My Belief

John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believed in Him would never die but have eternal life.” To an American in the South, where multiple churches deck every town, and the word ‘religion’ passes through most conversations casually, rolling off the tongue with a sleepy familiarity, John 3:16 can be worn-out, overused, and overlooked. Often, the regular churchgoer has heard it so many times that they no longer hear it, while even the ‘nonreligious’ person has dismissed it as insignificant. But to me, that verse is life. It speaks of God, the creator of all things, of a lost and broken humanity, which has turned from God to sin, and of his beloved Son, Jesus, who is by nature God. That verse encompasses the most life-changing truth anyone will ever encounter. God’s love in unfathomable and unchanging, and Jesus is a personal savior who died for each person who chooses to follow him.

In fact, the Bible is the ultimate source for this belief. There are over twenty-four thousand ancient documents from the Bible found in Europe, Asia, and Africa, many of which are over two thousand years old. Out of the thousands of legitimate manuscripts of the Bible, there are very few that aren’t identical, and even these few examples are mostly mistakes such as the misspelling of a name or number. God has preserved his Holy Word so that every verse can be translated accurately. This is further proof of his love and mercy towards mankind. The Bible is filled with detailed accounts including dates, numbers, names, and places so accurate that even some atheistic historians, upon examining the Bible, admitted that it was as historically accurate and reliable as any ancient document they’d ever examined. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” That verse makes it perfectly clear that the Bible is purely inspired by God and that each person should make the choice in their own heart to believe what it says.

Not only is God’s truth backed up by his infallible word; it’s also backed up by millions of people, too many people to count. Ever since the beginning of time, humans from all walks of life have given their all for the belief that God was their maker and king. Many famous scientists followed Christ. Robert Boyle, Issac Newton, Michal Faraday, and Lord Kelvin exemplify profound faith coupled with an understanding of God’s Creation. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln loved God and studied his Word deeply. Beyond these famous examples are countless more. Millions of Christians have died for their beliefs. For instance, in the days of Ancient Rome before Constantine, Romans tortured and killed Christians brutally, insisting that they deny their faith. But even in the face of grief, death, hatred and pain, thousands of believers held to their beliefs and went to their graves proclaiming Jesus Christ because they truly knew who he was; he had died for them, and he was worth dying for. I have seen the transforming power of God in the lives of my family and friends. I have met hundreds of Christians whose eyes shine with joy and love, and who praise God as the ruler of their lives. God’s Holy Spirit is clearly at work in their hearts, instructing them in an unexplainable, undeniable way and guiding them with a still, small voice, opening their eyes to truth, goodness, beauty, and selflessness.

Most importantly, I’ve seen God at work in my own life. Ever since I was seven, I’ve felt a growing realization that God is indeed real, that he loves me and cares for me personally, and that every word of his Bible is true. The more I read the Bible, the more I come to love it. He is a constant companion, a friend who knows my heart - and all the evil in me - and yet loves me anyway. As I read his Word, worship him in song, pray to him throughout the day, talk to other Christians about him, and hear stories of his work in their lives, I am continually reminded that God is transforming the hearts of many people, and loving them personally. He brings me comfort when I’m upset or in pain. He steers me away from addictions, whether they’re small bad habits or overwhelming obsessions. He leads me into conversations with people I would never have otherwise talked to, and he uses those conversations to lift my heart and the hearts of others.

In summary, God loves me and everyone else on earth with an infinite love, and the evidence for this truth is endless. From the unchanging, unbroken certainty of the Bible, to the countless Christians who have believed in Jesus through every hardship imaginable, to my own experiences with God and the undeniable closeness of my relationship with him, there is such a staggering amount of support for the works of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that one would have to be blind to not see that he is real. He exhibited perfect love by giving up his own Son, the ultimate sacrifice. He died at the hands of those he came to save, in order to grant life to anyone and everyone who chooses to follow him. This is the truth that has changed my life and saved my soul forever, knowing that God loves me enough to humble himself to the point of death.