But to simply believe means more than to mouth the words of scripture. We must be approaching the place where the promises of the Sermon of the Mount of Matt 5:3-48 are already occurring within us. Memorizing those verses is not a bad thing, but having them written in our hearts so that without thinking it first we are doing what God really wants us to do is where each real Believer must arrive.
Will the Kingdom of Heaven be ours if we are not "poor in spirit" as Jesus was poor in spirit? [notice I used a small "s" in spirit rather than a capital "S" for Spirit.
Are we comforted if we do not mourn as Jesus mourned?
Will we inherit the earth if we are not meek as Jesus was meek?
Will we be filled if we do not hunger and thirst after the righteousness which Jesus practiced?
And on it goes through all of the promises given in those verses of that Sermon as well as others spoken about in scripture.
Remember the disciples' question?
"Who then can be saved?" Matt 19:25
And recall Jesus' answer:
"But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." Matt 19:26
If we don't believe that for God in us those things are possible, then does not our belief come short?
If we seem to be coming up short in our ability to believe, perhaps like this man we need to ask for help
"And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." Mark 9:24
