian read, study, and understand the Bible and has a section titled Knowing God. Visit www.needhim.org to read about who God is and about His love for you. You may also consider visiting with a pastor at a local church to receive some direction in getting to know God and in how to come to believe in Him.