Do You Believe What’s in Your Bible?
By Pastor Joel – Open Heaven Christian Church – Fisher, Arkansas
Church, today I am not asking what denomination you belong to.
I am not asking how long you’ve been saved.
I am asking one question:
Do you believe what Jesus said—when He finished speaking?
The words of Jesus that were recorded in what is called the Bible are not mere words spoken by a man, it is the very words of God. As followers of Jesus and students of the bible, we must all ask ourselves one question, “do I really believe the words that Jesus spoke?”
It is one thing to claim belief in the Bible. It is another thing entirely to believe what it actually says—especially when the words come from the mouth of Jesus that confront modern Christianity’s comfort-driven theology and doctrine.
Many today believe in a version of Christianity that requires agreement but not obedience, confession but not transformation, faith without evidence, and salvation without surrender. Scripture calls this deception.
Jesus never preached a gospel that allowed people to remain unchanged.
Easy-Believism: Faith Without Obedience
“Easy-believism” teaches that intellectual agreement or a one-time confession secures eternal life, regardless of how a person lives afterward. This doctrine is popular because it demands nothing after belief.
Jesus taught the opposite.
John 8:31 (KJV)
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.”
Belief that does not continue is not saving faith. Jesus did not say, “If you once believed,” but “If ye continue.” These words require an ongoing “spiritual appetite” to continue in the word of God and confirms what Jesus said and taught:
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6 KJV)
“Lord, Lord”: The Collapse of A False Assurance
Jesus warned that many who are confident in their salvation will be rejected.
Matthew 7:21–23 (KJV)
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
These were not atheists. These were religious people doing religious acts, they were confident in their spiritual resume and thought the Lord would receive them into heaven, but were deceived by t heir own intellect—something Jesus never affirmed. Easy-believism produces confidence without the true knowledge of what God expects from a believer that professes God—“truth and holiness.”
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14 KJV)
The Narrow Way Exposes the Myth of “Most Christians Are Saved”
Matthew 7:13–14 (KJV)
“Enter ye in at the strait gate… narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
If the majority are on the broad road, then numerical popularity is not proof of truth. Jesus’ words dismantle the assumption that becoming a good person or sincerity or church attendance and bringing tithes guarantees salvation. The reality taught in scripture are the words of Jesus when he said “none are good—only God.”
“And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17 KJV)
Self righteousness is a Hugh deception, and Satan has deceived many in this area. Faith in Jesus Christ alone and his grace is the source of all life—including eternal life!
The scriptures are clear, no religious acts or thinking we are good because of religious acts can save anyone. We are saved only by the grace of God and the shed blood of His Son Jesus Christ.
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” (Ephesians 1:7 KJV)
“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” (Romans 5:9)
“18Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” (1 Peter 1:18-21)
Nothing anyone can do can save them, only the blood of Jesus which cleanses us from sin can save us.
Discipleship Is Not a Secondary Calling
Modern preaching often separates salvation from discipleship. Jesus never did.
Luke 14:27 (KJV)
“And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”
Luke 14:33 (KJV)
“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
Jesus did not say “will struggle to be a disciple,” but “cannot be.” Biblical faith always results in surrendering everything in your life to the LORD.
The Resurrection of Jesus
Many today including many “mainline pastors” do not really believe or struggle with in believing that God the Father raised His Son Jesus from the dead.
Most pastors believe Jesus was bodily raised from the dead, with very high percentages (around 90-99%) among evangelicals, Black Protestants, and Catholics, though belief dips significantly among mainline pastors (around 65-70%). Recent surveys show near-universal belief among conservative clergy, but roughly a third of mainline clergy express doubts or disbelief in the physical resurrection, according to various Lifeway Research studies.
Yet the Bible say;
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9 KJV)
Question: Are you attending a church that does not believe Jesus was raised from the dead? Or is that church you are attending existing only to be seen as outstanding members of the community by doing “good” religious acts to be in right-standing with God?
“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
(2 Timothy 3:5 KJV)
Repentance: The Missing Message
Jesus began His ministry with a command, not an invitation.
Mark 1:15 (KJV)
“Repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Belief without repentance is not belief at all. Repentance is when one changes their mind and aligns their heart with the word of God, it’s not human perfection—but it is a decisive break with sin.
Luke 13:3 (KJV)
“Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
Repentance is an act of ones will to surrender to the will of God and because godly sorrow that the Holy Spirit brings to their heart and mind convicts them of sin.
