We Christians spend a lot of time touting what we believe. We stand in our pulpits, preaching our beliefs, asking for a show of hands from those who are "believers". And for a lot of us, raising that arm, with the palm thrust high in the sky, is an important statement of who we are. However, since the raising of a hand never accomplishes a single eternal thing, perhaps the action really proves who we aren't.

Who is the person who identifies himself as a believer in today's Christian world? And just exactly what does a believer believe? The most honest answer is that a believer is simply anyone who believes they are a Christian and believes in his ability to arrive at the truth of God's word. In other words, a believer is someone who believes in himself.

You're probably shaking you head about now. Either you think this is all a little nuts, or you have been convicted of the truth of these words. More to the point, either you believe in yourself and your ability to grasp the truth, or, you believe that when Jesus said,   "I  am  the  way, the truth, and the life" that's exactly what He meant. He is the truth. We are not.

Though this is certainly not rocket science, it is definitely foreign territory for a lot of professing Christians. Why? Perhaps it's because we live in the age of "new and improved" Christianity. Have you ever wondered why we feel the need to make God's word better and more relevant to the masses? Have you ever considered that God's word is His word, perfect in every respect, able to stand forever on God's omniscience, alone? Have you grasped that God is perfectly capable of accomplishing anything and everything He desires, and that He doesn't need us and our programs AT ALL?!! More to the point, do you know that God is really God?

We all have come short of the glory of God. That is present tense, not past tense. And that is all of us, not some of us. We do not become like God through the glory of our Christian life and actions. We  do  not  arrive at  the  truth  of God's word through the  obedience  of our  daily  devotions  or  by   dedicating  our  lives  to serve in Timbuktu. In fact, the ritual of our devotions, and the prideful identity we find through sacrificial service, may be a big part of our eternal downfall. It certainly was for the Pharisees. Jesus told them, in no uncertain terms, that even though they whitewashed themselves on the outside with glorious actions and beliefs, they were still decaying, stinking tombs of death on the inside.

Do you hear Him, right now? He's still preaching the same message to the same stubborn, religious people. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Believer, believe Jesus!