First see then believe or first believe then see?

First see then believe is the way the world thinks and what the world says. How often do you hear: I have to see it first, before I believe it” or “Oh! I can’t believe that, I have to see that“. The world won’t believe anything, before they’ll see it first. Most people find it difficult to believe something, unless they will see it with their eyes. However, there are a few exceptions. When the world says something negative or gives a negative report or forecast, like for example in the daily news, a weather report, an economic forecast, a doctor’s report, a psychologist’s report, they immediately believe it and discuss it with family, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, etc.. How weird is that? They immediately believe the words of the world, but they don’t believe the words of God?

A sign or wonder is considered a coincidence

A friend once said: How can you believe in God? He is invisible; you don’t see Him. I need some kind of a sign before I will believe in God”. I immediately said: “Ok, you want a sign, you will get a sign“. 

A few minutes later, a beautiful light entered the room. I looked at the sky and was amazed. I said, “look!”. There was a strange light with all kinds of colors. No, it wasn’t a rainbow, but it looked like a rainbow. However, the sky was clear blue and it didn’t rain. My friend looked at the sky and considered it also very special.

At first, I did not realize it, but then I said: “This is your sign! I was very enthusiastic, but my friend wasn’t. Yeah, my friend thought it was special, but despite the sign, my friend didn’t believe.

My friend wanted to first see then believe. But when my friend received a sign, and saw the sign, my friend still did not believe it. My friend said, that it was just a coincidence. Many miracles have been taken place in this person’s life, but the person still hasn’t made a choice for Jesus Christ yet. But I know, there will come a day that this person will make a choice to follow Jesus and become born again and be saved.

First see then believe

We live in a world, where people want to see things first before they believe it. The visible realm of the senses is more real to most people than the spiritual realm.

purpose of the Bible

When you become a Christian, you believe that the Word of God is true and that the Word of God is the Truth.

You believe the Word of God above what people and science tell you. You believe in Jesus, even when you haven’t seen Jesus face to face.

When you study the Word of God, you will get to know God, Jesus, and your (new) self. Because the Word of God is the new you, the new creation.

Therefore, if you want to find out who you really are, then all you have to do is study God’s Word. So that your mind will be renewed and line up with the Word of God.

The more your mind is renewed and the more you become a doer of the Word, your spirit man will grow and become strong. The spiritual realm will become more real to you than the visible realm (Read also: ‘The hearers vs the doers’).

God’s Word is the mirror of your life.

For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continuity therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (James 1:23-25)

God’s Word is the mirror of your life. Your life should be a reflection of the Word of God. You should be a doer of the Word of God and not a hearer only.

You ought to walk in His Word, which means that you will believe in His words, take His words, and apply His words to your life.

Walking in the Word of God

Walking in the Word of God means many times, that you walk and act according to those things, which are not visible in the natural realm yet. But faith is not something you can see.

Faith is an action; you walk and act according to something that is not visible in the natural realm yet, but you believe that it will come to pass. You are absolutely persuaded that something is true and that it will come to pass.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrew 11:1)

When you say, that you believe or that you have faith, it means that you believe in the Word of God and walk in the unseen. 

Certain things may not be visible in the natural realm yet. But you walk after what the Word and the Spirit say and call those things which are not into existence.

Call those things which are not, as though they were

As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before him whom he believed, even God, who quickens the dead, and calls those things which be not as though they were (Romans 4:17)

As a new creation you are made in the image of God. Jesus Christ has reconciled you through His blood and sacrifice to God and restored you in the position which God had given to Adam before the fall. Yes, even a greater position. Because you live in Christ, Who is seated at the right hand of the Father. Jesus Christ has the highest authority and power in the heavens and on earth.

When you look at the beginning of the creation, God (El-Elohim) called things into being, through His Words and His Spirit. The whole earth has its origin in Him.

faith, believe

Since you are created after His image, you have been given the authority and power to do the same.

You also call things into being through your words. When you speak His words, then they will be empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Therefore it is very important to know His Word, so that His Words will come out of your mouth.

Instead of speaking negative, doubtful, words, which are directed by your feelings, emotions, and senses, you will speak words of life.

You will call those things which are not as though they were. And you will create or change things, circumstances, situations, predictions, etc. But they must be in line with the Word of God and be to the glory of God the Father and Jesus Christ and His Kingdom (Read also the blogpost Joy or pity party?).

The old man wants to see first then believe

When Jesus walked with His disciples on earth, the disciples were still the old creation; the old man, and had not become the new creation yet. Since the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit had not taken place. Therefore the disciples had the see first before they believed. And even after they had seen Jesus perform all kinds of miracles, they still didn’t believe it. Look at the story about the five loaves and two fishes and the seven loaves and a few small fishes.

Both times, Jesus multiplied the food through the hands of the disciples and fed the multitude. They had seen these great miracles. However, when they entered the ship and saw that they forgot to take bread with them, they were worried.

Jesus said to them, that they were of little faith. He remembered them about the two occasions, when they didn’t have enough food and how Jesus provided in both situations (Matthew 16:6-11).

Jesus constantly addressed the unbelief of His disciples, who belonged to the generation of fallen man. Even after Jesus was raised from the dead and visited His disciples, His disciples doubted Jesus. They didn’t believe that it was Jesus.

People always point to the doubting Thomas, but the other disciples also doubted Jesus. Jesus had to show His disciples His hands and feet to prove that He was not a spirit but that He had flesh and bones. Jesus even had to eat something to prove that He was not a spirit. Because His disciples still didn’t believe (Mark 16:11-14, Luke 24:11; 24-36, John 20:19-29).

The new man calls those things which are not as though they were

But when they were baptized with the Holy Spirit and were born again and became the new creation, the spiritual realm became visible to them and they called those things which were not as though they were.

When you are born again, you have become a new creation. You don’t have to see things first before you believe them. No! You don’t first see then believe as the old man, but you first believe then see as the new man.

When you renew your mind with the Word of God, you get to know God’s will about things, situations, circumstances, etc. You will see the image of the outcome in your head and then you will call those things which are not as though they were and will bring it into being.

Everything that has a name, must bow to the Name of Jesus

Once during a flight, the plane began to shake a little. Immediately the fasten your seatbelt light went on. The pilot announced that we had entered an area with severe turbulence. He told us, that the plane in front of us dropped a few meters. We had to prepare ourselves, that the same thing could happen to us.

Instead of becoming fearful, I said:Turbulence, I command you to go in Jesus’ Name!. There will be no turbulence!“. The turbulence stopped and we had no turbulence for the rest of the flight. That is the authority and power we have been given in Christ!

Everything that has a name, must bow to the Name of Jesus. Turbulence is a name. Therefore turbulence had to bow. It’s just like the fig tree and the storm, which also obeyed Jesus. Jesus spoke and it came to pass.

Don’t be conformed to this world! Don’t think the way the world thinks and don’t walk the way the world walks after the flesh. Instead, walk by faith after the Word and the Spirit

The world says, first see then believe. But the new creation says, first believe then see!

‘Be the salt of the earth’ 

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