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10 KJV)
It’s when one allows the Holy Spirit to bring conviction of sin through godly sorrow of sins committed that repentance begins to work in ones life. This is why Jesus said when the Holy Spirit is come he will convict the world of sin.
“7Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9Of sin, because they believe not on me;” (John 16:7-10 KJV)
The message of repentance of sin is being ignored by many ministries today, and is being replaced with “doing good Christian deeds” as a cover up of the real issues which is sin that rarely addressed in many congregations globally. Do we really believe what the Apostle John is quoted in saying?
“8He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” (1 John 3:8-10 KJV)
Sin consciousnesses has been removed from many pulpits, and as a result the parishioners live ungodly lives thinking they are on their way to heaven to stand before God and say “we’ve done many good works in thy name.”—while totally ignoring sin in their lives and how they treat others.
Freedom Means Deliverance From Sin, Not Permission to Continue in It
John 8:34–36 (KJV)
“Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin… If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
Jesus did not redefine sin to make people comfortable. He came to destroy its rule.
The Words Many Avoid: Mark 16:17–18
Few passages reveal selective belief more clearly than this one.
Mark 16:17–18 (KJV)
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
Jesus said “them that believe”, not apostles only, not church leaders only, or not a specific generation.
This raises uncomfortable but necessary questions:
How many say they believe this passage, yet explain it away with human reasoning?
How many claim faith, yet reject the expectation that belief produces power?
How many redefine belief so they are never confronted by the lack of evidence of true faith?
Question? Does the church you attend preach, teach, and practice these word of Jesus we’ve just read?
This passage does not command reckless behavior—but it does declare that genuine belief is accompanied by divine confirmation, not mere profession.
Why Easy-Believism Avoids Mark 16
Easy-believism must either:
Deny the passage, which is to deny the words of Jesus.
Limit it to the past, and pass it off as not applicable or today.
Redefine belief as Jesus taught is a form of denying scripture.
Redefine the power of God.
The words are not obscure. They are not symbolic language buried in apocalyptic imagery. They are spoken plainly by the risen Christ as part of His commissioning of believers.
The question is not what does the text say? The question is do we believe what it says?
Because if Jesus meant what He said, then belief is not passive—it is active, obedient, and empowered.
Jesus Did Not Say “These Signs Might Follow”
Jesus used declarative language.
“These signs shall follow them that believe.”
Not:
“These signs followed”
“These signs may follow”
“These signs followed temporarily”
The grammar places the burden not on the signs, but on belief.
If the signs are absent, Scripture forces an uncomfortable examination—not of God’s faithfulness, but of our definition of belief.
Mark 16 in Context: Resurrection, Authority, Commission
Mark 16 is not a random appendix. It is the post-resurrection declaration of Christ’s authority.
Mark 16:15 (KJV)
“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Mark 16:20 (KJV)
“And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.”
Signs were never meant to replace the gospel.
They were meant to confirm it.
Why This Passage Is Avoided
Mark 16 is uncomfortable because it dismantles:
Passive Christianity
Faith without expectation
Theology without power
It exposes a version of belief that is verbal but not biblical.
The Real Issue: Redefining Belief
Jesus never allowed belief to remain theoretical.
John 14:12 (KJV)
“He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do.”
The problem is not that Scripture over-promises.
The problem is that modern belief under-expects.
Obedience Is the Proof of Love
John 14:15 (KJV)
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
John 14:24 (KJV)
“He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”
There is no category in Scripture for a disobedient believer who remains approved by God.
Judgment Is Based on Response to His Words
John 12:48 (KJV)
“The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”
The final judgment will not measure church affiliation, emotional experiences, or doctrinal labels or ones own personal beliefs—but obedience to Christ’s words.
Signs Do Not Create Faith—They Follow It
This passage does not teach spectacle-seeking Christianity. It teaches evidenced belief.
Casting out devils → authority over darkness
Healing the sick → restoration power
Divine protection → God’s sovereignty over death
These signs are not entertainment. They are collision points between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness.
Conclusion: Believe, or Merely Agree?
Jesus never asked for agreement. He demanded belief—and belief demands obedience, surrender, repentance, and endurance.
Matthew 4:4 (KJV)
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
The mouth of God is His Word—The Bible as it is written.
Every word includes the hard ones.
Every word includes the mark of a believer reveled in Mark 16.
Every word includes repentance, obedience, power, and judgment.
So the question remains, piercing and unavoidable:
Do you believe what’s in your Bible?
Or do you believe a version that asks nothing and proves nothing?
Because biblical faith does not just speak—it follows, obeys, and acts in faith.