Believe or Belief?

"On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." John 7:37-38

I spent several years of my life in a Bible College environment learning to be a pastor. They were important years in my leadership formation. I thank God for those who blessed me in this process. During those years a great deal of emphasis was put on the correct beliefs about Jesus. I was even tested on my beliefs quite regularly at Bible college. I got nearly all "As" in belief. I got a diploma based on my beliefs. I was ordained according to my beliefs. I easily concluded that better beliefs make better pastors. I don’t recall ever getting a grade on believing at Bible college.

So much emphasis was put on the list of beliefs that I was tempted to see my job as a pastor as defending these beliefs. I became pretty good at inspecting other people’s beliefs along the way. I was like a teacher giving others grades on their beliefs just like I had been given grades on my beliefs in Bible College.

I have not abandoned any of the essential beliefs that I learned so many years ago. I think I could basically pass the exams again today with little or no problem. The list of beliefs I was tested on has stood the test of time. They do point pretty well to Jesus.

What I have abandoned is the idea that the key to true Christian living is my excellent list of beliefs. I know now that the key to my life blessing any other life is believing in Jesus. Lists of beliefs are only as good as their accuracy in describing Jesus and His perfect intentions. He measures the lists. The lists do not measure Him. Believing better in Jesus should be the goal of the list. When believing in Jesus is constant then the list did its only job which is to point to Him. Lists of beliefs should be for better believing in Jesus rather than trying to test how Christians think about Jesus.

Some lists of beliefs are certainly better than others, but no list is Jesus. No one should think the river of living water will flow from their list of beliefs about Jesus. The river flows from the real Jesus, not someone’s really well organized list of beliefs about Jesus.

There was a certain spiritual dryness I experienced in my Bible College years. I think it came from the lists and the tests. That dryness always accompanies focusing on a list of beliefs instead of focusing on where the list should be pointing.

A river is not birthed from a list. A river is birth from a spring. Jesus is that spring and no list can ever do Him justice. Only drinking from the spring tells us what the spring is really like. Believing in Jesus is what does Him the justice He deserves and wants from us. The real test is believing and the passing grade is the real river of life flowing from Him through us.